This was supposed to go up Sept. 27, but project week (PW) preparations kind of took over that day!

This week was definitely a busy week as CAS started up and we tried to get everything ready for project week. I was lucky enough to get my first choice CAS for all three categories: for creativity, I am playing piano with the RBC Orchestra, for activity, I am bouldering once a week and hiking once a month, and for service, I am a part of the Wild Bee Scientists. We are working together with the University of Freiburg on a research project on the presence and distribution of wild bees and wasps around Germany based on nests that the students built and sent to schools all around Germany last year; we are now starting to get them back from the schools for analysis!

On Monday, I had my first official bouldering session which was very enjoyable and very tiring. Unfortunately at the very end, I fell on my ankle and injured it… but it’s almost completely healed now!

On Tuesday, all the first years loaded onto two buses and we made our way to Stuttgart to the Robert Bosch Stiftung. We were introduced to the foundation and the company, had the opportunity to attend workshops about the foundation’s different focuses (i.e. health, education, science, international relations). It was quite an interesting day learning about the foundation behind the company and some of the changes it is undergoing in different branches.

In the evening, the second years prepared a House dinner for us, and we ate together in our houses instead of in the Mensa, our cafeteria.

On Wednesday I had my first service and creativity sessions. In the morning, the students involved in the Wild Bee Scientists project biked to the university together with our staff advisor and we were introduced to the project, the lab and the related faculties in the building. It was fascinating to hear about other projects they have done and learn a bit about the methods they use in insect and ecology research. After dinner, I had my first orchestra session. It is wonderful to relax through playing music and also a great way to get to know others. I’ve actually never played piano together with string instruments before (previously, I only played solo piano and in school bands) so this is a little new and interesting.

Yesterday, Shelby and Gale Davis arrived! The student show was incredible once again.

School is beginning to get busy with assessments, but project week (PW) should be a nice time to get away from academics. I just went shopping for some basic food supplies for PW which was quite fun; I’m a bit nervous, but also really excited for all that’s to come.

Until next time!

Hello! I’m enjoying blogging, so I really hope I’m able to keep it up throughout my UWC experience!

After our test run with the touring bikes we will be using for project week, I had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I was in bed before 10 pm on Sunday, but woke up just before midnight to join the celebration of my Swiss roommate’s birthday.

On Tuesday evening, I went for a short walk in my hiking boots to make sure they were comfortable and to explore the area behind our campus.

(I learned this week that in Germany, you’re not supposed to wish someone a happy early birthday because it’s considered bad luck… I kind of wish I knew this earlier but now I’ve learned my lesson!)

Today after school we received information about the first-years’ Outdoor Weekend, which will be taking place this Saturday and Sunday. My 2 first-year roomies and I were put into the most challenging hiking group – we will be hiking ~6 hours each day. It looks like the weather will be really nice, so hopefully everything goes smoothly and we make it to and from the school without too much trouble! I’m a bit nervous because it’s been a while since I’ve done an intensive hike, but I really look forward to bonding with my group and appreciating the great outdoors.

Tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, is the Mid-Autumn Festival (which I didn’t even know until my Thai housemate told me this afternoon…); I felt a bit nostalgic because I knew my family would be celebrating with mooncake back home, but I got an email this evening saying that we’ll have our own little celebration tomorrow evening complete with mooncake, fruit, and tea. I can’t wait to learn how other students usually celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival at home!

I think that’s all for now – here’s to Mid-Autumn Festival (and living to tell the tale of hiking almost 40 km over 2 days :’))

Until next time!

Friday marked two weeks since our arrival at Robert Bosch College, but it honestly feels like it’s been more than a month. Spending all your time with your classmates definitely leads to deep, meaningful relationships in a short amount of time. It’s hard to believe so much has happened in just 16 days.

Last weekend, my Swiss roommate and I went for a short walk (well actually, we got almost all the way to the mall before realizing it was a Sunday and German stores are closed on Sundays).

Over the past week, we got the chance to attend CAS “taster sessions” to try out the CAS activities we might be interested in, and I really enjoyed bouldering at the Blockhaus, a climbing gym about a 30-40 minute bike ride from our school. It was really nice to get off campus for a few hours and do something physically and mentally challenging. We came back quite late, and it was amazing to bike under a night sky full of stars; I almost forgot what it feels like to look up and be unable to count how many there are.

I also tried contemporary dance and mountain biking, both of which were fun! Right now, I’m most interested in joining the school orchestra for Creativity (and to keep up practicing piano!), and bouldering for Activity. We haven’t been presented the Service activities yet.

Classes started on Tuesday, and so far I’m enjoying them. I’m quite happy with the courses I chose, and I look forward to getting deeper into the content this week. Orientation week made RBC feel like a vacation, so it was a bit strange at first to have to begin associating it with classes and academic obligations, but we are after all here (at least partially) for school!

I didn’t end up getting my first choice Project Week (canoeing in southern France), but I did get my second choice, biking along the Rhine up the Black Forest. I’m a little nervous for a full week of biking and camping but also excited for the experience. Yesterday we did a (5-hour) test run with the touring bikes we will use for project week (which is three short weeks away!).

I also found out this week that I was accepted into my first choice college job! (My parents asked if I get paid, but all college jobs are voluntary :)) Over the following weeks, five other first-year students and I will be receiving first aid training and serving as the First Responders of the school.

I didn’t think it would happen this quickly, but I’m definitely starting to miss food from home… Perhaps I’ll be able to cook some meals in the near future, but that involves a bit of planning to find all the ingredients and carry them back – I now realize the luxury of having a car and knowing your way around a city!

Until next week!

we’re off!

So somehow it’s happened. I’ve arrived at UWC Robert Bosch College! I’ve been waiting for this for so long that it still seems kind of surreal despite this being my third day here. I wrote (very short) drafts of posts in April and two weeks ago before I left home, but I kept putting them off and so I never finished them. Hopefully that doesn’t become the norm too quickly…

I spent a week vacationing in Germany before heading to school which was really enjoyable and also helped me get over my jetlag. Here are some of my favourite pictures:

We walked so much our feet were aching – our first day in Munich we walked 31 000 steps! But the towns, architecture, and weather were all very beautiful so we had a wonderful time exploring southern Germany.

I arrived with family on Friday. It was a whirlwind of meeting second-years, my co-years, roommates and figuring out what was where, but things have settled down the past few days. I’ve already become pretty close with my Swiss roommate and some other co-years.

I still can’t believe I have the opportunity to be here for two years but I can’t wait for the things that are in store for me! I haven’t been bringing my phone outside of my room so I don’t have photos of the campus, but I will eventually take some and include them.

Until next time!