Intern Abroad

• PhD Candidate in Business Economics
• USA, South Carolina
• University of South Carolina Upstate
• 09/2024 – 11/2024

Preparation

I had been a PhD student at RWTH Aachen for a few years and working abroad had always been something I’d like to do. As part of my research, last year I had the opportunity to start collaborating with a professor from the University of South Carolina Upstate. When I asked for the possibility to visit the US and work together from there, she was on board immediately. So, the planning began…

Planning a trip to the United States is definitely an administrative task, and I quickly realized that I had to take it step by step. After settling on a rough timeframe with my PhD supervisor and my hosting professor, I contacted the travel department of the university and booked my flights to and from the US. Talking to colleagues who had already been abroad and looking up to-do lists online was very helpful to figure out what steps to take, e.g. requesting a letter of confirmation from the host university or getting an international license. I started the organization process half a year before my stay, which was a convenient timeframe to organize everything.

Main building of the University of South Carolina Upstate. (©Maren Paegert)

Accommodation & Living Expenses:

Living expenses in the US are higher than in Germany, especially food prices. Eating out will cost around $ 20-30 for one meal. Grocery prices can be two to three times as expensive as in Germany, even for things like bread, a package of cheese, or some chocolate. This is just something to know and budget for. For my stay, I applied for and got granted the RWTH Aachen Research Ambassador Scholarship, which helped in covering some of those expenses.

As for my accommodation, I ended up booking an apartment in a complex which was specialized in short-term leases for extended business stays. I would recommend to book directly over the apartment’s website, since I experienced a cancellation several days after booking over a third-party platform. Other good options for a stay in the US are Apps such as Airbnb. In my case, there was no student housing available, but that would be another option in general.

College of Business and Economics. (©Maren Paegert)

Everyday Life and Research Stay

I had my own office at the guest university and was able to experience everyday working life in the United States. Overall, working as Academic staff in the US is quite similar to Germany in many ways, with some cultural differences.

Also, I stayed in one of the Southern States of the US, and Southern hospitality is something I definitely experienced! Everyone was very friendly, open and attentive, which I enjoyed a lot. The professor I worked with was a great host, and I quickly met some amazing colleagues. The area offered a lot of places to explore, and I enjoyed walks in the park, going out for meals, shopping, the cinema, going to the gym, and running. One of my favorite experiences is that I was able to give my own lecture at the university and get into contact with many very curious students.

Another highlight was the last week of my stay, when we attended a conference in Virginia and I presented our research there. Overall, meeting an international community and collaborating was a very rewarding experience.

Conclusion

I can highly recommend to work or study abroad for a while. If that has been on your bucket list for some time, like in my case, be proactive and just do it!