Experience report
ANR: 861662
Name: Sheila Smeets
E-mail: sheilasmeets@hotmail.com
Exchange semester: Fall 2014
Academic year: 2014 - 2015
Host University: Mannheim Business School
Country: Germany
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the university
provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a place
to live after you arrived?
My parents brought me to Mannheim by car because it’s just 300 kilometers from my parents’ home.
They brought me immediately to my accommodation where my flat-mate and the girl from who I was
going to rent to room were waiting for me. I had to sign the rent contract and the same afternoon my
parents and the girl from who I rented the room left. The university provides student houses but just a
few and the most are far from the center and university of Mannheim. Furthermore, you have to be
very lucky to get a room from the university because they let you know which day and what time the
accommodation portal to rent a room opens. I was sitting behind my laptop that day but I didn’t
manage to rent a room from the university although I tried it at the right time and date. I have spoken
to some students who managed to rent a room from the university, but they were not satisfied with
their rooms so finally I have actually be lucky that I didn’t manage to rent a room from the university. I
found my room trough another site of the university of Mannheim, where local students who are going
to leave Mannheim for one semester for an exchange period as well can offer their rooms. I booked
my room two months in advance.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the best
place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in your host
city? What was different than in Tilburg?
The center of the city is round and around this round you have the city ring. Inside the city ring you
can find everything you need from shops, bars, supermarkets, restaurants to sport locations. At the
side of the city ring near the river ‘Rhein’ the university is located. Best places to eat good, cheap and
different kinds of food are Café Vienna, Itchi, Istanbul, Vapiano’s, La Focaccia, Fuji and Alter Simpl
(this one is a little bit less cheap but you can eat really good German food here). For drinks you can
go to Café Vienna as well, Irish Pub, Bar Tomato, Barrios, Hagelstolz and Stars (this one is more
expensive). If you want to dance you can go to Zimmer, Koi, Zapato, Musikpark (there is also a
German music room in this club which is really funny) and the ‘Schneckenhof’ parties from the
university. Interesting to see in Mannheim is the Louisen Park and you definitely should go to a match
of the Mannheim ‘Adlers’ ice hockey team. The university offers a broad range of different sport
courses and you can enter these courses free so that is really great. The city center of Mannheim is
bigger than the city center of Tilburg but like student city it is quite comparable to Tilburg, not too big
and very cozy. A difference compared to Tilburg is that Mannheim has trams, which is very easy to
travel with.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the courses
add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to Tilburg University
concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English, workload, etc.? Overall,
were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange? Please describe the
campus of your host university.
I took five courses: strategic & international management, operations management, international
accounting, development & management in information systems and introduction to international
relations (the last one is a political course). I definitely would recommend international accounting,
although I had this course every Friday morning from 8.30am until 11.45am I think the course is very
interesting and especially the teacher makes it very interesting and enjoyable. Furthermore I would
recommend strategic & international management and introduction to international relations. I think
especially international accounting and introduction to international relations added really much to my
program at Tilburg University, because these are totally different from the program Tilburg University
offers. The level of English was good and I didn’t need to read books for the courses I had chosen,
but for some they recommend you to read papers although these not very important were to be able
to pass the exams. For the exams you especially have to study the slides and additional notes you
have made during the lectures. The level of the exams is quite similar to the Netherlands but the time
for an exam is just 90 minutes whereby I really had to rush by some exams because there are really
many questions just for 90 minutes, which I was not used to compare to Tilburg University. Overall I
am happy with my academic achievements during my exchange semester. The University of
Mannheim also has a big campus with all faculties together and a Mensa like Tilburg University. The
big difference compared to Tilburg University is that the University of Mannheim is much more
beautiful, it’s located in the second biggest baroque palace of the world. Furthermore has the
university separated libraries for the different faculties and not just one big library for all students like
in Tilburg.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with local
students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along with the local
students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries during your
exchange?
The university of Mannheim has a special student association for exchange students; this is called
‘visum’. In the beginning you get a buddy from visum, this is a local student who can help you in the
beginning if you have problems with for instance registration for courses and can show you the city. If
you want to practice your German skills you can practice it with you buddy as well. Furthermore
organizes visum many activities during the semester. For example, every Monday is ‘stammtisch’ at a
bar and on every Tuesday is an international party, every time with another theme and different
location. I especially had contact with other exchange students from all different countries. But I lived
with a German girl what was very good to practice my German skills because since the beginning we
have been talking German together. Regularly I went out with my flat-mate and her friends so I had
quite much contact with local students as well. But you don’t meet the local students just at the
university during lectures (unless you have a group project for a course). I have travelled quite much
during my exchange with exchange students. I have been in Germany to Heidelberg, Oktoberfest in
Munich, ‘weinfest’ in Schriesheim, biggest ‘wurstmarkt’ of Germany in Bad-Durckheim, Herxheim
vineyards, Schwetzingen, Frankfurt, Heppenheim, Darmstadt, Weinheim, Worms, Koblenz (I went
there with my flat-mate because her parents are living there) and Speyer. Furthermore I have
travelled to Paris with four exchange students, because I had met a girl whose parents have a house
in Paris where we were allowed to stay which was very cool.
