"I feel right at home"

Nina Tsydenova moved from Moscow to the University of Oldenburg to study for a Master's degree. In this interview, she talks about the differences in everyday student life, her enjoyment of cycling - and the occasional longing for car exhaust fumes.

QUESTION: When did you decide to study in Germany?

TSYDENOVA: That was ten years ago. I spent a week in Dresden in 2004 at a scientific exhibition and presented a physics project there with my classmates. That was my first trip abroad and I was very fascinated. Then I was drawn to Austria because I had done a language course in Vienna - Vienna has simply been my favourite city ever since. It's a bit bigger than Oldenburg... However, I think a smaller city is very, very nice for studying.

QUESTION: How did your family and friends at home react to the idea of you going to Germany?

TSYDENOVA: It was no surprise to them. I had already spent a semester abroad in Potsdam during my degree programme. Somehow it was clear that I would go back to Germany. When I got a scholarship, I was able to apply for Master's programmes.

QUESTION: How did you end up in Oldenburg?

TSYDENOVA: I applied to a total of nine universities and got three acceptances. Flensburg, Lüneburg and Oldenburg, all in the north. Then I decided in favour of Oldenburg. I'm happy here, have friends here and feel at home.

QUESTION: How did you prepare for your studies here?

TSYDENOVA: The first problem is finding accommodation, which is what I took care of first. At first I had a room in the Hermann-Ehlers-Haus - perhaps the ugliest building in Oldenburg (laughs). Of course, I already knew a lot from my previous semester abroad... I clarified insurance issues in advance and also found out what you actually need for this residence permit so that I could organise as much as possible from home. The contact with my "study buddy" via the ISO also helped me a lot.

QUESTION: What do you like about the university here, and what perhaps took some getting used to?

TSYDENOVA: I had difficulties with the language at the beginning. I failed my first written exam because I didn't understand the first question. I found it took some getting used to: it's more relaxed here than in Russia. For example, you can eat and drink during lectures - you're not allowed to do that in Russia. What I find good about the lectures is that materials can be accessed in advance via Stud.IP. This is very convenient, especially for international students, because you can prepare better and look up words you don't understand in advance. I also really like the canteen - and that everything can be reached quickly by bike.

QUESTION: What differences do you notice between Germany and Russia?

TSYDENOVA: The fact that you are always travelling by bike, which is not the case in Moscow for example, it's just dangerous and takes ages because of the long distances. In addition, people here are generally more relaxed, especially at university, whereas in Moscow I found many people to be rather ostentatious. Here you can go out and go to university in your home clothes, which I also like (laughs). In Moscow, I practically couldn't turn up at university without high heels, there's a lot of pressure to dress as smartly as possible, even though it's not necessary.

QUESTION: What do you miss about home?

TSYDENOVA: Definitely my family. And the feeling of the big city. That you can just go out and there are all the possibilities. Here I always have the feeling that I already know 50 per cent of the people, which I'm not used to in Moscow, for example (laughs). Also the city air: when I visited Hamburg recently, I thought, yes, I missed the car exhaust fumes a bit (laughs). Although my degree programme goes in a completely different direction, environment and so on... I also miss the language sometimes, because I think I usually converse in English or German and feel like I'm losing a part of myself. Humour and charm don't come across in a foreign language. That's probably always the case.

QUESTION: What will remain from your time here in Oldenburg?

TSYDENOVA: Hopefully the friendships! I'm actually pretty bad at keeping in contact over distance. But my friends here are very important to me, especially as an international student who can't go home every weekend to visit parents and school friends. I think the friendships that have developed here are real friendships and will last.