The program's purpose was to introduce them to various types of European transportation infrastructure and systems. "I originally was interested because I have always wanted to travel to Germany and a significant part of the program is located there," she said. "After attending the callout, I realized that the technical and cultural activities in the program would give a great breadth to my education."

Although she is an IE student, Grimm felt that the interdisciplinary aspect of the trip was one of the best parts. The students toured the London Crossrail project construction site and Tower Bridge in England, visited the Airbus A380 final assembly line in France, and in Germany toured the Berlin area Brandenburg, Tempelhof, and Schönefeld airports.

"Our professor, Dr. Bullock, did a great job of pointing out aspects of each tour that related to our respective majors," she explained. "For example, looking at the Tower Bridge, civil engineers were interested in the bridge design, mechanical engineers wanted to learn about the engines that powered the lifts, and I was curious about the scheduling of the boats and how it impacted the traffic flow."

Besides the technical tours, the students had free time in each city to do some exploring. "It was really great to break into smaller groups and visit what interested each of us," said Grimm. "Navigating a strange city where most people speak a different language was very challenging and gave me more confidence in my travel abilities. You were really given free rein to explore anything you wanted, as long as it was within the class guidelines of safe, professional, educational, and fun!"

The trip was stretching in more than physical and linguistic ways. Ordering in a restaurant sometimes took longer than the students were used to, but these experiences taught them flexibility. "You can't just pick and choose to experience the parts of the culture that you like or that make you feel comfortable," said Grimm. "Just because something is different from what you are used to doesn't mean it is wrong."

IE students considering study abroad should be flexible, according to Grimm. "Planning ahead is great, but the perfect trip you have in your mind probably isn't going to happen," she warned. "Things will go wrong and that's okay. Always try to keep a positive attitude. The best stories happen when things don't go as planned!"

Grimm thinks her Maymester trip was very valuable. "Studying abroad in IE may seem difficult, but it is totally worth it! If study abroad is something you are interested in, do whatever it takes to make it happen. There are a lot of resources if you just ask."

She concluded: "I wish every IE could experience a study abroad!"

Writer: DeEtte Starr, starrd@purdue.edu