Isabell Sefija Duric

My two semesters abroad, which I spent at Valparaiso University in Indiana in the United States of America, were an opportunity to learn a lot, as well as being an exciting experience. In my first semester there I took four classes: Cross-Cultural Management, International Marketing, Buyer Behavior and Financial Management. In my second semester I took the classes Financial Markets and Institutions, Economics of Financial Markets, Topics in Finance and Management and Organizational Behavior.

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Isabell Sefija Duric at the Valparaiso University

One big difference compared to my German university was that the groups were very small. There were no more than 20 students in each class, while there are at least 300 students in a class at Tübingen University. This enables students to form a more personal relationship with the professors, and it is easier to ask questions. Another difference was that I had lectures every day, as well as weekly quizzes, homework and multiple exams. The weekly quizzes covered topics from the chapter we had to read in the respective week, and they were a fully valid learning achievement that was considered when calculating the final grade. It took me a while to get used to this, as I was familiar with a very different approach from Germany. My friendly professors and fellow students helped me to quickly adapt to these differences.

To begin with, I also was not used to working as part of a bigger group, as I had done all my work by myself at university in Germany. I also noticed that the way in which Americans tend to perform group work is slightly different from how it is done in Germany. They made a point of meeting frequently and discussing everything a number of times. Another thing I noticed was how, when working in a group, Americans tend to be mutually supportive and to say encouraging things to each other, such as 'Great job! Way to go! We can do this! We are a great team!'. This was new for me at the start, as in Germany I had focused strongly on myself in my studies. However, I was able to adapt quickly, because I really appreciated the way in which all students would offer each other support and help, rather than thinking of their studies as a competition. This is an approach I would like to keep up in Germany, in order to support and encourage myself and my friends in our goals in life.

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The College of Business

Topics in Finance was by far my favourite class. The whole class jointly managed a diversified investment fund of the university, a so-called Student Managed Investment Fund. We took care of reviewing risk-based security and portfolio performance metrics for possible investments. Another very important issue was to determine suitability of individual stocks for sale or inclusion in the fund. This class allowed me to obtain plenty of practical experience in the area of investment banking. The reason I liked this class so much was the fact that I can use everything I learned here in real life, when making personal investments. Further details of the other classes I took are provided in the appendix.

I am really very grateful for this amazing experience and the opportunity to form a personal relationship with the professors without needing to be timid. Sadly, this is not possible in Germany. In addition to attending lectures, I also joined two groups at the university: the Financial Management Association and the Society of Women in Business. Here I was able to get to know students who share my interests. These student groups plan weekly meetings with speakers from the actual working world as well as other events. Participating in these events, I was able to find many friends and get to know people from the US, who I stayed in contact with beyond my stay. For my second semester, I also stood as a candidate for the post as the treasurer of the Society of Women in Business, and was accepted. This role meant a high level of responsibility, but it was also an opportunity to learn a lot and establish even more contacts.

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Isabell Sefija Duric as a member of the Society of Women in Business

The purpose of our organisation is to support women in the business world and to prepare them for male-dominated professions. As the treasurer, I was in charge of events accounting and I realised numerous events together with the other committee members. At the end of my second semester abroad, I was presented with the 'New Member of the Year' award at a gala event for all university organisations. It was a great honour and I will try to stay in touch with this organisation in the future. In my second semester I was also part of the Deans Leadership Council. As a representative of the College of Business, I got to take part in monthly meetings with other students, in which we discussed matters related to planning and improvement of the study experience for all students of the university. We held events and I acted as a contact partner for students with questions about their studies and other on-campus issues.

I lived in a hall of residence on the campus and shared a room with a roommate. This was also a new experience for me, as halls of residence generally have single rooms in Germany. It means that you are never on your own, as there is always somebody else in your room, and the same is true for all other rooms in the halls of residence. This took some getting used to for me, as I do like to spend time on my own, too. There were also resident assistants at the hall of residence, whose job it was to help in case of any problems or questions. For my taste, this was a little too much supervision, as it was impossible to enter the hall of residence without being checked in by the resident assistants, despite the fact that you have your own key, for example.

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Isabell Sefija Duric in her free time

In my free time, I enjoyed going for walks with my American friends, as Lake Michigan was only a twenty-minute drive away. It is a great place for swimming, as well as walking. We also liked to go for coffee or a meal in Valparaiso, the small town in which my campus was located. There are many lovely little restaurants, as well as a beautiful park in the town centre. The local residents of Valparaiso are very friendly, and I always felt very welcome there. At the weekends I liked to take the train to Chicago’s city centre. The journey takes about one hour, so I enjoyed going to Chicago for day trips. My favourite thing to do there was to go to the museums, and I liked the Art Institute of Chicago best. I was very surprised by the city’s beauty, cleanliness and size. It has lots of activities and places to visit to offer, so I always tried to explore new places in Chicago. My favourite place is the Chicago Cultural Center with its wonderful and majestic tiffany domes. What I liked best about the area in which I stayed was its close proximity to Lake Michigan and Chicago.

I am convinced that I will be able to maintain the academic contacts that I established with my professors in those two semesters. Many professors gave me their personal email address, and they stressed that I could always get in touch if I have any questions regarding my studies or career. My personal friendships have lasted beyond my return to Germany, thanks to social media, text messages and phone calls. I was lucky because the students at my university were very open-minded when it came to exchange students, and I was able to form many close friendships. I have heard from other Germans who attended other American universities and struggled to make friends because many Americans were not interested as they were only staying for a limited time. This was not the case at all at Valparaiso University.

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The university's award ceremony

Studying in the USA thanks to the DAAD-Stiftung's Alexander Spohn-Scholarship and gain intercultural experience along the way was a very special opportunity for me. I will always remember the warm welcome from university staff, professors and students alike. I always got help when I needed it and felt very much at home on campus after a while, despite the fact that I was just an exchange student. My next steps in my studies will be to write my bachelor’s thesis in Germany from October onwards, and to take my last few classes, so that I can complete my bachelor's degree in March 2024.