Step Two: Moving to Cologne

The second component in the moving to Cologne on exchange was that of insurance papers. I was required to take the insurance policy offered by the international office at my home university, so I applied for those papers in March of 2012. Because I was planning to be abroad for 15 months in total, my coordinator somehow ran across some speed bumps in the paperwork process. Despite my requests, continuous reminders and pleas for coverage, my insurance policy arrived not only more than 3 months after I requested it but after I had been abroad for one month already. Going abroad without insurance coverage is extremely risky and I would not advise it. Paranoia can grip you, trust me. Though it’s always important to be careful when traveling, the risk of being uncovered is not worth it and I advise you to take matters into your own, capable hands when it comes to this. Every coordinator has a supervisor. Don’t let one person’s apathy or refusals discourage you from pursuing your new adventure and dreams (in more cases than just this one).

Being in Cologne on business
yields interesting discoveries

Once you receive your policy from your home institution or if you have coverage from a parent’s policy that reaches the borders of your new home, you will need to file with the city of Cologne (or wherever you’re going in Germany) to receive an exemption form. This form is required to enroll in your host university. I tried to organize the last four components to be on one day trip to Cologne, in order of their required papers. I made my way to the office with the first train from Siegen at 5 am and arrived as soon as their doors opened 8 am. Be sure to check the address, opening hours, required documents and directions to the office you seek. Having all of this information with you will make your journey so much easier.

I emailed the office ahead of time to make sure that there would be someone who spoke English, to verify the hours and address, and to make sure that they could fulfill my needs accordingly. Check. The process itself was not so complicated. The secretary was very helpful and sought someone who understood my language better than he; the new girl input all of my information from my lease agreement as proof of address, my passport as proof of identity, and my policy papers as proof of insurance. They then printed two documents for me: one for my host university in order to enroll and the other for the city of Cologne in order to apply for my residence permit. Graciously, they offered me a free planner to help with my studies and reviewed all the information that I would need to know.

A stroll through Cologne from office to office

You can use a few different offices around the city to complete this task, but the one I used was the AOK Rheinland on Zulpicher Strasse 58. They are open from 8 am to 4 pm and you can visit their website at www.aok.de/rh

Next stop, running to my new university to enroll! I was wearing a nice, business casual outfit with a backpack full of papers, snacks and a train ticket. Don’t mess with this girl, she’s got an agenda. 

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.