OIS experience at Georg Simon Ohm University
of Applied Science, Nuremberg, Germany
knowledge learned at school always only focuses on one area.
However, at work, we are required to apply different aspects of
knowledge. We need to integrate new and old knowledge, so as
NGO Shuk Ling
to apply them. When you are working, no one will provide any
BENG3-INFE, Yr 3
NOTES to you. Therefore, every thing will start from zero. In the
internship, I needed to surf the Internet and make use of library
2013 is one of the most memorable years of my life. Before this
resources. Because my professor gave me a considerable freedom,
overseas internship, I have never set foot in Europe. Germany
it was such a good chance for me to dig out problems and solve them
is the first country for me to understand this place. I have never
by myself. I was trained to be independent and take the initiative
imagined that my internship would be like this – going different
to tackle problems by myself before seeking help. Furthermore, I
places during the weekends, trying food I have never eaten
did the project with my tutor, and this gave me chance to exchange
before, meeting people on the train, travelling together with
ideas with him and learn how to work with other people.
strangers, catching the train at the last minute, communicating
without a common language and working independently. Even
Time flies. It soon came to the end of the internship. This
though I encountered some difficulties in the process, all of these
experience completely changed my outlook on life. I am very glad
are valuable experiences that make my eleven weeks of life in
that I have joined this internship program so I could see more of
Germany wonderful.
the world. And I really enjoy the life in Nuremberg. These eleven
weeks has provided me great memories and formed an important
During these eleven weeks, I tried a lot of “First Time”, which is
a completely different life in Hong Kong. I have never left Hong
Kong for such a period of time, and it gave me an irreplaceable and
wonderful experience. Once I had arrived in Nuremberg, the many
unexpected events made me see the other side of Nuremberg. The
first day I arrived was a public holiday. All shops are closed, and
the whole city is very quiet. However, a big beer festival was being
held in a corner of the city, and most of the people gathered in the
place. It was a coincidence that I was integrated into their lives in
the first day I came. What’s more, I experienced a freak of weather
which only happens once in a few years’ time in Germany. We
needed to turn on heater in summer. Although this city is very
strange to me, there are some exchange students from Hong Kong
who helped us a lot to adapt to the new environment. Furthermore,
the international office of the host university has organized some
activities for the exchange students, such as international summer
party and visit to the zoo. And I participated in an activity – Persian
Night which was organized by some exchange students from Iran.
During this night, I got to know different international students
coming from Mongolia, Korea, Austria, etc. I learnt about their
culture and history, tried their traditional foods and all these were
new to me.
On the other hand, what I gained from the internship experience
is quite different from school activities. Most of the time, the
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part in my life.