DAAD RISE Germany

RISE Germany intern

May - August 2019 • Göttingen, Lower Saxony

What I liked

I liked the experience of working in another country

What I wish was different

I wish I’d learned the language more beforehand

Advice

Even if you don’t think you’re going to get the job, you should still apply! I didn’t think I’d get mine but I did.

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Neurogenetics Research Intern

June - September 2019 • Frankfurt, Hesse

What I liked

It was the ideal combination between scientific mentorship and a study abroad cultural immersion experience. I spent the work week in the lab, assisting with experiments and by the end, conducting my own. I worked alongside my supervisor as well as interacted with the other members of the lab in professional and extracurricular group activities and thoroughly enjoyed the work in addition to the relationships I built. I also had the opportunity to travel on the weekends all over Germany, and despite the short amount of time off, I was able to maximize it.

What I wish was different

The stipend and flight coverage was extremely helpful and made it an opportunity that I was able to pursue. However, because of the vastly different living costs around Germany, I happened to choose a very expensive city to live in with minimal housing options. Finding housing was difficult but manageable, however it would have been even more helpful if the organization was able to provide housing.

Advice

I would highly recommend applying whether you feel qualified or not. I experienced a combination of imposter syndrome and uncertainty about what field I wanted to pursue as a career which almost kept me from applying. However, these internships are entirely for the purpose of learning and real-work experience in addition to a cultural learning experience. If you're open to immersing yourself in a new culture, interning in a field of interest of yours, are willing to put in the effort, and most of all try to new things, then whether or not you think you'll get chosen, I highly recommend taking the leap to apply.

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