Hi everyone, my name is Kevin Kochel, I am in my 4th year at Penn State, double majoring in German and Comparative Literature. I will be studying in Marburg, Germany in the Spring. I am a history and literature nut, so I have always been fascinated by Germany and German culture. I hope to get everything I possibly can get out of my semester abroad, including a total immersion in the culture and (hopefully!) fluency in the language.
I’ve got a few last-minute things to take care of before I go, the biggest among them being my Visa. I have an appointment to take care of that at the German consulate in NYC the Monday after the semester ends, but I feel like it is going to be a hassle. The requirements for the picture are very, very picky but hopefully the one I had taken over Thanksgiving break will be up to snuff. Other than that, I am a bit apprehensive and not looking forward to sitting around twiddling my thumbs at home for more than two months (I don’t leave for Germany until the end of February), but I hope Marburg will be worth the wait!
The city itself looks really neat. I did my homework and researched its background a bit, the University of Marburg is nearly 500(!) years old, with a student population of 20,000 in a city of 80,000 people… not quite the same ratio as State College, but it is still definitely a university town, although I’m very curious to see what differences there are.
The sooner my semester in Germany starts, the better. I just hope the next two and a half months fly by!
Location: State College, PA
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