Name: Tran
Age: 24
Country of origin: Vietnam
Degree course: Engineering
School: Ruhr-University

Hello, my name is Tran and I study engineering at the RUB in my fifth semester. I came to Bochum on the one hand because I have many acquaintances here and on the other because the engineering faculty offers courses focusing on an area of engineering that interested me very much.

During my first year my biggest challenge was the German language. My German was sufficient for everyday life but I lacked the technical terminology, which made it hard for me to understand the lectures. I systematically read books and lecture notes and memorized new words. Now my German is much better and I understand during lectures and am able to discuss with Professors and fellow students. German students are very polite and helpful when we have questions. Nevertheless we seldom have contact outside of the university.

When I first came to Bochum I thought the city was surprisingly quiet especially on the weekend. Where I come from there are always many people in the street and the stores are open far into the night. It rains here a lot more than I thought, and I miss my family and Vietnamese food. But I like the University and the nature very much (especially the forests). There is always fresh air here and lots of nice people from many different countries.

I live in a dorm and finance my studies with part-time jobs and a scholarship. After I graduate I would like to get my doctorate or work for 1-2 years to gain experience. After that I would like to go back to my native country.