Mi Hanguang

I have been in Paderborn from December 16 to June 16, half of one year as an exchange student of Beihang University. The time is exciting and helpful for my research work. Thanks to the corporation between Beihang and Paderborn University, DAAD founding me. Thanks to Prof. Mertsching, Prof. Boecker and Prof. Yuan give me the change to study in Paderborn University. Beside my gains from Germany, I would like to write some issues to give opinions on how to live and study well in Paderborn.

Before you reach in Germany

Try to get more information about Germany, include food, travelling, and laws and so on. As there are some difference on living between Germany and China, try to prepare some tools which is necessary such as power exchange with you, by the way, you can take 30 kilos with you on plane. Another and important thing is learn some German words, such as railway station, airplane, entrance and exit, name of some food, thank you and please. These words will be very helpful when you first stand on German land.

Reach in Paderborn

There are many friendly people around you if you need any help. I want to thank Tobias, Andreas and Manli Hu for their help when I reached in Paderborn. There are many things to do when you reach in Paderborn, but with the help from your buddy or teachers of internet school, all things will be easy to deal with.

Live in Paderborn

Usually, exchange student will live in student house, the type can be chosen before you coming to Germany. These IS kitchen for you to make food, and you can make friends with your neighbors who come from different countries including China. But usually, the house master know little English, so you can ask some help from your neighbors who can speak German well to prevent misunderstanding between you and your house master. There is a mess in Paderborn University, but it does not provide dinner, so you have to prepare food by yourself. There are many foods in supermarket. It will be a different thing for you to buy something from supermarket if you know little German, but it will go easier after you are familiar with the foods in few days. By the way, the supermarket will close on Sunday which is different with China.

Study in Paderborn University

There are many courses you can take, some of them are given in English and some are given in German. Usually, there will be language course which will last four weeks for exchange students, but I don’t think it is enough if you are newer in German. If you want some more language course, you can ask the teachers of internet school for help.

As exchange student, we can take part in the research work in GET lab or LEA lab. I do some research work on DC-DC power in LEA lab and I think it is good for my further study in Beihang University. There will be some lectures you can attending if you are interesting in, but many of them is given in German. So if you want to take good part in the research work and get good communication with German, you’d better know more German language before you come to Germany.

Last, I want to thank all the people who give me help when I live in Paderborn and wish you have good time in Germany.