Tsitsi Mabangure (zimbabwe) | BA Global Economics and Management | Class of 2021
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the Summer?
Lucky for me I had to spend my summer vacation on campus. Just kidding. Initially l had planned to go home, back to Zimbabwe for the summer; and the closer the dates for my flight got, the worse the cases of corona became and so l gave up.
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish? Did your plans change?
I did have to make new plans for the summer and most of them involved my personal growth and well-being. I decided that l was going to use the summer to learn things I have always wanted to learn but never got the chance. I had so much fun learning how to cook, how to braid my own hair, how to do my make-up, etc. l decided to start a YouTube Channel (Tsitsi’s Corner) to document all the lessons and challenges I faced and how I overcame some of them.
How are you feeling about your next semester?
Although I feel like my vacation is being cut short, I am looking forward to the next semester. Moving to a new room, starting specialization courses and my projects, I think the semester is going to be a rollercoaster. I am also excited to be filming more content for my channel, exploring the Jacobs campus, Bremen and other cities.
Hyperlink: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE8JTyApKxN_JOCWV_9VdQw/featured
Cavan Stefan Yong (Malaysia) | BSc Chemistry | Class of 2021
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the summer?
I've been here since the day I got off the plane in 2018.
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish? Did your plans change?
I planned to stay here to work and save some money while also paying my tuition fees. In January 2019, I started working at Paddy's and continued to be employed over the summer, working only on the weekends. In addition to that, I worked at Yakumi and made just enough to pay rent so I couldn't save up any money like I initially planned. This summer, I found a full-time job sorting empty crates and bottles. I worked for a month and a half and made an extra 2000 euros. I also found a very cheap house to rent with two other friends and this has really helped me achieve my goal of saving up some money for my plans to continue staying here in Germany after I graduate. I was even able to send home some money to help my mum out with her business.
How are you feeling about your next semester?
I'm definitely looking forward to the next semester and getting back to studying full-time again. I'm looking forward to meeting people who can help me grow and develop. I'm also looking forward to working on my academics and seeing what my options are after I graduate before I decide what I want to do with my life eventually. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do after graduation, but after finding a house and locking in a contract for a year and a half, I am planning to stay in Bremen for an extra year or so to study my German language.
Emilia Lydia Eugenie Ergin (germany) | BA Integrated Social Sciences | Class of 2021
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the summer?
I stayed around three weeks in Bremen at my parents’ place, as Bremen is my hometown. The rest of the time I traveled to different places like Belgium, throughout Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden.
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish?
Originally the plan was to of course relax. However, I wanted to use the time most efficiently as I can to create memories with people I appreciate and show them places that I love. Moreover, I wanted to coordinate organizational things for which I did not have the time during the semester. Getting in shape and doing a lot of sports, seeing my friends and spending a lot of time with my family and especially grandparents was also something which was extremely important to me. Lastly, I really wanted to travel and at the same time visit people which is why I combined both.
Did your plans change?
This summer was the most intense time in my life so far, I believe. I organized one excursion after the other and packed my schedule too tight. The part of relaxing came a bit short this summer. However, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of those experiences, and I am grateful for every person I got to know better, for every experience I collected and memories I made. Besides the relaxing and self-care part I sticked pretty much to my original plans.
How are you feeling about your next semester?
I am very excited and extremely grateful to have a family that supports me endlessly. We drove by car with a lot of equipment - even a bicycle and a lovely carpet - and made stops in Denmark and Sweden with the destination Uppsala in Sweden. Here my exchange semester is waiting for me. I already checked into my room and feel more than prepared. We discovered Uppsala yesterday, a beautiful city full of students. It has around 200.000 people living in the city. It is located one hour from Sweden’s capital Stockholm and it’s the country’s first university. I am very confident to have a wonderful time here.
Ayse Mae Kelemet (united states) | BSc Chemistry | Class of 2022
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the Summer?
I went back home to the United States in the beginning of quarantine in March and spent all summer between Chicago and Colorado!
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish? Did your plans change?
