My name is Ali Isaacs. I am a rising senior, double majoring in Marine Biology and German Studies. The summer study abroad program I am participating in is the Germany Abroad Program at the College of Charleston. I chose this program for multiple reasons. One, the credits I earn from it made it possible for me to upgrade my German minor to my current German studies second major. The second reason is that I am fascinated by German culture and I wanted to experience life here. Also, I speak a bit of German, so this is a great opportunity to enhance my language skills. However, my main motivation for choosing this program was because of the second part of the program. The first part is 3 weeks of language school in Berlin. And the second part is an internship in your chosen field of study. Germany is an excellent place to study the sciences! My internship is in Kiel, Germany at Geomar. Here I am working to determine the effects microplastics have on sponges.
My personal goals for my time abroad are to try new food and drinks, experience the culture as much as possible, and try to speak German as much as I am able to while I’m here. My biggest goal is to have a natural conversation in German without switching to English. A professional goal of mine is to expand my network while interning at Geomar.
Prior to departure, I did a bit of research, to have an idea of what to expect. I looked up hidden gems of Germany, tourist traps, polite phrases, social norms and things like that. Thus far, the information I found aligns with the reality of Germany. This is a beautiful country, and I am glad I chose to study here for the summer.