Guten Tag! Welcome to my first blog post for Plus3 Germany. My name is Ben Krauss, and I’m excited to share my German experience with you!

I’m currently a freshman in the Swanson School of Engineering, and recently declared my major as Chemical Engineering. I’m from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and a firm believer in the existence of Central Jersey. I chose to attend Pitt because of the beauty of the Pitt campus and its exceptional engineering program. I have  two younger siblings, Nate and Ella, and a dog named Leo, who is an adorable shichon. 

Here at Pitt, I am the academics chair for my fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, and an active member of Chabad. In my free time, I like to run and play tennis, and I’m a freelance tennis instructor back in Jersey! I’m also quite the movie and TV buff.  If you need any recommendations, I’m your guy. My favorite show is Breaking Bad, my favorite movie is Whiplash, and I’m a big Quentin Tarantino fan.  

I initially chose Germany for the language, food, and my interest in the automobile industry. Going into this course, I already knew a few basic German words, and I’ve been developing my German prowess on Duolingo. At the very least, I hope to be able to read street signs and order food at restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, I’m very excited about being introduced to a brand new culture of food. I’m especially looking forward to Döner (Turkish street food), and for the Arkadas Kebap restaurant in Munich. 

Although my first car was a 2008 Honda Odyssey, I hope that my visit to Germany will allow me to expand my general knowledge of the car industry. I’m especially interested in learning about how cars are manufactured differently in Germany versus in the United States. For example, I find it interesting that German cars don’t feature cup holders, and I want to gain a deeper understanding of how Germans behave differently than the typical American, not just from how they value their cars differently, but also how they behave in their everyday lives. 

I imagine my experience in Augsburg will be an enriching opportunity to learn about a vastly different culture and meet great people, from near and far.

 Auf Wiedersehen for now! I’ll see you in Augsburg!