Hana MujkovicSenior Bio and German Double Major Pitt in Berlin, Pitt in Sydney, Pitt in Florence, Pitt in Tanzania, Pitt in the Himalayas, Pitt in Buenos Aires, Pitt in South Africa, Pitt in Shanghai… any of these destinations sound interesting to you? If not, chances are that one of the cities out of the 75+ countries Pitt’s Study Abroad Office has to offer will capture your attention. For those with even the most specific of international tastes, there is most likely a way that you can fit studying in your dream city into your academic agenda. Unfortunately, however, many of us STEM majors are under the common misconception (as was I) that studying abroad as a science major is simply not a practical dream… that there is no time for it between research, internships, work, demanding course loads and pre-health/graduate school requirements. Well, as a Biological Sciences and German major in pursuit of a third long-term adventure abroad (and graduating on time, mind you), I hope to dispel this myth through my own personal experiences. After an Ochem exam sophomore year, I walked into my Bio Advising appointment anticipating to be shut down when expressing my interest in Study Abroad for the summer. I was surprised by the nonchalance, as well as support, in my advisor’s voice when she said, “Oh sure… We have a lot of students do that.” Apparently, I was not in uncharted territory. Although I did have the additional motivation to study abroad in Germany as a German major, studying abroad does not require foreign language knowledge. It also does not require you to take your hard sciences while abroad. My advisor encouraged me to work with the Study Abroad Office and German department to maximize the credits I could transfer back as Gen Eds and German major requirements. So, how did I choose my first Study Abroad program? I started by visiting the Study Abroad website. Here you can narrow your search for programs based on location, area of study, term or program type. With my heart set on Berlin and planning for the summer, two programs caught my interest. I explored their websites and the courses they offered, printed out syllabi for classes which I thought could count as Gen Eds or towards my German major, and I took my options to the Study Abroad Office and German department to be confirmed. I settled on a 6-week program at the Freie Universität Berlin, where I would be taking a German language course and a history course taught in German using film, art and literature. I received credit for two German major requirements and an “Arts” Gen Ed (MA) — not a bad deal! Remember to check with departments for your certificates and minors as well! Needless to say, my time in Berlin was one of the best experiences of my life, as probably any person who has studied abroad will say. I returned to the U.S. with new friends and memories, new skills, a new perspective, a refreshed mind, and the determination to return for a longer period of time. My junior year, I began looking into summer research internships abroad, and I was reminded of the DAAD RISE program (German Academic Exchange Service- Research Internships in Science and Engineering) through the University Honors College newsletter. DAAD RISE is a wonderful program for science majors that offers summer research internships in Germany for undergraduate students from North America, Great Britain and Ireland, and while convenient, German language knowledge is not necessary! Inexperienced with such an application process, I made appointments with the National Scholarship advisors to help edit my essays and resume, and they were extremely helpful. After not making the smartest move by placing all my eggs in one basket, I, fortunately, heard back that I had received the three-month research internship in Munich. I was overjoyed to be able to combine both my science and German knowledge into one cohesive, interdisciplinary and international experience. Not only did I gain new, practical laboratory expertise for the future, but it was extremely gratifying to develop a sense of place alone in a foreign city. Onto the next adventure! Questions about my experiences or studying abroad? Come to office hours in Langley Lobby on Wednesdays at 11am!
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January 2022
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