By Ayra Nabilah Muhammad Sahir
When I boarded my flight to Germany, my mind was racing with doubts. This was my very first time going to Europe and honestly, I felt a mix of excitement, nervousness and fear all rolled into one. Questions kept coming: what if I couldn’t communicate? What if I don’t fit in? What if I feel completely out of place?
But from the first day itself, all those worries began to fade. I met students from Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, China and of course Germany. They welcomed me so openly that I couldn’t help but feel at ease. They became more than classmates; they became friends who changed the way I view the world. I never expected friendship to be the strongest lesson I would bring home.
I had signed up for the Summer School Plastic: Boon and Bane, organised by Hochschule RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering in Rüsselsheim. I thought it would just be two weeks of lectures and labs, maybe with some technical projects. Instead, it was a whole new life experience. The organisers—Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tamara van Roo, Melih Kayhan (M.Eng), and Dr. Maria Wiesmann—made sure our days were not just about classrooms. We had excursions to nearby towns like Weinheim, Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Offenbach. After classes or trips, we were free to explore. Sometimes we walked around small towns, sometimes just lay under a tree at the park, and one evening we even made handmade tacos together and ate at the university’s biergarten.
At first, I pressured myself to “see everything.” Germany is huge, with thousands of castles and so much history. I thought maybe I should rush to famous places like Berlin or Munich. But slowly I learned that it didn’t matter if I ticked off all the landmarks. What mattered were the small, simple moments. One of my most treasured memories was going to Frankfurt with Mitsuki from Japan. On Saturday we visited the Städel, the city’s largest art museum with over 3000 paintings. The next day we took a train to Rüdesheim, had a picnic, read books, talked for hours and shared pizza. Nothing fancy, but unforgettable.
Another memory I keep close was walking with Urko from Spain through the town of Mainz, wandering along the Rhine River as the sun set. It struck me then that joy doesn’t have to come from iconic destinations. It’s the people you are with that make a journey meaningful.
Most of what I knew about Europe before this trip came from movies or novels. I thought maybe I would look silly for not knowing enough history. But my friends were open and kind. They wanted to share their culture, and they were also genuinely interested in mine. I told them about Malaysia, about our food and festivals, and they listened with curiosity. I realised how valuable cultural exchange is when it happens naturally between young people.
One quirky fact I discovered is that in Germany most shops and malls are closed on Sundays. At first it felt inconvenient, but then I realised the meaning behind it. Sundays are for quiet reflection—whether that means going to church, spending time with family, or simply reconnecting with nature. In Malaysia, life can feel rushed and stressful. I believe having one day a week to pause like this would really help our mental health.
The last night in Rüsselsheim came too soon. We tried to stretch every minute, laughing, sharing, promising to keep in touch. But like all good things, it had to end. Saying goodbye was harder than I thought. I felt tears in my eyes because I knew something inside me had shifted.
If there is one message I want to share with students in Malaysia, it is this: seize opportunities like this when they come. They don’t come twice. A summer school is not just about academics, it’s about learning who you are when you step outside your comfort zone.
Before Germany, I thought growth only came from achievements—good grades, winning competitions, completing projects. But this trip taught me another kind of growth. The kind that comes from conversations with strangers who become friends, from taking the wrong train and finding a new adventure, from saying yes to things you never planned.
I came back more open-minded, more determined and more inspired. I realised that opportunities are not just chances, they are turning points. They expand your vision and spark the belief that you can do more than you once thought possible.
Germany gave me lessons I didn’t expect, but maybe the biggest one is this: don’t wait until you feel ready. You will never feel fully ready. Just take the leap, and let the journey itself teach you what you need to know.
The author is a first year mechanical engineering student at Universiti Malaya, and may be reached at 23001471@siswa.um.edu.my