Anyone who would like to spend some time abroad during their studies but is still unsure where they want to go can get some help with their decision from the podcast 8000 Miles from Home. Looking back, four HAW Hamburg students talk about what they experienced during their semesters abroad in Oslo, Manchester and Bali.
In summer semester 2020, Belle, Layla, Sarah and Tim, four students from the HAW Hamburg Faculty of Design, Media and Information, produced a podcast on the topic of semesters abroad – 8000 miles from Home – as part of their Project and Change Management seminar. Summer semester 2020 was of course not a normal semester, since courses took place almost exclusively online due to the corona pandemic. So the four students produced the episodes digitally, without meeting up in person. But they still managed to get the podcast, which deals with everything related to spending a semester abroad, up off the ground.
Belle decided on a semester abroad in Manchester as part of the ERASMUS programme. She had some unforgettable months there, thanks to the open-mindedness of the people and the diverse culture.
Sarah studied in Oslo, between the mountains and the sea, explored the country and learned a lot about Norwegian culture. Her personal highlight was a trip to the Lofoten Islands! In the podcast she tells listeners about some of the best days of her life in Norway.
Layla reports on her experiences studying as a freemover student for a few months on the tropical island of Bali. From life in the ‘food heaven‘ Canguu, her visa agent running away and the adventure of ascending a volcano, quite a bit happened.
Maybe you’re like Tim, who wants to see as much of the world as possible during his studies. To make sure he’s well prepared for a future semester abroad, he moderates the discussion with his questions and gladly listens to the tips and stories that Belle, Layla and Sarah share.
In the first episodes of the podcast the students talk about financing their semester abroad, the organisational details that had to be taken care of before departure, and their living situations in each of the new countries.
If you are planning a semester abroad or are interested in studying in a different country, have a listen to the podcast:
You can find it under 8000 Miles from Home on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all the usual channels, as well as on the website 8000milesfromhome.de. The podcast is available in German only.
(PS: The title 8000 Miles from Home is based on the distance from Hamburg to Oslo, Manchester and Bali.)
You can find more information about the diverse possibilities for integrating a stay abroad into your studies at HAW Hamburg on the International Office webpages.
