Student Stories

Marie-Charlotte in Passau

Marie-Charlotte from France

Marie-Charlotte from France is studying for an M.A. in International Cultural and Business Studies at the University of Passau. The Bavarian-French University Cooperation Centre (BFHZ) drew her attention to the double master program together with the University of Aix-en-Provence, which was just the thing she had been looking for. Apart from that, she already knew Bavaria from a previous internship in Munich.

But Marie-Charlotte was still really surprised by Bavaria: “I had already done a semester abroad in Rhineland-Palatinate, and was very much surprised at the numerous differences between the two states regarding dialects, architecture, customs and mentalities…”

Since the university is only a medium-sized campus university, Marie-Charlotte feels like she’s “not just one number among many”, and she loves spending her lunch breaks directly at the river Inn. One of her favourite places in Passau is the point where the city’s three rivers, Inn, Ilz and Danube, all join together. But she also loves the old town. She continues: “It’s true Passau is quite small, but that also makes life very pleasant: you settle in very quickly, and you can get almost everywhere on foot”.

She advises other international students “not to hesitate and to ask several times, if you don’t understand something”. They should also learn some unusual Bavarian words, like “Semmel, Leberkäse, Grüß Gott, Servus…”

Of course, Marie-Charlotte misses her family. However, she says “apart from that, I am so happy here, that I always say, my home is here in Bavaria, and no longer in France”.