Charnita Arora, from India, studied German alongside her BA in English Literature. Doing her Masters in English Studies at Freie Universitaet Berlin seemed like a logical choice... particularly as she managed to win a scholarship!
“When I saw the scholarship offer available in Berlin for the Masters in English, I knew this was it! My interest in pursuing English at the postgraduate level and strengthening my German language proficiency seemed to intersect. It was a no-brainer,” she says.
The 23-year-old won the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship in 2009 which fully sponsored her two years of study at Freie Universitaet Berlin. And, looking back, she is more than glad it happened.
Immense possibilities
The prospect of studying abroad always enticed her because of the “immense possibilities of personal and professional growth” it can offer. Charnita feels that studying in a foreign country has empowered her both personally as well as professionally. Young people in India mostly live a sheltered lifestyle, where all their needs are met by their parents, she says.
“You don’t have to worry about cooking, cleaning, expenses or rent in a common Indian household because your parents are there to provide for you. There is a lot of emotional and psychological security around you,” she says.
As an international student, Charnita had to begin anew. “It is completely different abroad because you are living alone and out of your comfort zone. You have to familiarize yourself with a whole new world, make new friends and emotional anchors. Doing that requires a huge amount of confidence from you,” she observes.
Charnita recalls her stay in Germany as an international student quite fondly. “Germany has been like a wonderland for me. I travelled to a lot of places in and outside Germany,” she states. Learning kickboxing, couch-surfing and baking apfel kuchen are among the fun memories she has of the country.
On the academic front, she feels lucky she had extremely competitive professors who encouraged her to think independently and pursue her areas of interest. She attended prestigious lectures including one by Slavoj Žižek and also visited London with the International Youth Foundation.
Adapting to change
While watching the first snowfall in Germany thrilled her to bits, the short days there initially made her feel gloomy. “I discovered gradually that keeping a busy routine with enough space for exercise, work and socializing, I could keep the winter-blues at bay,” she says.
The truly global atmosphere at Freie Universitaet Berlin impressed her greatly and the healthy mix of international faculty as well as students enriched her stay in the country.
She feels that being able to speak German helped her immensely in being able to absorb the cultural nuances and appreciate the uniqueness of Germany as a country. Besides, she was able to savour the works of giants of German literature such as Freud, Fromm, Brecht and Hoffman in their original language.
As a piece of advice, Charnita suggests that all those who wish to study abroad should do their research about the country and the university they will be going to. She used YouTube videos extensively to learn more about Berlin and the life there. “It gives you a rough idea of what awaits you in the future,” she says.
Charnita, who completed her Masters in English Studies (Language, Literature and Culture) in May this year, feels that studying abroad has definitely boosted her career prospects. “Having an international tag on your résumé sells in the Indian job market,” she says.
Currently, Charnita is on an ‘entrepreneurial sabbatical’ and offers life skills training to college students, besides teaching English Literature to undergraduates at her coaching institute. She plans to go to Germany in January 2012 for her PhD, if she gets a suitable research scholarship.
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