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Alessandra Guhr
My course of study shows that it is also possible to combine different options for the internship module and that students do not have to decide whether they want to study abroad or do an internship, because they can do both!
I first did a semester abroad at the Universidad de Costa Rica in the country's capital, San José. I decided to spend a semester very far away from home because I wanted to gain new impressions and experiences. Thanks to the cooperation between Leibniz University and UCR in Costa Rica, I was guaranteed both a place to study and a scholarship, which made the rest of the process much easier.
During my studies abroad, I mainly took courses at the "Facultad de Historia" and dealt very intensively with the history of Central America (especially the history of Costa Rica). However, my real "goal" was to complete an exposé for the Master's thesis, which is why I also spent a lot of time in Costa Rica researching and completing the exposé. The so-called "practical module", for which I completed this stay, is intended to give Master's students the opportunity to delve deeper into a topic of their own choice (ideally the topic of the Master's thesis) and to conduct research in the context in which they find themselves.
That was also my goal. However, during my research and the examination of my exposé, I noticed that the chosen topic was too broad and that I lacked basic knowledge of art studies (it was a topic that was a combination of historical studies, cultural studies and art studies). I then decided to change the subject and deal with another topic that had also accompanied me throughout my studies: the conflict between Catalonia and Spain.
My studies abroad in Costa Rica had not been "in vain", however, because I had learned a lot through the courses at the university, my Spanish had improved considerably (especially through reading a lot of texts for university) and I was able to get to know a country that has a lot to offer and is not quite as well known here in Europe or is underestimated by many. During my stay abroad, I was also able to deal with myself in a very profound way and learned a lot about myself and my expectations for the future. I realised that I wanted to live in a big metropolis that offers endless cultural possibilities. As a result, I decided to go to Barcelona - a city to which I have had a special bond for over 10 years and which represents the perfect living space for me personally.
Since the "new" topic of my Master's thesis is also to be located within this context, I could also use this stay abroad to research and gather information for my thesis. This time, however, I decided to do an internship, as we do not have any cooperation with the Universitat de Barcelona. Since I am also studying the Master of Teaching with the subject combination Spanish/History in addition to the Master of Atlantic Studies, I decided to go to a language school where I taught German and Spanish for 5 months (see picture with one of my courses). With the help of the Erasmus+ programme (funding for work placements abroad in Europe), I was able to finance this stay.
It is probably clear to everyone that Barcelona is a great city with a lot to offer. I enjoyed every day in this wonderful metropolis, which has impressive architecture (keyword: Antoni Gaudí), many interesting museums (including the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Museu Picasso, etc.), a very diverse gastronomy (Catalan dishes such as the famous "Pa amb tomàquet", the "Calçots" or well-known Spanish tapas such as "Patatas Bravas") and an impressive landscape (a city beach right in the centre). Catalonia is generally a very beautiful part of Spain, as the climate is very mild (pleasant, not so hot, summers and an exceedingly mild winter with up to 20 degrees). In addition, the region has a long coastline and part of the Pyrenees, so everyone gets their money's worth there.
In the end, this stay was worthwhile for me in more ways than one: I was able to gather information and source material for my Master's thesis and, even more gratifying, I decided to move to Barcelona altogether after I was offered a job at the institution where I did the internship! I also liked the flat I lived in for the 5 months so much that I will continue to live there.
This stay abroad couldn't have gone better and I'm very happy that I finally decided to do another stay abroad after the study abroad in Costa Rica. It means I have to study one semester longer, but the experience I have gained is definitely worth it!
Alessandra Guhr
