Recent CofC Psychology and German Studies graduate Lia Hansen ’25 studied abroad in Munich and Salzburg in the spring semester of 2024 and then participated in CofC’s Psychology internship with the University of Bremen in beautiful northern Germany, where she pursued research in Psychology, completely in German! We caught up with her in the weeks before her graduation to ask her about the experience abroad and to share advice with students interested in following her footsteps.
What did you do during your research internship in Bremen in May and June of 2024?
I worked with a research team in Bremen focusing on the psychological impact of children who immigrated with their parents to Germany. A lot of it was seeing the stress and emotional impact of immigration. As part of the experience, I learned how to conduct tests, analyze the results, and run daily operations. The internship was very hands on, so I got to do a lot of the work instead of shadowing the staff in the lab. It was really cool because I had never done any a work in the psychology field before, so learning how psychological labs conduct tests was new but exciting. I think the advantage was figuring out what I really like doing and getting to experience it. Not many students get to do that until after graduation, so I got a head start.
Lia at the University of Bremen’s Psychology research lab
Instead of just going to Bremen for two months, you preceded the internship with immersive study in Munich and then Salzburg for the spring semester of 2024. How did the four months of German help you once you got to Bremen?
Before I went to Germany, I spent a lot of time working on my vocabulary and grammar to be able to talk to people in Germany. Because I was in Munich and Salzburg before my internship began, I had the opportunity to really immerse in the language, pratice, and learn by doing (including making lots of mistakes!) That time helped me get over the fear of making mistakes, so I could just focus on communicating and growing! When it was time to start my internship, I felt confident in my skills. I was able to talk to my co-workers and the people directing my internship with ease. Although there were times when I was confused, I had the skills to explain what confused me, and we moved on. Overall, the spring semester in Munich and Salzburg really helped prepare me for the work environment in Bremen.
Lia on an outing during her semester in Salzburg
Other than the research skills you developed in Bremen, what else did you learn from working at a German research lab?
I think one of the biggest things was the ability to be direct. Germans, in my experience, find it easy to be direct and have open expectations with people. If they need you to do something, they will tell you directly. In the United States, we have a tendency to sugarcoat everything, even small things. So, being in a professional setting was different because everyone was so direct all the time, even when it seemed a bit demanding. It’s not really demanding, it’s a cultural thing. But I was able to fit in and be direct as well, which has really helped me to communicate effectively.
What would you advise to incoming Psychology majors interested in the Internship to Bremen and in combining Psychology and German?
I would say that it’s important to talk to the German Studies faculty about your options and how to study abroad. They are there to support you and help you succeed and are super supportive, so take advantage of it! If you do plan to do the Bremen internship, definitely take German and become as proficient as you can by the time you get there – they all speak English pretty well but being able to communicate in German gave me a tremendous advantage! Once your in the lab, be open to trying new things. Be polite with your peers abroad and try to learn as much as possible from the experience. You will gain so many skills professionally, culturally, and with your German. It is such an amazing opportunity to explore what you are passionate about, and I would encourage anyone with the opportunity to do it. The internship is so valuable and the experience I go from it has really shaped my future career.
Lia presented on the research she conducted in Bremen at the CofC Research Expo her senior year[/caption]