06/2024 Natalia Gała

Age: 19  |  Nationality: Polish

What are your favorite spots in Potsdam/ Berlin / surroundings?

My favorite spot are lakes because in Poland there aren’t many of them, and that is a place, where I can relax, have a picnic, do some studying and just cherish the moment. In Potsdam, I spend a lot of time jogging, riding a bike or just chilling with my friends in Sanssouci Park.

What are the places and moments that make you feel home here? And what do you miss from back home?

Of course I miss my family and friends. I think that I miss also polish food like for example dumplings (pierogi in polish). The thing that makes me feel at home here is my room, because I have a lot of souvenirs and photos from Poland. There’s also one other thing. In Poland, there are crowds everywhere and people don’t care so much about rules, for example, which side of sidewalk they should go along. I think that people here are more organized and that’s the thing that makes me feel at home here.

Tell us about your degree program. How did you get interested in your field of study? What are the classes you like most in your program?

I‘m studying AKT (Angewandte Kultur- und Translationsstudien). This is a double-degree program. I started my studies in Lublin (Poland) and came here for one year. I was thinking about studying Applied Linguistics (German and English), but when I found out about this program, I decided to give it a go. My favorite classes are Sprach Tandem and the ones about Szymborska’s poetry.

What is different from the studies at your home university?

The biggest difference between my studies here and in Lublin is that here most classes are optional. In Poland, you can be absent from a class twice a semester. As for me, the difference is I have fewer classes but a lot of self-studying. At my home university, there a lots of classes but also a lot of self-study sessions.

How do you keep a good work-life balance? Any advice for your fellow students?

I try to organize everything. I think that’s the key to good work-life balance. Most of time, I try to stick to my plan and get on with my life.  

Your future plans:

I want to do a Master’s degree in Germany. I’m thinking about Hamburg right now. I want to be a translator, but also to analyse languages and their generations process.