Since the number of virus cases in the US is pretty high and the news changes daily, I didn’t make any plans for the summer. The easiest thing to do was go with the flow and see what the situation allowed each day! I got really into biking in the forest near my house since that was one of the safest activities available. My family and I also spent a lot of time finding creative ways to connect with other people safely during the pandemic, so we hosted a lot of socially-distanced outdoor parties (like an ice cream social with all my neighbors) and still managed to make the summer fun. When I was in Colorado I got to spend every day doing my favorite things: hiking in the mountains, kayaking, camping, and adventuring outdoors!
How are you feeling about your next semester?
I know this semester is going to be a weird and challenging one for everybody, especially the incoming freshmen, but I know the Jacobs family will band together and make it fun nevertheless! I’m sad we won’t have some activities that really made campus life exciting, like Jacobs Games, but this is all only temporary and we can all still lean on each other. If nothing else, it’s a good reason to bury my nose in my textbooks this semester and really study!
Tara Helmi Turkki (finland) | BSc Biochemistry and Cell Biology | class of 2021
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the Summer?
Yes, I did stay in Bremen over this summer, but because I already stayed in Bremen last summer – and I stayed on campus – I decided to stay with another Jacobs student off – but close to – campus.
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish? Did your plans change?
I originally did have a summer program/internship I wanted to attend in the United States but unfortunately that got cancelled because of corona but I was able to shift my plans accordingly and still do some lab work here on campus so that I can get some experience. In terms of travelling, I was able to see some places in Germany like Lübeck and Mainz which was really nice. So, in the end, it was a nice summer even though it didn’t go as I had originally planned it.
How are you feeling about your next semester?
As for the next semester, which is coming up very soon, I feel cautiously excited. At the same time, I do enjoy studying and seeing friends in a safe way. Hopefully it will be a good time as far as we can be safe and have fun.
Lynn Shiyayo (kenya) | BSc Earth and Environmental Sciences | class of 2021
Did you stay in Bremen and/or on campus during the summer?
Yes, for the most part, I did stay on campus during this summer break.
What were some of your plans for the summer and what did you accomplish? Did your plans change?
As I reflect on my experiences, I was very privileged to still be able to stick to the majority of my plans during this summer despite the pandemic. Even though I did not get the chance to travel back home, I got to spend a lot of time with my host family and friends and really worked on solidifying and continuously strengthening my relationships with them. I had two main exciting trips to Agger in Northern Denmark and to the German northern island of Föhr with my host family where we spent lots of time by the North Sea and being tourists. Within my friend groups, I spent time in and around Bremen at the different lakes (Unisee and Grambker See) and also made a grand summer biking trip about 60 km south of Bremen to Verderner Moor in Kirchlinteln, Lower Saxony. This was probably the highlight of my summer as I really got to deepen my relationships with my friends even further and made a few new friends too. I also got the opportunity to work for the Admissions Office and the International Programs Office as a Student Assistant during this summer and though it was a bit of a challenge to be both in work and vacation mode, I am in a constant state of gratification as I was still able to do great and meaningful work on campus! Perhaps the only goal I was not able to achieve was to complete my book count which was twelve books for the entire summer; I’ve only gotten to nine out of the twelve that I had planned to read.
How are you feeling about your next semester?
I am actually super excited about the next semester! I feel really rejuvenated to share and pour my renewed energy into my academics and towards the people that I will interact with in the spring semester. As this is my final year here at Jacobs, I am also feeling more sentimental towards the moments I get to experience here, knowing that in a year, I will move onto the next chapter of my life. I have much bigger goals coming into this new semester and I hope that I am able to continue to execute them as I plan. I will also begin working at Hollister – Abercrombie and Fitch off campus as a brand representative, so that’s super exciting!
Hyperlink Unisee: https://www.bremen.de/leben-in-bremen/sport/baden/der-stadtwaldsee-oder-der-unisee
Hyperlink Grambker See: https://www.bremen.de/leben-in-bremen/sport/baden/der-grambker-see
BY Lynn Shiyayo (Kenya) | CLASS OF 2021
