Which university do you attend in your home country?
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose to study abroad and why at Bucerius specifically?
Being a queer man I wanted to study the history of the reformation of laws regarding gender and sexuality in Germany and see how the country has become a progressive leader in the realm of open gender relations!
Would you recommend studying abroad to other American JD students?
There is no question in my mind, you should study abroad, and specifically at Bucerius! The abroad coordinators and staff here are so caring and really work to curate a special experience and community for the students in your abroad program. If you can afford to study abroad, you absolutely should!
In what way do Hamburg and Bucerius compare to your previous universities?
Hamburg is a beautiful and vibrant city that is very very welcoming of the queer community. I was honestly very surprised but so happy to see that so many businesses, and even Bucerius, fly the pride flag. I quickly found a wonderful and welcoming queer community here in Hamburg and made many friends here as well as in Berlin during my various trips to the city.
Additionally, Hamburg's campus is wonderful! It feels just private and secluded enough while also keeping a welcoming vibe that is made even better by the amazing weather during the first half of the program and the large campus green where you can meet with all your friends.
How was studying at Bucerius different than at your home law school?
Studying at Bucerius differed the most from studying back at home in terms of the course structure. To ensure that you are receiving the opportunity to study under a truly brilliant faculty, all in English, most of your professors will be guest lecturers. Due to this, your course attendance days and times will vary weekly. I recommend just to go with the flow and enjoy everything as much as you can. While the schedule can be confusing at times, it also allows you to have many days entirely off so that you can travel.
What is the most interesting thing you learned academically and personally during your exchange term?
I was most fascinated with the structure of the German government system! Having grown up in the US my entire life, it was very interesting to see how other nations appoint their electorate and how they found ways to get around such pressing issues in the US such as gerrymandering and the difficulties of keeping one's representatives accountable.
What was your favorite experience during your exchange term?
Right before finals things were getting a bit cold in Hamburg and I had about five days off just thanks to how scheduling panned out. Since Hamburg is so central across all of Europe, you can catch a lot of cheap travel to other places. To get out of the cold and enjoy my last bit of Europe before finals, I was able to just buy a last minute flight to Athens, Greece, rent a car, and then go sip wine on the beach in a small seaside village. I can honestly say, I have never had such a fantastic time preparing for finals in my life!
What was most surprising to you about studying abroad?
Sorry, this one is slightly negative, EVERYTHING IN GERMANY NEEDS AN APPOINTMENT. If you need to return something, see someone, or get something fixed, take a look at the companies website first (just use translate on the site if you need to) and see if an appointment is necessary!
How did your term at Bucerius compare to your previous international experiences?
A big reason I wanted to study abroad was that I have never had the opportunity to truly immerse myself in the culture of another country and get to meet people there and really learn about and experience what their life is like. Bucerius, and the city of Hamburg, gave me a place where I could freely and safely go to a restaurant or bar and just meet a group of strangers and spend the night with them, learning about their lives and talking about shared experiences. It is really wonderful how accepting of foreigners Hamburg is and how willing the people are to put in so much work to speak English for me so that I could feel included as part of the group!
Is there anything else you would like to share with the future exchange students at Bucerius?
One tip for queer men (this applies to all genders, but queer men are the most likely to possibly need this service). I would recommend strongly that you get the government health insurance, and not the private insurance. Sexual health testing and treatment is harder to obtain in Germany than it is in the US.
While I did eventually find resources, they came at a significant cost. If you need PEP, out of pocket payment is around 1,000 euros and it is not covered by private insurance. If you need PREP, out of pocket is around $30 euros and is also not covered. Additionally, these drugs are harder to obtain, as you cannot always get them at a basic sexual health clinic.
If you do find yourself on the private insurance and need access to PEP, I would recommend taking a train as quickly as you can to Berlin. There are some public health programs and clinic there that facilitate cheaper access to the treatment. However, overall, it is best to just use the public insurance and save the hassle (in the long run, it will save you money too).
Also, if you find yourself very sick and can't figure out how to get to a doctor, the online service "MobiDoc" allows online doctors visits for a very low cost and can write valid prescriptions that can be used in Hamburg. I used them multiple times with great success.
Note from the International Office: The public health insurance does not cover the mentioned treatments under all circumstances. Applicants/students who require or may require any kind of medication that they cannot bring from home during their stay in Hamburg may wish to ask the International Office for guidance on this matter before arrival.
