Working another summer with a Women's Center in Austin, Texas confirmed my thoughts: non-profit work was what I wanted to do. So, how does German fit in?
Well, in more ways than you might expect! For one thing, being here has allowed me to start to get to know the difference between German and American college systems, and how those students think about working. Germans pick a specific area of study early on, and I have friends getting their degree in anywhere from 3 to 7 years! American college students usually only study for four years, like I am, and their area of study isn’t always so set from the beginning.
American colleges also allow more flexibility in terms of how your work engages with your studies. But, this benefit comes at a cost--quite literally a significant cost. While German universities are a bit more rigid, they also cost much less. The average student here can pay anywhere between $500 - 1,000 per semester, which is about $32,000 less than the average American private university. This cost difference is due to German state funding to all universities. So for the Germans, student loan debt is virtually non-existent!
Learning the German language specifically however aids my career path in virtually every way, as it opens up so many doors to other internships, which I otherwise wouldn’t have access to. This semester I’m volunteering with a German American Institute working with middle school children, applying for jobs at local German non-profit organizations, and working with local activist groups! A few years of language have unlocked a variety of new ways to learn and even an entire country of jobs to choose from!
