"Thirsty for Lemonade." Somewhere in Baden Württemberg, Germany

It did not work out as I had expected, though I suppose that is no news to those of you who have experienced reality for longer than I have. The city somehow mixed up my paperwork and fell through on some responsibilities, so when I went to pick up my work permit, I discovered that it had not even been started. Following the shock of that little announcement came a swift pause to my position and I was immediately placed on unpaid leave pending my documentation process. After nearly three weeks of being in the Trading department for TUI in an orientation mode, I anxiously awaited an assignment and stalked my colleagues to observe their work in the meantime. Why the three weeks? It seems that Trading didn’t quite have a specific task arranged for my three month placement in their department, but that’s simply part one of the story. Part two? TUI Germany was shaken up on the 1^st of October, the beginning of the new fiscal year, by the announcement of a major corporate restructuring. One of the departments hit the heaviest was that in which I was placed, as the company decided to combine the elements of Product Management and Trading so as to be supervised by one joint manager.

Colleagues from TUI Germany fill the
foyer for the corporate announcement

As my mother and a few mentors of mine have so auspiciously stated during this conundrum, “everything happens for a reason.” I suppose the fact that I haven’t actually been able to work yet helps the fact that I wasn’t allowed to work this whole time, despite the fact that we didn’t know it. I suppose the fact that I am simply an International Management Graduate “trainee” helps the fact that my position is unaffected, despite everything else being affected around me. I suppose the fact that I have money in savings but no vacation time until Christmas was actually not the obstacle that I presumed, since now I have both money and time on my hands.

Keeping positive and making
the best of the situation!

Therefore, I left. No, I didn’t break the temporary government request to remain in the borders of Germany while my paperwork processes, but rather I jumped on one of those fancy speed trains and am wandering into southern Germany. Let’s call this a surprise leave, rather than an unpaid leave. It gives me a chance to regain my motivation and spirit after the three weeks of uncertainty and overwhelming German language immersion. It allows me to view the montage of fall colors as they fly past my train window, to taste the traditions of the south at their annual festivals, and to visit with one of my dearest friends who lives near Stuttgart. I plan on making the most of this situation, of making a whole lot of lemonade out of this pile of lemons that have been tossed my way recently. I hope you’re thirsty, Germany. 

Learning Process: Advice

Though I find myself challenged at my own school, the University of Northern Colorado, perhaps I have become too accustomed to the teaching and learning methods. As soon as I came to France, I noticed a difference and had to take both a step back to examine and a running step forward to keep in the game. Here are a few things that I learned quickly here at ESC Rennes:

·         Classes are generally one day a week, all day, and take place every other week. Because of this scarce schedule, if you miss one lecture, you are 1/5 sessions behind and therefore 20% behind everyone else. Skipping class becomes a much bigger deal here so plan your travel time accordingly.

·         The professors tend to lock the doors when the class begins, so don’t be late because you’ll have to wait two hours until the break when you can come in.

·         If you knock, the professor will open the door and you must ask him, and sometimes the class, if you may have the right to enter. Save yourself the language barrier and the embarrassment and get to class a few minutes early to be safe.

·         If you have something against group work, then this school (and possible the business major) is not for you. We work primarily in teams and put theory to practice. Though you may have some rare individual work, you will spend most of your time practicing deciphering the French accent and working through barriers of many kinds even for just a PowerPoint. This is where the best experience and toughest situations lie.

·         If you want papers to be processed and to have your administration tasks finished in a speedy fashion, you must continually prod, nudge and email. That will push you up the priority list, in my experience.

·         Though the majority of core business classes are taught in English, you may have to discuss modern business theory or information systems in French both for clarity and group understanding. This is good for you in the long run, though difficult, and will help your international teammates both understand and respect your effort (however poor the pronunciation may be).

·         The beginning of the semester is easier, so you will have more time to relax, understand the city, culture, and people and take a bit of time to travel around the country. Be well aware, however, that the speed continually picks up, as does the pressure. By the end, if you’re not prepared, you will have too many projects, group meetings, and deadlines that you might lose yourself and your grades “au même temps” (at the same time).

·         Don’t expect to regurgitate information. Instead of exams and constant busywork, you will be expected to attend class, visit with the teacher, set your own timeline and goals, and present a final project that will most likely be followed with a personal interview. Can’t take the heat? Get out of the commerce kitchen.