11/2026 Simon

Age: 22 | Nationalität: Kenyan

Tell us about your degree program. How did you get interested in your field of study? Any favorite classes?

I’m doing my M.Sc. in Geosciences here at the University of Potsdam, with Geology as my major. My background is in geoinformatics: I did my bachelor’s at Taita Taveta University in Kenya, then worked as a GIS analyst and researcher with organizations such as ICIPE, the Kenya Forest Service, and the National Museums of Kenya. Spending years mapping and modelling the Earth’s surface from data made me more and more curious about the processes behind what I was mapping: how landscapes form, how tectonics shapes them, and what rocks can tell us about past climates. Coming to Potsdam was my way of going deeper, from the map to the Earth itself. This semester I’m really enjoying Remote Sensing of Permafrost Regions. Learning about permafrost landscapes fascinates me, as someone from Kenya who has never experienced cold weather or seen these landscapes in person. My other courses include Paleoclimate Dynamics, Data Analysis and Statistics, Earth Surface Processes, and Tectonics and Geodynamics, where I’m doing my very best to understand the jargon and the story behind it. I’m also looking forward to the field practicals in the Geosciences program, because geology is best learned outdoors.

You spent a semester studying online from Kenya before you could join us in person. How did you navigate German bureaucracy and administration? Were there any particular challenges?

Starting my studies online from Kenya was unusual but valuable. It was my first semester, and I followed most of my summer courses online. However, the practical parts of some courses were really hard to follow remotely, so I will take some of the courses I had registered for next summer instead, when I can be fully available and present in Potsdam. The upside was that by the time I arrived, I already knew some people and how things work here. As for bureaucracy, there is a lot to do in the first weeks: the blocked account, health insurance, address registration (Anmeldung), opening a bank account, the tax ID, and the residence permit. The biggest challenge is that many steps depend on each other, so you often need one document before you can get the next. What helped me most was taking it one step at a time, keeping every document in one folder (printed and digital), and asking for help from Prof. Dr. Martin H. Trauth, the International Office, my buddy from the Buddy Program, and fellow students who had already been through it, which made the process much less stressful.

How do you find the balance between studies, social life, and personal time?

Honestly, I’m still finding it! What works for me is planning my week like a timetable: lectures and study time during the day, and fixed slots for the university gym, which keeps me energetic and clears my head after a long day of reading. I also love chess, and I’m looking for a chess community at the university or in Potsdam. Socially, the student residence and my seminar group make it easy to meet people; often a shared meal in the kitchen or a coffee after class is all it takes. I also make sure to keep some quiet time for myself and to stay in touch with family and friends back home in Kenya.

Is this your first time you live away from your home country? What are the places and moments that make you feel at home here? 

Yes, this is my first time living outside Kenya, and it was also my first international flight. Arriving in Germany was a special milestone for me because it marked the culmination of a long journey filled with preparation, uncertainty, and great anticipation.

I feel at home as I gradually become familiar with my surroundings and build a routine here. Living in Potsdam-Golm, close to the university, has helped me settle into student life. I am also grateful for the kindness and support I received from the people who helped me during my first days in Germany.

I think home is not only a place; it is also the people who make you feel welcome and the small experiences that make you feel you belong. I am still discovering Potsdam, but each new experience makes Germany feel a little less unfamiliar.

Of course, Kenya will always be home, and I still carry my connection to my family, my culture, and the experiences that shaped me. Living abroad is giving me the opportunity to appreciate both where I come from and what I am learning here.

You live in the new student residence in Golm. How do you like it, and what is your favorite thing about living there?

I really like it. My favorite thing is definitely the location: the Institute of Geosciences is just a short walk away, so I can get to lectures, the library, or the labs in a few minutes. The residence is also a great place to meet people. Many of the first friends I made in Potsdam are neighbors from the dorm, and they come from all over the world. It’s new, comfortable, and quiet enough to study, but there’s always someone around for a chat.

Learning German can open many doors beyond university. How did you learn German, and how have your language skills influenced your everyday life and experience here?

To be honest, I’m still at the very beginning! My master’s program is taught in English, so I could start my studies without German, but I quickly realized how much it helps in everyday life: at the supermarket, at the Bürgeramt, reading official letters, or just chatting with neighbors. I’ve signed up for the German for Academic Purposes A1 course at the university’s Center for Languages and Key Skills, and I try to use every new word wherever I can. People are patient and encouraging when you make the effort, and every new phrase makes daily life a little easier and helps me feel more at home.

What advice would you give to future international students coming to Potsdam and UP?

Start your paperwork early and keep copies of everything. Join the Buddy Program, because having someone local to ask made a huge difference in my first weeks. Go to the welcome events; that’s where you meet people who are in the same situation as you. Start learning some German before you arrive, even just the basics. Don’t be shy about asking for help: the International Office, your lecturers, and fellow students are genuinely happy to support you. And finally, be patient with yourself. Settling into a new country takes time, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Looking ahead, what are your future plans?

In the short term, I want to make the most of my master’s: learn as much as I can, gain field and research experience, and find a research topic I’m truly passionate about, ideally one that combines geology with my background in remote sensing and spatial modelling. In the long term, I’d love to continue in research and teaching, and to help strengthen geoscience and mapping capacity back home in Kenya. Potsdam, with its strong geoscience community, is a wonderful place to build that foundation.