Leaving Home

After my pre-diploma examinations I decided to take a break from the university and gain some practical experience. It is a common procedure for German students to leave the university and to participate in a study abroad program. At this time, Prof. Bowman, from Purdue's School of Materials Engineering, was a guest in the ceramics group Prof. Rödel, for whom I have been working. The two ceramic groups in Darmstadt and at Purdue have a long and fruitful history of research cooperation, carrying out many successful student exchanges (for example Jens Eichler, whose report can also be found on this page). I was very happy when Prof. Bowman gave me the opportunity to work for three months in his group at Purdue. This would be the first time for me to cross the ocean and visit the USA.

The Arrival

I was very nervous on the flight over the Atlantic because I did not really know what to expect; I was overwhelmed. The first hurdle was the increased security level due to the attack of 9/11, which nearly made me miss my connecting flight to Indianapolis. But after all, I managed to arrive in time with a limo ride to the Purdue University. Cheryl was so kind to pick me up and to show me the apartment, where I would live during my stay. The apartment was furnished and well equipped with all the stuff that people had donated or that other German exchange students have left from their time at Purdue. The bureaucracy you need to do to settle down mainly occurs during the first two weeks, but because of the assistance of the faculty and staff, it was easy to settle down and to feel like home.

Working at Purdue University

Working at Purdue was something completely new for me. Professor Bowman gave me an independent project to work on. This project was to determine the elastic constants of a piezoelectric material as a function of the state of poling by means of ultrasonic velocity measurements. For the first time in my young career as scientist I had to work alone on a project. What an experience! But whenever I needed help with a practical problem or a theoretical question, I was supported by Professor Bowman's group members. It was a great time and I learned so much. I discovered that success and failure lie very close to each other.

Living in the West Lafayette Area

As a first-time visitor in the USA everything was new and different for me. Especially sports play -- a different role in the USA in comparison to Germany. I knew of American sports, such as basketball and football from our local German teams. But the flair of the home games and the activities around the stadium differ from the German events. I really did like it and I had the chance to join the last games in the year (thanks again to Prof. Gaskell who handed all his tickets over to me and made possible that I could watch the games from a great seat). During the first two months in Indiana, the weather was brilliant. The so called “Indian summer” turned the leaves of the trees into very intensive red, orange and yellow autumn colors but the temperatures were still very pleasant (70's). That gave us the opportunity to spend the weekend in a cottage at the Dewart Lake in northern Indiana. Though the nights turned cold, the days were very sunny and warm. Back home in West Lafayette I was able to explore the region equipped with an old bike of Professor Bowman's. I was a bit tall for the bike, but after re-inflating the tires it served me well.

There’s not only a lot to see in the Lafayette area; one must have visited the large metropolises of Chicago and Indianapolis. They are easy to reach by car or (as I did) by the Greyhound bus; each trip takes less than 3 hours, respectively. There are so many cultural differences between the United States and Germany, but reading about it is just that: reading. If you really want to experience the culture, it is much better to visit the USA and understand what I mean.

The End

It was a great experience I woudn’t want to miss. I recommend participation in this student exchange to everyone who is interested in broadening their horizons in research and experiencing new cultures. The people at Purdue make you feel like you're at home and your needs, problems, and wishes are always taken care of.

European opinions of the United States are mostly determined by the medias. My stay allowed me to get a better understanding of the American culture and see it for myself. This may have been the first time for me in the USA, but I am sure this will not be the last.