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Adding a string to your bow

Engineering and salsa, calisthenics and quantum entanglement: Engineering major Faris Dababneh from Drexel University, has a life mission to be a “jack of all trades” and make the most of every opportunity life offers him. His study abroad semester at HAW Hamburg is adding another string to his bow and helping him grow in confidence and knowledge.

Male student standing in university building© HAW Hamburg/I. Weatherall

Faris Dababneh exchange student Drexel

Faris emigrated as a baby with his parents from Jordan to the United States. In 2024 he started his undergraduate studies with a dual major in electrical and computer engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia and is continuing his childhood passion for building things. Currently, he is spending a semester in Hamburg to develop those skills further by getting an inside look at German engineering. 

He has chosen a wide palette of different subjects taught in English and is taking more classes than originally planned because he is enjoying them so much. His engineering classes in electrical engineering, software construction, electronics, and digital systems are enhanced by German, intercultural competence and quantum technology. ‘Electronics 1 has taught me the most applicable skills, as the things we do in lab are almost exactly the things I didn’t know how to do during my last internship. The class is helping me catch up on that information, and I’m seeing my engineering confidence level grow with each session.’

Quantum technology is an unusual choice and not a class usually taken by exchange students, but it is typical of Faris’s curiosity that the course is in the mix. And he loves it, even though he describes it as mind-bending and one of the hardest subjects he has ever taken. ‘The two professors who teach the course are some of the brightest I have ever met. I’m learning things like quantum entanglement and the math behind quantum physics that allows scientists and engineers to change how our world performs computation.’

In general, Faris is particularly enjoying two elements of studying in Germany – the emphasis on the practical application of theory with professors who have worked in industry and that students take their own pace. ‘Concepts are starting to click for me, and I’m feeling a surge of motivation. Other than coursework, I have noticed a difference in student culture. I am often stressed in the US, as there is a constant air of hyper-competitiveness. I love how students in my cohort in Hamburg come from all ages and backgrounds, and are each starting their own story. I feel so much more relaxed in Hamburg and can genuinely enjoy my studies even though my schedule is packed.’

I think the challenge and experience of immersing myself in a new country, with new people and different methodologies and ideas, is essential for my growth as a student and later as a professional.

This is the first time that Faris has been away from his family for a longer period of time, so there was naturally a certain amount of intrepidation at the start of the semester. There were concerns about living in a country where he didn’t speak the language and wondering how he would make friends. It was initially difficult to find his pace and his support system, but as someone who values communication and collaboration he very quickly found his footing: ‘It was incredible to see how welcoming and friendly the students are here. I was incredibly happy to find myself with an amazing group of friends from all over the world within the first few weeks just by introducing myself and sticking around at events.’

Faris’s passion doesn’t end with engineering and that has also helped him integrate and find new friends. At home in the US, he boxes and is an assistant coach for the university team. He dances salsa and bachata on another university team. He practises calisthenics and is currently building a startup to help people overcome social anxiety. So, despite a busy class schedule, he is keeping up with dancing at a local Latin Dance Studio, is practising calisthenics near campus and is making the most of life in the city. ‘I really enjoy the lifestyle in Hamburg. Going out and about and speaking with strangers, visiting random events and festivals, playing a sport in the Stadtpark, or taking a FlixBus to Prague are things that make my time abroad consistently exciting.’

The semester was partly funded through an ERASMUS+ stipend awarded by UAS7* and played an important role in financing Faris’s time in Germany: ‘The stipend removed a significant financial burden from my family and me, allowing me to approach my studies and experience Hamburg with energy, curiosity, and excitement rather than stress. I truly couldn't have made the most of this semester without it.’* 

It was always Faris’s plan to study abroad and his Hamburg classes transfer back as credit for his studies at Drexel. For other engineering students, who wonder how it works with their curriculum, he has only words of encouragement: ‘Just do it. I believe the challenge and experience of immersing myself in a new country, with new people and different methodologies and ideas, is essential for my growth as a student and later as a professional. It can be that for you too.’ 

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Text & photo: Ingrid Weatherall 

* UAS7: a consortium of seven German universities of applied sciences of which HAW Hamburg is a founding member. www.uas7.org 

Contact

Ingrid Weatherall
ingrid.weatherall (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de
International Office
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