Moritz

How did you find your internship position? How did you apply for it? How did you prepare for your stay abroad?

I found my internship position by contacting different professors on the university websites. I looked through the departments I was interested in and their description and field of interest. I wrote several emails to different professors in different universities. I did not get as many responses as I expected, but the professor from the University of Michigan was open to the project and we set up a meeting to talk about the next steps. As soon as the professor confirmed my stay, the university took over my application at their university, I had to take care of my VISA, but that is a later question.

My recommendation for future interns is to start early with the VISA and in my case the Marshall Plan process. Sometimes you cannot speed up the process or foresee unfortunate events (my DS-2019 was once lost in transit from the US to Austria), so make sure you complete each step as soon as possible. Be sure to keep an open mind in the new country, learn about the culture, and try to fit in. In my opinion, it is important to have some friends to travel with or just hang out with.

Gathering information can be difficult, luckily my university was well prepared, and I always had contacts who could help me or a well-designed website where you could inform yourself. For the VISA process it can get tricky because you have to sort out a lot of things on your own, but with the internet it is definitely doable. The International Center will also give you some information.

What practical arrangements have you made before the exchange?

Arrangement before leaving for the USA is and in my case was definitely a key, especially at the beginning. The US is very strict with their VISA requirements, so it is important to have everything with you, printed and ready to show. The University of Michigan had its own health insurance plan so I did not have to worry about that. The liability insurance was recommended by the FH Technikum and was quite cheap (150€, half a year). Besides the VISA, housing is probably the most important thing to take care of before the exchange. It is definitely possible to find something when you arrive, but it is stressful. Make sure you do not get scammed and try to be close to the campus or downtown. Ann Arbor is a smaller city compared to other US cities, so I was pretty lucky to live close to downtown and the campus. Mobility can also be good to know beforehand, I checked out bikes beforehand but ended up buying one after a few weeks (it depends where you live, but in my case the bike was essential for me).

What kind of financial arrangements did you have to take care of?

The Marshall Plan Foundation has given me a certain amount of money, which also scales with the exchange time. Everything else I paid with my own money. The cost of living in the USA is quite expensive, especially housing. After the stay I can estimate a monthly living cost of about $2000, which includes everything from food, utilities, rent and leisure activities.

How were you greeted, trained and welcomed by the company?

The University of Michigan welcomed me with open arms and helped me settle in. My faculty threw an orientation party and I got to know each of them. The faculty provided me with a lot of information; looking back, I cannot remember any information that I really missed.

Please describe your accommodation

My room was part of a shared house, I was subletting the room of another international student who left earlier, and luckily I had the optimal time from March to August. The house had 3 floors where the first floor was the kitchen and living room, the second floor was where my roommate lived, and the third floor was my landlord’s apartment. My room was pretty standard for Ann Arbor, but it had all the necessities (bed, table drawer). The house in general was a bit old, but especially for the six months I was there, it was fine. The location was pretty good and close to downtown, especially by bike after the last few winter weeks in March. The price for my room was $680 without utilities, total about $750-800.

How would you describe the country, culture and leisure activities you experienced during your stay abroad?

Ann Arbor is a great place to live. The standard of living is quite high and you could definitely notice that after traveling to other cities in the US. I only met friendly people and I always felt safe (at least as a man, I do not know about women), even at night. I met a lot of graduate students and in general the work culture is very competitive and challenging. Many people work long hours and the research that is done at the university is something I had never experienced before. As mentioned before, I really tried to experience the USA to the fullest. I pretty much explored the whole city by bike and went to every park. I tried to go to events at the university as well as local events in the city. It was very interesting to see a different culture than the one I already knew from Europe (Italy, Austria). I also went out and partied on the weekends, which was also a unique experience and very different from the parties in Europe. I played a lot of basketball, which is very popular in my area and in the US in general. I made some great friends along the way.

How would you describe the internship?

My internship has been a unique experience, it can be a bit intimidating at first and sometimes I was not really sure if everything was going to work out, but that is life I guess. As soon as spring started, the city woke up from the cold winter months and you could see the city moving and many activities were available. The university is a key element and really helps you learn about your research topic. I was never really bored because there is always something to do either in your research project or in the activities outside the university. The support was great, I really cannot complain and the university offers you help. My master’s thesis is about direct metal deposition, a process where conventional 3D printing is used, but instead of plastic, aluminum or steel powder is melted by a laser. I looked at different process parameters and tried to find relationships between them. The results will be used in large scale wind turbine molds.

What new skills and qualities have you acquired?

The skills learned are broad. Obviously the English language skills have improved a lot. After living for a few weeks, you adapt to the language and speaking English became easier than ever. Social skills are also developed because you meet so many new people and communicate with them. I made some very good friends in Ann Arbor and definitely enjoyed my time there. The research at the university is very advanced, I could learn from other students or professors and they showed and explained different concepts and skills. Very insightful tips that can be used for either work or life tasks. Last but not least, you gain knowledge on how to move in a foreign country and after that I feel much more comfortable if I would have to move in the next years. You learn a lot about bureaucracy and organizing your documents and being on time

How have your values and attitudes changed during your stay abroad?

I appreciate people much more who give time to newer members in a group or faculty. Some people have really tried to welcome me and invite me to different events, which is great. I will definitely try to improve this skill and make a difference when new people come into the community. Being open to new people can be difficult at times, but it pays off and usually makes both parties happier. I have sometimes pushed myself to go to certain activities and especially afterwards I always felt better than before. I can definitely see myself moving somewhere else in the future after moving that far for half a year

Looking back, what was the greatest challenge in preparing for or during your stay abroad?

For a while, the biggest challenge was the master’s thesis, because I was not really sure what the final product would look like. It is more of a mental thing, but it was definitely in my head for a while. The VISA process took a lot of time and the timeline is generally pretty tight, even if you do everything right away. In the beginning it was a challenge for me to get used to the daily or weekly life, but after a few weeks I felt comfortable and by the end of my stay I had my routine, friends and work sorted out.