Internship Feedback

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BSc Jan Kraus, UCT Prague,

ročník 4

Faculty

Faculty of Chemistry and Technology

Field of study

Chemistry and Technology of Materials

Field of internship

Chemistry, Material Science, and Chemical Engineering

Specialization of Internship

Chemical Engineering

Internship period (from - to)

01.09.2023 - 30.11.2023

Internship duration (weeks)

Transport (means, price)

Bus, 20 EUR

Insurance/Insurance company

Visa/Work permit (yes/no)

Price of Visa

City of Internship

Germany, Erlangen

Internship reference number

DE/2023-3027-4

About the country

Location of the place

Erlangen is by German standards a medium-sized city. It is located in the historical region of Franconia near Nuremberg in the north of the German state of Bavaria.

City

Erlangen lives through two main institutions that are located here - the Friedrich-Alexander University and Siemens - an international electronics company. The city has small but interesting historical centre.

Surroundings (possible trips, ...)

Near Erlangen, there are a lot of opportunities for exciting trips. The cities of Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Würzburg are historical, beautiful and within one to two hours' reach from Erlangen. In the vicinity of Erlangen, lies the Tennenlohe forest which provides great opportunities for nature trips. And thanks to the German railway network, one can do longer weekend trips to cities like Munich, Berlin or Stuttgart.

Employer

My employer was the Friedrich-Alexander University located partly in Erlangen and partly in Nuremberg. The university is big but the the Chair of Particle Technology where I worked is fairly small with nice working atmosphere. I worked under a really nice PhD student there.

Work description

My work consisted of conducting measurements and evaluating them in order to utilize the optical particle counting method for the analysis of ellipsoidal microparticles. I spent 8 hours a day at work on average but my working hours were flexible. My supervisor had less time for me at the end of my internship because of his other responsibilities but he always met with me at least once a week to discuss my work and progress. There was a canteen at the university which I could use and I was also paying the reduced student price for the food.

Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)

I was paid 934 EUR which is sufficient for local conditions, one can even save up enough money for a few weekend trips to other German cities. The only problem was that due to some problems I received every salary two weeks later than I should have.

Language requirements

Most people in Germany can speak reasonable English, so German is not a necessity but it is good to know at least a few basic words and phrases. At the university where I worked, almost everyone spoke good English and the communication was no problem at all.

Accommodation (price, who provided it)

My accommodation was arranged by the local IAESTE committee, it was cheap by German standards (290 EUR) and after some initial setbacks were sorted out, the accommodation was fairly good. I was staying in a single room with a common toilet and shower on the floor. Due to the low rent, I saved up some money for interesting trips.

Social life

Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)

I was doing my internship outside of the main internship season so there were fewer events and fewer students, but I met members of the local committee several times and they were really nice and helpful.

Meeting other foreign students

I met other interns and also some students during events organised by IAESTE and other university clubs for foreign students.

Sport and culture

Almost everyone in Germany rides a bike so there are numerous bike paths. I found out that Tennenlohe forest near Erlangen is a great place for running and Röthelheimbad in the city is an excellent swimming pool with student-friendly entrance fees (3.75 EUR). If you are interested in cultural activities, in Germany there are a lot of museums and galleries, especially in the bigger cities. Cultural events and concerts are held every weekend and during Christmastime beautiful Christmas markets are in every city.

Food, local specialties

Local specialities that everyone interested in German cuisine should try include various types of pork meat, sauerkraut, sausages, beer and hot wine during Christmastime.

Other information

Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic

Because I come from an EU country, the communication with my home country was without any problems.

Recommendations for students who will go to the same place

I would recommend taking at least 1200 EUR with you to safely cover expenses for the first month.

What not to forget with you

Benefits of the internship

I learned to communicate in a foreign language on a daily basis and improved my professional English skills. I improved my German a bit but not as much as I had hoped. I also met people from different countries and with different backgrounds. This is maybe the most important part of the internship because, in my home country, I could get professional experiences in my field of study as well, but I would not meet so many different people there and get a new and more complex outlook on the world.

Cooperation with IAESTE in the foreign country

The cooperation with the local committee in Erlagen was fine. At the beginning of my stay, there were summer holidays at the university so most of the IAESTE members were not in Erlangen but I could always text them and they were always helpful.

Overall experience with IAESTE

My overall experience was great and I would definitely recommend the IAESTE internship to everyone who wants to experience life and study-related work in a foreign country.