Author: jhammers

Hey everyone,

After just a few weeks in Germany, I have experienced a lot of culture shocks in many facets of life. School is different, expectations are different, and even public transportation is different. All of these could be their own critical incident blog, but I believe that the age difference in both my school and the University near me was a big critical incident. I am in class with people aged 16-38. In America, I haven’t been in a class with someone double my age. However, according to my German roommate, it is common for people to study at the University at any age because there doesn’t exist a “educational track” like there is in America.

When I learned how old the people were studying with me at the language school, I was first very curious as to why there were here and then tried to think of reasons why they would be in this school at such a “late” age. However, I failed to realize that this school taught people coming from other countries to live here. These people need to be at a C1-C2 level in order to study at a German University or work in a certain job. They are people trying to advance their lives like myself, just with a different background, different choices, and different goals. After learning about them and being more acceptant and understanding of their situations, I became more comfortable around them and learned to learn with them as I would my peers at Notre Dame.

I think my implicit understanding of America’s educational system created what would be the shock about age and education here. Although I don’t think there’s anything wrong with someone outside their twenties getting a degree, it seems different to me because of where I grew up. If I had to use a metaphor for this situation, it would be like a camera lens looking at a society. I’m looking through an American lens, taking a picture of a German/European society. Obviously, the picture will turn out differently because they’re two different cultures. However, I think removing the camera lens and looking at it without the camera creates new understanding and the formation of a new lens. Overall, I believe this new camera lens will show growth and development as my trip goes on.

Hello! My name is John Hammerschmitt. This summer, I will be traveling to Leipzig, Germany in the hopes of advancing my knowledge of the language and the culture. Ultimately, I hope to live and work in Germany and spend most of my life there. However, there is a lot of time and experience needed before that dream comes to fruition, so I’ll focus on this summer throughout these blogs.

When I was 8 years old my family and I moved to Japan for my dad’s work. I lived there for 3 years while attending an international school. I played the same sports as other Americans, learned the same subjects, and even ate some of the same food. But I learned so much about other cultures and how to interact and learn about them. I learned about Japanese, Chinese, Australian, and other Asian cultures throughout my time there. Those 3 years were the best of my life, and I will never forget those experiences. Plus, I believe it was in Japan that I developed a love of language, travel, and foreign cultures.

Because of my time in Japan, I had a more inclusive and understanding childhood. I could relate to other cultures slightly more than other people in my grade, and had experience with foreign language that shaped my learning. However, I still lack many skills necessary for my dream, and hope to learn more about German and its rich culture during my time in Leipzig.

Specifically, I want to build confidence in my knowledge of both the language and the culture. I hope to be able to speak without hesitation and start to process conversations in my head in German. This is a big goal for me because it will demonstrate what I have learned both because of schooling and my immersion in the culture. I also hope to explore Germany and learn about its history and people. I imagine I will be taking the train to many German cities, both small and large, to get the biggest picture possible. I’m looking forward to my experience in Germany, and can’t wait to get there!

Auf Wiedersehen, John