February 4th marked the beginning of the IBEA program! We started with a kickoff meeting hosted by our program director in Mannheim. Almost all of the 35 cohort members were there! They gave us assigned seats, the perfect chance to meet and mingle with those from the other three schools. In front of each seat was a Mannheim tote bag, a pack of reusable straws, and water with glasses. I was so appreciative and thought how classic those gifts were for being in Germany. They had a presentation prepared for us to explain our two IBEA classes, the EY project, expectations for the semester, and everything we needed to know about Mannheim. The German students presented a list of events we'd participate in together, such as IBEA weekend in the Black Forest, a running cocktail, Fruehlingsfest, and more. This would allow us to hang out and bond outside of class since we will be together for the next two years. After the presentation, we played a "speed dating" game where we got paired with one other person at a time and asked questions to get to know each other. Then, we walked along the Rhein River and ate at a traditional German restaurant. It was unique and marked the start of a great adventure.
This semester's workload is the lightest I have had in college, mainly because of the German class system. Typically, each class meets only once a week in a lecture style. Depending on the class, some also hold a practice session, either called an exercise or tutorial. I am taking Business Culture and Society (ISC 470), Business and Corporate Taxation (TAX 470), Introduction to International Public Law, Organizational and Human Resources Management (MAN 401), German Speaking Level B1.1, Fit For Germany, and Marketing Management Decisions (MKT 351). The German semesters are structured very differently from the U.S. Each class has a different schedule and duration. For example, my ICS 470 class consisted of just three full days of lectures during the first week of the semester, a final paper, and I finished the class! The taxation class only takes place during February and March, with one exam at the end of March and then a corporate consulting project with EY the remaining semester, the law class is once a week on zoom with a final paper, the management class is twice a week on zoom the whole semester (one lecture, one exercise) with one exam, both German classes are once a week in person with one exam. The marketing call is three full days in April with one exam. Every day is different here, and I can't tell if I enjoy it.
I am writing this on March 9th, about a month after my classes started. I have gotten in somewhat of a rhythm, so here's the typical for each day of the week!
Mon: run 4km at 6 am with some people in my cohort, breakfast, law, lunch, tax, dinner, bible study call with my mentor in South Carolina
Tues: gym, lunch, management, German, dinner, bible study with SMD international
Wed: run, breakfast, study, German, lunch, management, dinner
Thur: day trip in Germany or gym and study day
Fri: either run, breakfast, study, lunch, tax, and dinner or traveling!
Sat/Sun: TRAVEL
I am already complete with ICS 470 (even the final paper!). I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from the class! Overall, it looked at German Business, Culture, and Society, where we focused on characterizing German financial behavior. Luckily, the professor also taught two Winter Academy German culture sessions, so I had the chance to hear the information twice. We learned about German Angst, a deep-rooted fear of uncertainty and risk. It is the driving factor in Germany's risk aversion culture and how it affects individuals, companies, and the government.
I love my laid-back routine here in Mannheim compared to my usual routine in the States, which includes school, work, gym, ministry, and commuting. To fill my time here, I have focused on running and going to the gym, doing research for my dad's business, and I just applied and got selected to be a part of a student consulting group called 180 Degrees Consulting, where I will be working on a team to help solve a case with the company, CarbonTag.
Until next time :)
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