Internship at an elementary school in Basel

Name: Daniel Frühn
Studies: Integrative curative education / Integrative Heilpädagogik
Home university: Protestant University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt / Evangelische Fachhochschule, Darmstadt

Preparation

As part of my bachelor's degree program in Inclusive Studies, in the fifth semester I was required to spend a semester abroad. The focus of this semester is an internship that I completed at an elementary school in Basel. Optionally, I decided for a connection at the FHNW in Muttenz to get different perspectives from fellow students and lecturers in another country and to be able to deal with new teaching content. The choice fell on Basel and Switzerland, because I was always interested in this country and I found especially interesting how intercultural work works in the "border triangle". I started planning about 9 months before the semester began. The International Offices of both universities helped me and answered all my questions. The appropriate course at the FHNW in Muttenz was found right away. For an internship at a school in Basel, I did a lot of research on my own and wrote some applications. For that, I spent a lot of time on the different school websites.

Arrival

My arrival was very uncomplicated and easy, since the internship already started a month before the semester began. I was received by roommates of the dormitory who explained to me where to find all things in Basel. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, there were almost no events, so I arranged to meet more with individuals of the house. Nevertheless, I was well integrated into the dormitory.

Accommodation & food

My accommodation was the Borromäum student residence in Basel. This accommodation was the best solution for my stay in Switzerland. Compared to the rent in Basel City, my room at Borromäum was affordable and sufficiently spacious. The highlight here was living with roommates from all over the world. Many international friendships were formed and there was a very close cultural exchange. In the kitchen I was mostly on my own or I cooked with roommates. Since I didn't attend any classes, I didn't take advantage of the FHNW's cafeteria in Muttenz. The location of the dormitory is very central in Basel-Stadt, so you can reach all places by bike very quickly.

The university

The FHNW in Muttenz gave me a very warm welcome. Mr. Cslovjecsek received a fellow student and me at the campus in Muttenz on a welcome day and gave us a tour of the entire campus. All the important questions were sorted out over lunch and an afternoon coffee. Unfortunately, this was my only analog visit to the campus, as I could not enjoy any face-to-face teaching. Nevertheless, the event, which I could attend virtually, was very interesting and I was able to find some parallels to my university in Darmstadt. Ms. Hersberger's event was very well organized and designed. I felt integrated. My exchange with my fellow students at the FHNW was exclusively digital. Nevertheless, there were always lively discussions about all topics, and you could take different perspectives.

Country & people

I was very positively surprised by the encounters in Basel and Switzerland. My work colleagues and roommates were always very nice and open-minded. I was also able to make friends outside of my work and study time, with whom I was able to experience many wonderful moments together. Of course, these were also limited by the pandemic. However, within the scope of possibilities, it was still possible to exchange a lot and to break down prejudices.

Personal conclusion

I give my stay a 9 on a scale of 1-10. I would do everything the same in the current situation. If I had the choice, I would of course go abroad after the pandemic situation. My tip for other students is to always keep an open mind and embrace new situations, even if it can sometimes seem very difficult at first. As a teacher in Basel, I have taken with me that it is very important to be able to work in an interdisciplinary team in which open exchange is possible. Feedback from other perspectives is one of the most important factors for one's development.