What first attracted me was the variety of courses offered at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. The possibility of specialization is good with Illustration and Communication Design separated into superimposed courses. I find that the teaching is competent and relevant. In the local students I've met so much openness and willingness to assist, if anything I was the one to overcome a little shyness. Most students and professors speak English, but as the courses are held in German, I'm glad I knew a little German to get a grasp of things.

And off course the spirit of Hamburg did something in the way of convincing me to try it out. So far I haven't been disappointed. Hamburg it self is such a diversity of things. Like any bigger city in Europe there are more museums, theatres and galleries then anyone needs. But in addition to that you have the energy and initiatives of the city, being surprised by street art, and getting a smile on your face watching old men playing pétanque in the park. Things you never notice at home. Having stayed here just one and half months I've decided to extend my stay for a second semester. I guess that is a recommendation.

My experiences in Hamburg, Germany were better than I could ever have expected. The friendships I made there I will never neglect, nor will I forget the time we spent together as well as the places we saw and things we did. The entire experience of the school, the people and the city combined to be the best experience in my life and has definitely helped me to strengthen my application for jobs.

I think the best part about the HAW for abroad students was the buddy program. My buddy picked me up at the bus station, drove me to my apartment, had gotten our keys earlier in the day and had everything prepared for us. Throughout the semester he made many trips with me to such diverse places as Visa control and simply to nice restaurants to show me where is good to eat in the city. Without my buddy I doubt my experience in Hamburg would have been nearly as good. My buddy also introduced me to his friends and so when school started I knew some of the people in my classes that helped a lot and everyone was always willing to help me if there was a problem. I made many friends at the HAW, and the best part about these friendships is that most of the students I was a friend with understood what it was like to study abroad from their own experiences and helped me along the way.

The city of Hamburg in my opinion is the most beautiful city in the world. I have seen much of Europe, from the British Isles to the Eastern polish border and I have never in my life experienced such greenery and beauty in one place.

Now having returned home I find myself lamenting for the city of Hamburg often. The cultural experiences I have had are beyond anything I could have dreamed. I have had an internship and a job offer since returning that would not have come my way if it weren’t for my experiences in Hamburg at the HAW.

Before my exchange semester I thought of Hamburg as a cold, rainy and windy city. As weather normally also influences people, I thought it might not be so easy to get to know people in this hanseatic town. During my first weeks in the city the weather reinforced all my prejudices. The streets were empty and people preferred to drink coffee in their warm apartments. But as the first rays of sun appeared, the atmosphere in the city completely changed. The people of Hamburg came swarming out like sun-hungry bees; not to sip the nectar of flowers but a refreshing Astra beer. Now I had plenty of opportunities to meet people outside of the university. Wherever there was a chance to soak up the sun, the place was packed with people: In front of the bars in Sternschanze or Altona, at the beachclubs along the Elbe or in the beautiful parks all over the city. Even though I met more people from all over Germany then from Hamburg itself, I have to correct my picture of Hamburg people being cold. I generally felt very welcome. 

In June the weather was that good, that sometimes I nearly regretted having chosen seven courses for my semester in Hamburg, which is quite a lot compared to the programme of most of my German friends. But I was totally free to organize my timetable and pick the lectures that interested me the most. One of the best experiences in university was the interdisciplinary project. In a group of fifteen people we had to develop a concept for an information centre for a new faculty. Unfortunately not all subjects were that related to practice. Like everywhere in the world it depends mainly on the professor, if a lecture was interesting or not.

Apart from meeting a lot of interesting people, the possibility to experience a new system of higher education and to integrate in a new environment in a very short time, were the most important experiences of my stay in Hamburg. I think it strengthened my ability to stay flexible and to deal with new situations at any time. 

Hamburg, meine Perle: 

I would describe my semester in Hamburg as the time of my life - and if you enjoy/use all the possibilities that Hamburg, as a cultural and party city offers you, it will be also the time of your life!

In my opinion, Hamburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. When you enjoy a drink in the Tower Bar near the harbour, you have an indescribable view of the harbour, the Elbe and the roof tops of Hamburg. Furthermore, the Schanze and the Reeperbahn are two places where you can relax, eat, meet friends and fun people, but also dance and party the whole night long.

Hamburg also offers you a lot of cultural events like the Reeperbahn festival, Christmas market, Hafengeburtstag, Lange Nacht der Museen and many more....

Another possibility you shouldn’t miss is the weekend ticket from the Deutsche Bahn. It’s just 35 Euros for 5 people and you can go where ever you like, in Germany. I especially recommend a day trip to the island Sylt, or the towns of Bremen, Kiel or Berlin.

This semester made me not only fall in love with Hamburg, but also get to know more cultures and built up friendships from all over the world! In summary, there is a lot of to visit and to do in Hamburg and you will never get bored! Enjoy your time!!!

