@dickinsoncollege
@dickinson_in_bremen @germanatdickinson
Moin! My name is Noah Salsich, and today, I’ll be taking over the DAAD’s Instagram!
I’m a senior at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, USA, and I studied abroad for a semester in Bremen. At Dickinson, I’m a double major in Political Science and Environmental Studies, with a minor in German (natürlich!). I had no prior experience with a second language before high school, but German intrigued me. In college, I committed more to it and fell in love with it. Once I reached a certain level, I was eligible to apply for my school’s exchange program with the University of Bremen.
I absolutely loved my time in Bremen. It’s a pretty diverse city with a great balance—it feels accessible and not as overwhelming as some larger cities, but there’s still so much to do. I took half of my classes in German, which was definitely a challenge, but I really enjoyed it. I got to study European democracy and even take a course on ocean policy. As someone passionate about green and sustainable infrastructure, I was especially impressed by how German cities are designed. There were bike paths everywhere, green spaces tucked into corners, and shops all over, making it super easy to get around without a car. And the trains and trams—I freaking love trains.
I also just loved speaking and being surrounded by German. There’s something special about being able to help someone at a bus stop or casually chat with a classmate. Whether I’m making new friends or just having a quick conversation in passing, I always get this moment of realization—I just did that in German! And that makes me so happy. However, I know a lot of my fellow young ambassadors didn’t know German before going abroad or didn’t need to learn it for their program, and it’s true that most everyone speaks English and you can navigate just fine without German.
I couldn’t possibly cover everything about my time in Germany, but I’ll be on the Instagram today—so feel free to ask me anything!
