On a wonderful sunny spring day in 2007, I set foot in the Boddenperle Greifswald for the first time. Leaving the then still rather dreary train station behind me, I went to the student advisory service in the already much nicer-looking old town. In my ignorance about what to do next, I wanted to get some advice.
My interests lay in the natural sciences and so I had lots of questions about the geology, geography and environmental sciences courses. After an enormous flood of information, the advisor said goodbye to me with the kind words: “Go down to the harbor, enjoy the city and let the sun shine on your stomach!” - That's exactly what I did and I was satisfied and, above all, determined about what and where I should go next!

Subsequently, I always tried to make it very clear to friends and family that I was now studying GEOLOGY. However, I heard almost every time: “You're studying theology / biology?” As if these courses were much more plausible! My parents were also a bit skeptical at first, but fortunately they let me do it. I started studying and after just five weeks I knew for sure that it was by far the best decision I had ever made in my life! From then on, I was always proud to say that I was a geologist.

The course itself was then very varied. The Bachelor's degree course had a fixed timetable, which was packed with basic geology lectures, practicals and general studies such as mathematics, chemistry, zoology and physics. However, special highlights awaited my fellow students and me mostly during the semester break. There were a variety of excursions, some of which were voluntary but some were also compulsory. We completed mapping exercises together on Usedom and in the Harz Mountains, traveled through the geological history of Thuringia and Bornholm and enjoyed the Corsican sun on the geologically valuable serpentinite beach. I also remember very clearly how we saw the list of participants for another excursion to Oman and immediately signed up. We then googled together where “this Oman” actually was (we weren't geographers). Very surprised, but above all happy and incredibly impressed, we finally took part in the excursion. We had a similar experience on the excursion through the northwest of the USA. One thing is for sure, outdoor learning is definitely the best way to learn and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the very travel-loving lecturers at the University of Greifwald!

In my opinion, the excursions not only contributed to the transfer of knowledge but also to social education in particular. Sometimes you had to come to terms with more or less strangers for three weeks and say goodbye to your beloved private comfort zone. But it was precisely these experiences and the skills acquired in this way that made the course all the more valuable.

Overall, I always found it very impressive that such a small institute was able to offer so many excursions. But it was precisely this small institute that gave the entire course an extremely private and informal feel. It was therefore very easy to come into contact with higher semesters and learn a lot from them as well. The geologists' cellar in the basement of the institute also played a big part in this, for which I am very grateful.
The love and connection to the city, the people and the institute prompted a large part of my semester, as well as myself, to stay and complete my Master's degree here. Now there were more opportunities to choose and specialize. I myself preferred to work with very old rocks and so in my Master's thesis I dealt with the history of the formation of the Danish island of Bornholm and focused on the petrology and geochemistry of the vein rocks there.

If I could decide to study again, it would definitely be geology and I would like to study in Greifswald. However, I would perhaps study it a little differently, a little closer to reality. I would try to do more internships or write certain papers in cooperation with companies in order to have better conditions when starting my career.
But I would do it again! Where others go on vacation - in beautiful Greifwald!
Mente et Malleo (with mind and hammer)