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg University?
What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you spend most of your
money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money on? Please outline your
approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food, textbooks, etc.
Apart from the Erasmus grant, OV compensation and stuffi I financed my exchange period from
money I saved before my exchange and a monthly contribution from my parents. My accommodation
was 100 euro more expensive than my students’ accommodation in Tilburg. Also the monthly
expenditures were more expensive because although I didn’t travel really expensive all together it’s
still more expensive than my ‘normal’ live in the Netherlands. I would advice exchange students to
spend their money on making trips and having a nice time in Mannheim itself. My monthly rent was
350 Euros. Food in the supermarkets is not more expensive than in the Netherlands so I would say
150 euro per month on food. I haven’t bought any textbooks at all so on study materials you don’t
have to spend money. Furthermore it’s good to know that it is easy to have a semester ticket, with the
semester ticket you can travel by public transport the whole semester in the ‘Rhein-Neckar-Region’.
But the semester ticket costs 150 Euros so you should take this into account before you go to
Mannheim, because you should buy this immediately in the beginning to profit the most of it during
your exchange period.
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host culture to
your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange? What was different
about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like about your host culture? Do
you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to learn more? How
would you describe your host countries culture? If you travelled to other cities/countries during your
exchange, were they different than your host city/country, and how?
I didn’t experience a culture shock while being on exchange. There are not that many culture
differences between The Netherlands and Germany. What was quite surprising and interesting to me
to experience is that all the Germans I have met are used to take their shoes off immediately when
enter a house/apartment. At one German guy’s house we even had to take our shoes off before
entering his apartment. Furthermore were the German students not use to cycle, they were also quite
surprised that I had bought a bike in Germany. About my own culture I learned that Dutch people are
more direct than most other countries. We are also faster in making ‘easy’ decisions. For instance, in
the beginning I really had to be patient when buying groceries with students from different countries.
They can spend such a long time in a supermarket, to me that is really a waste of time. What I really
liked about my host culture is the cheaper and good food and beers you could buy in restaurants and
bars. Actually I can’t really mention something that I didn’t like about my host culture. I like the
German culture. I think I have learned what I could have learned about my host culture because the
differences compared to the Netherlands are just small. There is nothing that I would like to learn
more about my host culture. I would describe my host culture as a very nice, friendly and cozy culture.
Despite Germany I have travelled to France (Paris). The difference compared to Germany is the slow
attitudes of French people. Especially the cashiers in the supermarkets in Germany work very slowly.
In Germany the cashiers work very fast.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things differently if
you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best experience, and what
was your worst experience? What will you remember forever about your exchange period? What was
the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange period?
I learned that every country has it’s own culture and habits from the people I have met during my
exchange. Of course I also learned to speak better English and German from the students I have met
because we always spoke English or/and German. I wouldn’t do something different if I had the
chance. Furthermore I have learned that the way students study for exams and care about their study
results differ across countries. My best experience was the real ‘Oktoberfest’ in Munich. My worst
experience was missing the train back from Paris to Mannheim because of the slowness of a French
friend of me. It has cost me much money to come back that day to Mannheim. I will remember forever
the great time I have had abroad in general; the nice trips I have made and the good parties where I
have been. The most important lesson I have learned about myself is that I shouldn’t always be so
unsure about my skills and that I can survive very well also when I go somewhere totally alone and
can’t speak the languages very well in the beginning.
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university? What
should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is required for going on
exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done in preparation that you didn’t
do?
I certainly would recommend an exchange period. I also would recommend my host university. It’s a
great and nice university. Especially if you want go learn the German language better and experience
the German culture I would recommend Mannheim. I also liked the city Mannheim itself. In case you
are looking for an exchange destination where you can pass your exams without really effort you
shouldn’t go to Mannheim. Most exams are in December and the level is quite similar (or a little bit
more difficult because the time compared to Tilburg you get for an exam is quite short) to Tilburg so
you have to study otherwise you won’t pass. To prepare yourself before going to Mannheim you can
for instance take a German language course in Tilburg offered by the language centre. Furthermore I
can’t really recommend something you should bring with you to Mannheim. Just the ‘normal’ stuff you
need.
TOPIC: A picture is worth a thousand words
If you took any pictures or made any videos that you would like to share with future exchange
students, please include them (or e-mail them separately). Pictures that show your daily life or
symbolize your exchange period are especially interesting for future exchange students.