Internship in Germany vs Internship in Canada: Pros and Cons

During the third semester of my study program, it is compulsory for each student to participate in an internship lasting a minimum of three months. This internship must take place either within a biosphere reserve or at a non-governmental organization that is involved in projects or collaborations with biosphere reserves. Completing this requirement is necessary in order to obtain a master’s degree.

Internship Experience in Germany

Although I hadn’t initially planned on undertaking two internships during my third semester, as I only needed to present one of them, I embarked on my first internship at Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, situated approximately 100km south of Berlin. Throughout the week, I commuted to and from the office three times, and the journey took me around 3 hours each time. Despite possessing a student ID card that served as a transit pass, the transportation situation proved to be quite tiresome for me. There were occasions when the travel duration was further prolonged due to ongoing rail track repairs. As a result, I often felt extremely exhausted after commuting to or from my home.

Considering the fact that my proficiency in the German language was still at a very low level, I encountered difficulties when communicating with the local residents in my study area and sometimes even within the office. This posed a significant challenge for me as I had to rely solely on my supervisor and a few other staff members to obtain reliable information. Fortunately, my supervisor was remarkably helpful and made sure that I didn’t face any difficulties in acquiring the necessary information. During the first week of my introduction, my supervisor and I had an amazing experience kayaking around the Biosphere Reserve. I felt fortunate to have such an open and friendly supervisor.

My internship primarily involved research work, which entailed conducting extensive literature reviews using online resources and the office library. Unfortunately, all the resources were in the German language, which made my research tasks quite tedious and complicated. However, my colleagues at work demonstrated great empathy and did their best to alleviate the situation by translating some of the documents for me. This gesture provided significant relief and made things easier for me

Internship Experience in Canada

After completing my internship at Spreewald, I relocated to Canada for my second internship at Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Institute (MABRRI). Upon arrival, I faced two primary challenges: jet lag and adjusting to the transportation system. As a student coming from Germany, the 9-hour time difference posed a significant struggle, often resulting in me getting only 2 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period. Such difficulties are to be expected when dealing with significant time zone changes. Additionally, having been accustomed to using trains and bikes in Germany, adapting to an area without train services and bike paths proved challenging. For nearly two weeks, I grappled with these adjustments, but fortunately, I quickly made a friend who kindly offered to drive me whenever I needed to travel longer distances. Although there were buses available in the town I resided in, it took some time to adapt to this alternative mode of transportation.

My supervisor at MABRRI was incredibly friendly and understanding. I must mention that Canadians are exceptionally welcoming and friendly people. Every staff member at MABRRI was eager to support me throughout my internship to the best of their abilities. Additionally, I had the privilege of being registered as a student at Vancouver Island University, which provided me with various advantages. It was truly a fantastic feeling and a unique experience.

As you may already be aware, Canada is predominantly an English-speaking country, although some provinces speak French. This aspect made my internship much easier since I could approach anyone at the university, institute, or even the Biosphere Reserve without concerns about their preferred language of communication. Asking questions, contributing to discussions, and expressing personal opinions about anything, including my research, became effortless.