After getting some much needed sleep last night, we had to be up early for our first visit to the University of Augsburg. Because the university is a bit further towards the outside of the city, we took one of the many trams. My first impression of being on the trams was that they are way better than any form of public transportation in the United States, and there were a couple reasons to this. The first reason was because they seem to be accessible almost all times of the day. At that moment, there was a tram coming every few minutes. This not only ensured you would have a form of transportation, but it also made each tram a lot less busy compared to the amount of people on a bus in Pittsburgh. The second reason I found the trams to be a great form of transportation is because how easy it is. Unlike the busses in Pittsburgh where you have to look up where they go and when the next one is coming, each tram station around the city would tell you when the next tram is coming and would then tell you their stops and destination on the tram. Finally, the last reason I loved the trams was due to their cleanliness. I have never seen public transportation in the United States so clean and this really amazed me. The reason I think the public transportation in Germany is so good is because many people in the city don’t drive a car. Instead, they use public transportation and this makes it very important that the transportation is super efficient and effective.
Once we made it to the University, we met with our fellow German students and put together a presentation with them. This was a great way to get to know some of the students more, and learn more about their background and culture. Also, it truly showed how smart they are being able to do amazing work in their second language (this made me feel a little stupid).
After presenting, we headed over to their dining hall for lunch. Compared to Pitt, it seemed much more sophisticated and organized and the food was way better. When we were done with lunch, we went on a scavenger hunt around this city. We went to all kinds of places including a few beautiful churches, the town hall, and even a brewery. This was a really fun way to explore the city and get to know more about it.
Finally, when we finished our scavenger hunt, we headed to dinner. We ate at a small Italian restaurant where I got lasagna and spezi (a popular soda in Germany which is a mix of cola and orange soda).
Tomorrow is our first day of company visits and I am really excited to learn about the automotive industry in Germany.
