My mother told me when I started college to take advantage of any travel abroad opportunities. Not long after she told me that, I began seeing emails for an opportunity to go to Germany with the Business School. The thought of going to Germany was very interesting to me so I decided to apply.
I love history and Germany has rich World War history and I also love cars and I saw that we would be touring the Volkswagen plant which was exciting for me. This seemed like a great opportunity for me both personally and academically. The trip did not disappoint, and I gained more than I even imagined.
I went into this trip not knowing anything about international travel. I had never even been on an airplane before. I boarded the plane in Nashville by myself but when I arrived in Newark New Jersey, I connected with some UTC students for the international flight. The plane rides were smooth and before I knew it, we were touching down in Berlin.
Berlin was a great city to start my adventure. The hotel was well situated with many opportunities to explore nearby. I had my first taste of schnitzel and I started to learn how to navigate the public transportation. Being in a school group with experienced mentors was a great way to learn how to navigate in a foreign country.
We went to the BMW factory and saw how motorcycles were made. We ate at some good restaurants and then got a free day to explore. I love to play guitar and on my free day, I found a guitar shop that I really liked.
Next, we went to Wolfsburg and got to tour the Volkswagen factory. It is the biggest car factory in the world, and it was eye opening to see the production and the robotic assembly in action. We also toured the Autostadt and I saw many classic cars on display which was awesome. It was a huge facility with an onsite restaurant. It was a short time but truly a great place to visit.
While stationed in Berlin, we took a short day trip to Potsdam which was a beautiful place to visit. While there, we saw the famous Bridge of Spies.
The next city we travelled to was Cologne. Cologne is a very old city with beautiful architecture, and we saw the huge Dom Cathedral. While there we took another day trip to a place named Aachen. Aachen is an ancient city that holds the bones of Charlemagne.
During the trip we visited many different businesses in sectors such as technology, fashion, media, and the automotive industry. It was very informative to see how businesses operate in a country other than the United States.
In conclusion, I would recommend study abroad to any of my peers. It was a fantastic experience that I will never forget. I am glad that I did this as a freshman, and I look forward to seeking out new opportunities in my future.
Will Bowles (BS Entrepreneurship) spent spent part of May 2023 participating in a faculty-led trip to Germany through the Rollins College of Business. Will had the following to say about studying abroad, “Experience the world while your young.”
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