Traveling to a different country and learning different cultures is an extremely important experience, especially when you have the opportunity to live in a different country for an entire year. This program doesn’t just give you an idea how the locals live, it allows you to actually live like a one. While it is a great way to meet new people and experience something completely new and exciting, it also makes you a more complete and cultured person as well. After 6 months of making friends and having remarkable conversations with people all over the world, you can’t even help but to adapt a different type of mindset. It’s easy to look back before I arrived and say, “Yea I would have thought that”. But in reality, probably not, and I feel that during this experience I have improved my general knowledge and have matured by a great deal in only 6 month span. By general knowledge, I mean knowledge that makes you a more cultured person and aware of the world around you. This knowledge will help you throughout your life whether it is in your career, meeting new people, or just giving people a better impression of yourself.

A semester abroad is a very interesting experience. There are many differences you will have to go through, some good, some not, but in the end it will make you that much stronger. It goes way too fast, so be sure to take advantage of every day and try and experience everything you can. Hamburg is a big city and an amazing city. Go row boating, go clubbing, go to museums, go travel, and just go outside and don’t take this amazing city or country for granted. It is an experience you won’t forget and one that you shouldn’t be missed.

Studying abroad in Hamburg was the most amazing, beautiful and enlightening experience of my life. I’m so thankful that I was given this opportunity. Being immersed in a culture completely foreign to me helped me to learn so much about the world, about life, and about myself. I was introduced to new ideas, new cultures, and most importantly ‐ new people.

Words cannot really describe the feelings I have for my Hamburg friends. I essentially made a new family for myself while in Hamburg. I now have a network of friends all over the world. The bonds we made are extremely strong and I know that I will visit many of them in the future.

Until moving to Hamburg, I had never lived on my own. Because of this, I never realized how essential living on your own is to your personal growth and maturity. Another great aspect of living in the student housing in Hamburg is the network you are able to build. There were hundreds of students living in my building and it was so easy to make new friends and contacts.

Our first trip as an Erasmus group was to Berlin and it was a blast. I think that having us all travel together in the beginning is so important because when you’re traveling with a group of people and you are not apart from them for an extended period of time, you become very close.

Studying abroad was the best decision I ever made. I have absolutely no regrets and if given the opportunity to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.

Living in Hamburg was for me, no doubt about it, a life changing experience. First of all the city is breathtaking, I had the chance to visit Hamburg before my stay there and I clearly remember standing at the Rathaus overlooking the Alster and thinking to myself: "I have to live here someday!". Thankfully, my wish came true and I had the chance to experience so much more that just the view. I became part of that special vibe the city has that so impressed me my first time around. It must have something to do with all the different neighborhoods and places that make it so special to live in but specially the people who were always friendly and open. In sum, the city is so cool that you feel like in a movie while walking through the streets! (Use headphones for the enhanced experience.) «

The HAW also played a huge role in my experience. Their organization was really efficient and at times I felt as if there was a seamless integration with my home university. All the arrangements to go abroad and come back were easy and lacking of administrative problems. I was glad about this since I had many friends who had had a very complicated experience in their respective exchange semesters in terms of bureaucracy and compatibility. Also, the Berliner Tor campus is right in the center of town and a few blocks away from the lake which made it easy for me to do stuff there I always wanted to do like learning to sail and we went out paddling sometimes. 

Finally, the friends I made in Hamburg became like a family to me. The relationships I built with people of very different cultural backgrounds made me more aware of my own culture. I got to know myself in many ways I hadn't before because I hadn't been exposed to such different ways of thinking. This made me question my own worldview and reinforce many values that I hadn't stopped to think about until then. Friends were by far the most significant legacy Hamburg gave me: great memories, great laughs and great, great times.

It's really great to have a chance to live and study in Hamburg. I love the life with those passionate colleagues who help me with the courses of Infomation Engineering. Every day start with warm greetings, and with different culture backgrounds the life is more enjoyable.

I love the academic atmosphere which makes the learning process interesting. We spend a lot of time in the labs trying to figure out the project with the help of professors and lab assistants. The knowledge are more vivid, instead of on the paper they become visible and alive.

Besides Hamburg, we are also invited to go to Berlin and some other citys around Europe with the other international students. It's really a great program and you definitely don't want to miss this great opportunity!

Hamburg - even reading or hearing this word sparks so many emotions in me. On the one hand it’s pure joy, on the other hand I become a bit melancholy because it’s over. One year has already passed, but I am very happy and proud to say that most of our network still keeps in touch. Everyone is eager to visit members of our "big family" and some already have. Many of us have even started planning a summer holiday together in Greece. It will be hard to organize but we learned group organization skills in Hamburg :-)

Of course, we studied hard, but we also made use of every free day and organized so many excursions to other towns and cities, to the “Altes Land” (apple orchards and seascapes south of Hamburg), to the seaside, etc. Some German students and people who have lived in Hamburg all their lives told me they hadn’t seen as much as we did within those 5 months :-)

If you spend a summer semester in Hamburg you will experience all the seasons from March - July. Explore this amazing Hanseatic City and it surroundings in many different ways with people from everywhere and be open-minded and adventurous. The city offers a nonstop programme, from culture to events in the city, like the extraordinary Schlagermove.

Concerning the courses I was impressed by the high level of lectures. Beside Food Marketing and Consumer Behavior, one of the highlights was visiting the editorial department of the Hamburger Abendblatt.