At this point, I\u2019ve already been in T\u00fcbingen over a month, but I wanted to post about my arrival, just to give an idea of both chronological and emotional progression! I\u2019ve also been thinking about what I want to achieve with this blog and although it is helpful to chart my own experience, above all I want it to be a possible resource for other international students coming to T\u00fcbingen. Honestly, I spent a lot of time scouring other UMass study abroad blogs for T\u00fcbingen and all of the little details were so helpful, since students often know what other students are interested in.<\/p>\n
To detail my arrival:<\/p>\n
I would second other advice that tells you to arrive with other students from UMass also traveling to T\u00fcbingen (or other 5 college students, in my case). After being on the go for over 12 hours, things start to get a little confusing and it\u2019s nice to have someone else to lean on. Our plane was actually delayed over the weekend, due to a huge storm in Ireland, so I\u2019d had some extra time to consider what I needed to pack. I was really happy I brought a cheap router (TP link from Amazon) and also glad that I had a few snacks. \u00a0If you plan to take the bus right when you get to T\u00fcbingen make sure you have coins!!<\/p>\n
Once we actually got underway, we flew first to Dublin and then to Frankfurt (much cheaper than Stuttgart, although takes longer to get to T\u00fcbingen). From Frankfurt we took an ICE train to Stuttgart (booked approx. 5 days in advance? We also got the FlexPreis ticket, but I\u2019ve since used Spar Preis and it\u2019s worked out fine), then a regional train from Stuttgart to T\u00fcbingen. From the T\u00fcbingen Hauptbahnhof, we took a taxi to Fichtenweg 5 (about 14 Euro), where we were met by another UMass student who had been there for a week already. Up to this point, everything had gone well, but it was also around 3 pm.<\/p>\n
Since I needed to get my keys from the Hausmeister in the Franz\u00f6sisches Viertel before 4, I was practically pushed onto the bus by the Fichtenweg office who gave me printed directions that did not reflect the actual bus stops. After some emotional distress and riding the bus around town, 4pm passed and I decided to try to make my way back to WHO, where I knew others from the program lived. I eventually found my way back, 50 lb suitcase and all and stayed with another UMass girl for the night.<\/p>\n
Based on this, I\u2019d say: If you arrive late\/with barely enough time to pick up your keys, don\u2019t try to figure out the bus system immediately after traveling for 12 + hours with no food or sleep! Have realistic expectations for yourself and be a self-advocate. Although it\u2019s the object of study abroad to challenge yourself, defining your limits is also important. Creating a contingency plan also helps you grow!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At this point, I\u2019ve already been in T\u00fcbingen over a month, but I wanted to post about my arrival, just to give an idea of both chronological and emotional progression! I\u2019ve also been thinking about what I want to achieve with this blog and although it is helpful to chart my own experience, above all … <\/p>\n