Mobility specification

Country:Germany

Institution:e-nema company

City:Schwentinental

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Science / Department of Experimental Biology

Study level abroad:Master

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Natural Sciences

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?Field coordinator

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?I was involved in one of the many ongoing projects. Except for a few minor things, I more or less functioned as an employee.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?I helped on a project called NemaSens. It was focused on the application of insecticides from entomopathogenic nematodes against insect pests - specifically the South American Macaw (Tuta absoluta). The huge advantage of these entomopathogenic nematodes is that they are only natural insect parasites, hence they are much gentler than any chemicals. The main objective was to define the application conditions of these nematodes (temperature, humidity) for consumers. The production of entomopathogenic nematodes is still relatively expensive and by these incremental steps the costs could slowly decrease and displace more harmful chemicals.

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?no

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?perfectly

Did the institution have any special requirements?Specific language skills

Do you have tips on how to make a great impression on the institution?Good attitude, enthusiasm, work ethic and a willingness to learn new things. Teamwork is also a definite advantage. Knowledge and previous experience definitely play a role as well, but honestly that wasn't the main thing to get there :)

How competitive was the selection process? Did you have to go through an application procedure?It was a little easier in this one. Our laboratory (Hyršllab) has a good relationship with the company - this made communication even easier. However, the interview also took place, but its aim was more to set up the experiments and plan the stay itself.

Why would you recommend students do an internship?Without a doubt, I gained new experience and knowledge from the working environment. However, for me personally it was even more important to make contacts, to be able to integrate into a new team and to function in a foreign language environment. The opportunity to learn about the local culture and customs was also an integral part of the experience - definitely worth mentioning.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?19000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?Through the company I was able to get in touch with the local university - Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, where I subsequently arranged accommodation in the dormitory. The host institution itself did not provide me with accommodation directly, but at least it gave me the right directions :)

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?no

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?As far as costs are concerned, a lot could be saved thanks to discounts on purchases. Another big advantage was the dorm accommodation, which was much more affordable. And the absolute highlight was Deutschlandticket - for about 1250 CZK per month I could use almost all public transport throughout Germany (except international trains).

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?absolutely flawless!

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?For travel, the best value for money was the Deustchlandticket, which can be purchased via the mo.pla mobile app. As for finding connections, the free NAH.SH app worked very well in my region :)

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?A short walk outside the town is the German submarine U-995 by the sea. You can see it from the inside, which is really cool, and a short walk away is the memorial to the victims of the Second World War. The whole place has such an interesting and slightly unusual atmosphere.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Definitely Hamburg and Bremen, but there are many more places in the area, but for myself I would single out these two :) Hamburg in particular is great - it has everything! :)

Share your best experience:Before I left for my internship, I arranged training sessions with a local floorball team so that I wouldn't lose pace and get to know a different floorball environment than in the Czech Republic. When I had my last training session with the guys at the end, they prepared a very nice farewell, which I didn't expect at all. Similar surprises and joint events were waiting for me in the company. You really can't pick just one experience - the best part was the whole stay. Every little moment made for an unforgettable experience.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Just keep an eye on the rising train prices quite a bit just before departure, if you buy those tickets early you can save quite a bit :) Otherwise everything is fine...

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Personally, I can't think of anything special. It's good for sports stuff - it's a great way to meet new people, and then maybe some more social clothes - I had the opportunity to go to the theatre :)

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?At the beginning, you don't really know what to expect and you might hesitate, but most of the time things fall into place and everything starts to flow. Go for it - it's definitely worth it! :)