08/2025 Carolina Gironés-Fraile

Age: 26 | Nationality: Spanish

What are the places and moments that make you feel at home here?

For me currently, home is both Berlin and Griebnitzsee— the former is where I live, and the latter is where all my university classes take place. I’d say I start to feel at home the moment I step off the S7, walk past the bus stop, and begin to enter Haus 6. There’s something incredibly cozy about the campus. Nestled in nature, it feels more like a retreat than a campus. It's a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Berlin.

The Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) also has a very homely vibe. I usually have lunch there with my fellow students, and it’s become a comforting routine.

Other places that give me that sense of belonging include charming cafés like Shakespeare and Sons, where you can curl up with a book and a slice of cake. I really appreciate that kind of atmosphere—just for a moment, it allows you to relax and feel at home. In a city as big and anonymous as Berlin, that fleeting feeling of warmth and familiarity is something truly special. I also feel at home when I attend the opera in Berlin or go to concerts at the Philharmonie. It’s one of those moments where you can finally disconnect from technology and really enjoy yourself thanks to music.

What challenges do you anticipate as you settle into life in Potsdam and begin your studies?

I began my studies last semester, and I have to say that the biggest challenge has been — and continues to be — juggling my work-study-life balance. Working 35 hours a week in Berlin while pursuing a berufsbegleitender master’s degree is strenuous, especially when multiple modules have similar coursework deadlines. It becomes even more demanding when I want to put in my best academic effort and truly get the most out of the program.

Potsdam is also not exactly a stone’s throw from Berlin. The days when the S-Bahn is delayed or I miss my connection and arrive late, I really feel the impact.

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

I had already been working full-time in Berlin for nearly two years — first at a law firm, then at a think tank — when I began to feel a strong desire to return to academia. My undergraduate degree was in Modern Languages and Cultures from the University of Durham, with a focus on linguistic analysis and cultural theory. While I thoroughly enjoyed the theoretical depth of that program, I felt that, after gaining some work experience, I wanted a degree that would strike a better balance between theory and practice, while still maintaining an international and intercultural focus.

After extensive research, I came across the master’s program in Intercultural Business Communication offered by UP Transfer GmbH at the University of Potsdam. At the time, it was available only in German, which I saw as an exciting challenge, as it required me to reach C2-level proficiency in the language. What drew me in was its interdisciplinary approach and the fact that it was berufsbegleitend — with block seminars held on Fridays and Saturdays, allowing students to work full- or part-time alongside their studies.

When I spoke with the program coordinator (Frau Gerstmann), I was particularly impressed by the emphasis on applying theoretical knowledge directly to our current professional environments. I realised that this was exactly the kind of mindset I had been missing — the idea that academic learning should enrich and inform real-world practice, rather than exist in isolation.

My favorite classes so far include Applied German, International Marketing, Organizational Development, and Project Management. These courses stand out because they truly strike the balance between theoretical foundations and practical application.

What has been your favorite course or professor so far?

This is a tough question for me, as more than one course genuinely comes to mind at the same time. However, if I had to choose one that positively surprised me the most, it would be Michael Kamer’s course on Mediation.

In this class, we had the opportunity to engage with MBA students, which brought together a wide range of perspectives from fields like economics, psychology, and communication. The course was highly interactive — we spent the entire 16 hours doing practical exercises — which was incredibly motivating. It made me realise just how much can be achieved in conflict situations using the right tools: language, rhetoric, and a deep understanding of human psychology.

I would say this course stood out not only academically but also personally. I walked away with a practical toolkit for mediation — something I can carry with me into both my professional and personal life.

Have you experienced any misunderstandings or funny language moments?

So many! I think this is something quite natural — it just doesn’t stop when you're a foreigner living in another country. For me, these moments often arise because I still sometimes think in Spanish or English.

Probably the most embarrassing of these happened in a restaurant in Potsdam. I ordered a pinsa-style pizza and saw “Peperoni” on the menu. Coming from Spain, I immediately assumed "peperoni" meant the spicy sausage you usually get on a pizza — a kind of chorizo or salami. So, when the dish finally arrived, I was shocked to see that it had no sausage on it at all. I asked the waiter where the peperoni was, and he pointed to a few small, almost transparent slices of pepper. “But that’s not peperoni,” I said, completely confused. That’s when I learned that in German, Peperoni refers to peppers, not sausage — and that if I want the sausage, I should ask for Salami.

At work, I’ve had countless other mix-ups, especially with prefixes and suffixes — words like Auflage and Auslage, or Aufbau and Abbau — which don’t exist in the same way in English or Spanish and can be tricky to distinguish.

As a student of intercultural communication, I truly value these small moments. They’re part of a never-ending learning process and a constant reminder that the worldview we’ve grown up with — what we consider “normal” or “true” — might have entirely different meanings in another culture. And that’s the beauty of intercultural exchange: it allows us to move beyond fixed meanings and see things from entirely new perspectives.

Do you find it easy to balance studies, social life, and personal time?

Balancing studies, social life, and personal time is definitely challenging, especially when pursuing a demanding program alongside other commitments. For me, it’s a constant learning process to find the right rhythm. I try to stay organised and set clear priorities, but I also make sure to carve out time for friends and hobbies, as that helps me stay motivated and focused. Of course, some weeks are easier than others, but overall, I think maintaining a balance is essential for both academic success and personal well-being. I think asking yourself what the priority is right now always helps to eliminate unnecessary tasks and “free up” time that can be used more effectively elsewhere.

Have you participated in any cultural exchange events?

Yes! During my bachelor’s studies at the University of Durham, I completed a placement year, which included internships in Wuppertal (Germany) and Paris (France), where I worked on the communication system of Air France.

As a current member of the Student Board within the EDUC alliance, I have the opportunity to work closely with students from six different countries. This role also involves traveling twice a year to different partner universities, where we discuss policy questions and help strengthen the network. The EDUC alliance reflects, in a way, the workings of the European Union on a smaller scale, and I find it absolutely fascinating to observe how different cultures approach challenges, express themselves, and find solutions in unique ways.

These cultural exchanges are always enriching, not only on a professional level but also personally. They broaden my perspective and challenge me to reflect on my own assumptions. Personally, I believe there is no better way to learn about your own country and to truly question your own values and systems than by going on a cultural exchange.

What is most surprising thing about Germany for you?

What surprised me most about Germany is how different the actual working culture can be from the stereotypical image many people — myself included — have before arriving. One often hears that everything in Germany is highly efficient and perfectly organised, but my experience has shown a more nuanced reality.

For example, while systems like public transport or bureaucratic processes are generally well-established, they can also be unexpectedly slow or complex at times. As a foreign student, it was eye-opening to realise that efficiency doesn’t always look the same across cultures. Coming from a British background, where there’s often a strong emphasis on fast-paced productivity, I found the more laid-back approach — like offices closing early on Fridays — quite surprising.

That said, I’ve also come to appreciate the value placed here on work-life balance, thoroughness, and taking the time to do things properly. It’s a different rhythm, and while it may not match the textbook definition of efficiency, it offers its own kind of logic and benefits.

Your future plans:

My current plans include completing my master’s degree and making the most of my time as a student — especially by getting involved in student associations and groups, such as the EDUC alliance or university bodies like the StuPa or committees for internationalisation. Looking ahead, I hope to work in an international environment, ideally within a university setting or an institution like the European Union.