Reflection Minor
Door: Celine Koets
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Celine
13 Februari 2019 | Oostenrijk, Kufstein
My minor is finished and I really enjoyed everything in Kufstein and Austria. As stated earlier in my blogs, there is a different way of teaching in Austria compared to the Netherlands. At the FH Kufstein it is more interactive, almost every lecture we have to present our findings. In addition, group work is very important, and mostly all activities are done in groups. Furthermore, the classes take much longer, many of the classes take on average 4-5 hours. Some courses will be finished in one week and others will take up to 7 weeks. It was quite different compared to the Hanze. However, I did not really experience a culture shock, since many things are also the same as in the Netherlands. People have the same attitude, the products available in the stores are quite similar. The one thing I really had to adjust to is the fact that courses take a lot longer. After a few of those long classes, I was more used to it. The courses offered at the FH Kufstein were very interesting and more marketing focused. It was great to gain more knowledge on the marketing and event management side, as I can use this for my internship.
Even though I find the Austrian culture similar to the Dutch culture there are definitely some differences. The Austrians are very polite and always willing to help. But you should never compare the Austrian to the Germans, as they feel not similar to them. Furthermore, Austrians find working in groups and cooperation very important. Whereas the Dutch are more individualistic. In addition, titles and formalities are very important for the Austrian. Some general differences I experienced while being in Kufstein is that it is very normal to smoke inside restaurants for the Austrians. In the Netherlands this is not allowed, and it may even be prohibited outside on the terrace. Furthermore, Austrian pay almost everything by cash, while in the Netherlands almost everything is paid by card. Another difference is the opening hours of the stores. Whereas in the Netherlands stores are open everyday till 9PM and on Sundays, in Kufstein the stores close at 7PM and are not open on Sundays.
Grown as a person
In this minor I can definitely say I have grown as a person. I lived for the first time completely on my own and to arrange everything by myself. I had to cook, do laundry, cleaning my room, go to university, and keep up my social contacts. Even though it was sometimes hard to do everything by myself, it worked out well. I can definitely say I became a more independent individual during my time abroad. In addition, I had a lot of time to explore the country and do a lot of great activities. This made me realize, doing other activities will create great experiences. Furthermore, I had to step out of my comfort zone, and increased my confidence.
Grown as a young professional
During my minor I learned how to work in an international context. Due to the many different nationalities in each class, I learned how to cooperate with different cultures. For example, the Spanish people are very direct and like to tell everyone how a project is done, while the Asian people are more awaiting and do the task which is assigned to them. In addition to that I have improved two language skills, both English and German, which I can use later on when working in an international company. Furthermore, I have made some great friends, where I can rely on in my future career.
Even though I find the Austrian culture similar to the Dutch culture there are definitely some differences. The Austrians are very polite and always willing to help. But you should never compare the Austrian to the Germans, as they feel not similar to them. Furthermore, Austrians find working in groups and cooperation very important. Whereas the Dutch are more individualistic. In addition, titles and formalities are very important for the Austrian. Some general differences I experienced while being in Kufstein is that it is very normal to smoke inside restaurants for the Austrians. In the Netherlands this is not allowed, and it may even be prohibited outside on the terrace. Furthermore, Austrian pay almost everything by cash, while in the Netherlands almost everything is paid by card. Another difference is the opening hours of the stores. Whereas in the Netherlands stores are open everyday till 9PM and on Sundays, in Kufstein the stores close at 7PM and are not open on Sundays.
Grown as a person
In this minor I can definitely say I have grown as a person. I lived for the first time completely on my own and to arrange everything by myself. I had to cook, do laundry, cleaning my room, go to university, and keep up my social contacts. Even though it was sometimes hard to do everything by myself, it worked out well. I can definitely say I became a more independent individual during my time abroad. In addition, I had a lot of time to explore the country and do a lot of great activities. This made me realize, doing other activities will create great experiences. Furthermore, I had to step out of my comfort zone, and increased my confidence.
Grown as a young professional
During my minor I learned how to work in an international context. Due to the many different nationalities in each class, I learned how to cooperate with different cultures. For example, the Spanish people are very direct and like to tell everyone how a project is done, while the Asian people are more awaiting and do the task which is assigned to them. In addition to that I have improved two language skills, both English and German, which I can use later on when working in an international company. Furthermore, I have made some great friends, where I can rely on in my future career.
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
