INTERVIEW
with Robin P.
(apprentice of the DVT in an outpatient care service in Germany)
Can you please tell us something about yourself and your studies?
I am Robin from Kerala, India. Currently doing a dual vocational training nursing (Ausbildung zum Pflegefachmann) in Germany!
What would you recommend to other international students if they…
…feel homesick?
This is completely normal. I know some people and I have also spoken with many foreigners here. You just have to go through this feeling. It will get better with time! Speak with as many people as you can. Go to places alone, go to restaurants alone. It will help you to have a sense of pride about yourself. I would suggest that you don’t call your home every single day. It will only make things worse.
I go jogging sometimes and in between I take a rest on a bench or on a grass field. During this time I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people with similar interests.
…feel lonely?
This is going to be another problem during our first several months. Please don’t make any stupid decisions. It’s easy to get spoiled in Germany. All the possibilities are there.
This is what made life difficult for me. Loneliness. I was close to my family. I had a lot of friends of all ages. We used to hangout every single day. I really miss them even when I was a day away from home. I had to travel to different states in India for my German language exams. That was difficult for me. But my friends were there.
So you could imagine how difficult it must be for me in Germany
One thing that helped me is that I think about my future after 5 years. Me completing my ausbildung, working and everything. That makes me realize that there is a price for everything. But to be honest, things are much better now. I have now made friends whom I can call at any time for help. I have found a place to play football which is not a big thing but for me it is. I met a lot of people there of all ages. Now I know that in one year my homesickness and loneliness will be away. Just now while I was writing this I got a message from my German friend that we are playing football today and he will pick me up.
If I could suggest anything, whatever your problems are, language, fear, homesickness, loneliness, low confidence whatever it is , just start speaking with your colleagues, even people at supermarkets. It is definitely going to help you. Remember everyone has gone through this period. Give time!
… want to find friends in Germany?
There are a lot of apps for that in Germany. Personally I am not a fan. For students it is much easier, you can start with your school. If you are a sportsperson, there are a lot of clubs where you can practice your sport. You can find friends there. If you are a confident person, go to a bar and buy a drink for a group. That’s the easiest way. From my personal experience, it is easy to become friends with foreigners. Please don’t get me wrong, what I meant is that a foreigner can understand exactly how we are feeling. They have also gone through our situation. So its easier to become friends with foreigners.
I must also share a personal experience about my German friend.
During my first week at work this woman never greeted me, never looked at me. I thought she was a little bit weird. After a couple of weeks I was planning to work with her. I was not feeling good at all. Because during the whole time she never spoke a word to me. But I was shocked during the first day of work with her. She was so sweet. She was explaining all the things to me about work. She even told me that I won’t be able to understand all things but it will help with my listening. She was putting all her effort into helping me. I realised that she also never spoke to others too. That was her character. By the end of the week she took me to her home, I met her whole family!
What I am trying to say is that at first you might think that Germans are cold. But that is completely wrong. You just need to speak with them and give some time. You will be surprised.
…cannot find any connection to others in their university/ vocational school?
From what I have learned from my foreign friends here, when you go to school please don’t sit with your friends who speak the same language. It will never help you to learn, to make new friends and so on. Make some traditional food from your home and bring it to school. They are always curious. Don’t rush to your place after school. Spend some time there and talk about your general doubts about Germany. Don’t use google to find information. Just ask your classmates, colleagues. It is an easy way to start a conversation.
…face problems with their teacher/ colleagues/ employer?
I haven’t started with school yet and also I never had any problem with my colleagues. Germans are direct. Please don’t think that they mean to shame you or hurt you. If anything is wrong they will tell you directly. Please don’t take it the wrong way.
In every country there are all types of people. So there is nothing special about Germany in this case either. You just have to deal with it the same way you deal with it in your country.
…can’t communicate well in German?
It doesn’t matter. Just speak. Have confidence. One colleague told me that she has massive respect for me. I also don’t speak perfect German. I know that. I also never spoke much because in my head I keep thinking that I am not saying it right, grammar is wrong, pronunciation is terrible and so on. It doesn’t matter. Just speak. I told my colleagues that you all are my language teachers. Whenever I tell things incorrectly, you can correct me. Now I think in my head “Es ist mir egal”. I just speak.
I can also say that I am improving after every month even though I am not doing any kind of German course. It will come with time.
…want to save money?
Saving money during ausbildung is difficult.. It also depends on what kind of lifestyle you have. If you are really interested in saving money for the long term please research on ETF investing in Germany, Tax free, and the magic of compound interest will do the trick. You can start with 25 euros I guess.
Is there anything else that you would recommend to others?
Never take things so seriously. Have a positive attitude. Whenever you feel lonely or depressed just think about why you came to Germany in the first place. You must have had a strong dream, that’s why you left your home and came to Germany. Think about your goal. With time everything will be better.
