Mein Jahr in Mannheim war mehr als ein Studium, es war eine Lebenserfahrung.
Rebeccah Dawson (Carrboro)
Report of Ekkehard-Stiftung Scholarship
Thanks to Ekkehard-Stiftung and Mannheim University, my one-year experience in Mannheim is truly amazing.
Even though I have heard of the good reputation of Mannheim University, I was still surprised by the high-caliber students here. I learn not only by listening to the lecture and reading the books but also by communicating with classmates. I can always be inspired by their words and ideas. It is a blessing to have such elites to be my classmates. Apart from the academic life, the daily life and culture here also were new and exciting to me since I am originally from a country that is quite different from Germany culturally. I am grateful to Ekkehard-Stiftung for its financial support so that I am able to experience many social events which I may not otherwise. I feel so lucky that I have been to Munich during Oktoberfest and got the first-hand experience of this world-renowned German festival. It was my first time to get so close to Bavarian culture. All people wearing the traditional dress grab a huge mug of beer. They laughed and danced with the joyful melody. It is quite a blast. Also, Mannheim University is a German university with very good international atmosphere. Not only I made a lot of local friends, but also I met many international exchange students. It is always good to get to know new cultures and people. Without the help from Ekkehard-Stiftung, I needed to keep my budget tighter and had to give up many opportunities to embrace various cultures. Mannheim University is a place full of vigorous people, studying here makes me have a deeper understanding of "work hard, play hard". People give their 100 percent effort during work and study, and totally relax after. It is quite a balanced way of living and I love it.
The past year in Mannheim is a life-long treasure for me. I appreciate the help from Ekkehard-Stiftung and Mannheim University.