Kategorie: ‘Research internship’
My research internship at the University of Cambridge
- Chemistry M.Sc.
- United Kingdom, Cambridge
- University of Cambridge
- 10/2025 – 01/2026
Application/Finding an internship
©International Office
At the beginnings of my master’s studies at RWTH, I heard about invaluable experiences and strong recommendations from several students who had gone abroad for university-related stays. Intrigued by these stories, I wanted to combine academically high-impact research with improving my English language skills. Despite the common stereotype about rainy weather, I selected the UK as my host country. As I always have been impressed by the great history of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, I applied to three research groups at these universities by emailing the respective professors. Thereby, it gave me planning reliability to commence with the application process one year in advance to the intended time of the stay abroad. Gratifyingly, after one Zoom meeting with the professor, I was offered a research internship position at the University of Cambridge and was allowed to communicate my preferred research topics. Following the offer, I was confronted with a huge bureaucratic burden. However, helpful assistance and some flexibility regarding English language certificates from the host university simplified the process to some extent.
Accomodation & Living expenses
As far as I understood, living in colleges is rather not amenable to short-term visiting students. Hence, I had to search for private accomodation, some of which was advertised on a website of the university. This lowered the risk of scams, but rents of far more than 1000€ for the advertised accomodations were not affordable. Ultimately, I found a suitable accomodation, including a room, private bathroom, and a convenient distance to the uni, via the website “SpareRoom”. I lived together with my British landlord, which turned out to be a great opportunity for learning more about the (pub) culture and the language.
At the very beginning of my stay I realized that the primary means of transportation in Cambridge is the bicycle. Fortunately, the wide availability of second-hand bikes saved me from spending a fortune on a new one. In my experience, discount stores such as Aldi or Lidl are the most convenient options for grocery shopping at prices comparable to those in Germany.
Everyday life / the internship
During the week, I worked at the chemistry department, usually from 9:30 until 18:00. Without strictly fixed working hours, I could call it a day at my own discretion. After long days at work, I normally limited my activities to cooking or going to a gym near my accomodation.
I greatly enjoyed my work in the chemistry department due to the diverse combination of laboratory and office tasks, as well as frequent meetings. Contrarily to my experience with previous research projects conducted in germany, I worked quite independently on the project assigned to me. Initially, this felt unaccustomed, but over time I became increasingly comfortable planning and conducting experiments based on my own ideas. Furthermore, I could always consult my supervisor, and the group members were very supportive, especially in the beginning. Another surprising difference compared to germany, was my strong integration into academic discussions during group meetings. Throughout my stay, I presented my ideas and results every two weeks in a subgroup meeting and twice in the weekly group meeting. This helped me improving my english abilities and my academic communication skills in general.
©International Office
The research group consisted of many interesting personalities from different countries, rendering the group highly international. Since several new members joined the group around the same time as I did, we often shared similar questions and challenges. With the great assistance from experienced members, a group dynamic developed, leading to several evenings spent in pubs, visits to the Christmas market, as well as a trip to London. As a result, the atmosphere in both the laboratory and the office was very pleasant, friendly, and, especially, funny.
Free time / tips
Free time was mostly constrained to the weekends, during which I explored the centre of Cambridge and its impressive college buildings together with friends from the working group or visiting friends and family from Germany. In this regard, I strongly recommend booking a punting tour, during which a guide propels a small wooden boat along the River Cam by pushing a long pole against the riverbed while explaining aspects of the colleges’ history. Further adventures I undertook were trips to Oxford and London. The skyscraper scenery combined with historic landmarks such as the Palace of Westminster, the prominent Elizabeth Tower, and the Buckingham Palace, made the trip to London more than worthwhile. As a tip, the view from Sky Garden – London’s highest public garden at a height of 160 meters – is breathtaking, and, even better, access to the skyscraper is free of charge! Also, visiting the Tower Bridge by entering the towers and the former engine room was a highlight.
©International Office
Conclusion
All in all, it was an invaluable experience and great opportunity to foster both my academic and personal development. From an academic view, I worked independently on a research project, presented my ideas and experimental results in several meetings, and improved my english language abilities as aimed for. Personally, I made new friends from all over the world, experienced the beauty of Cambridge and London, and broadened my horizons by getting in touch with diverse cultures. I am very grateful for the support provided by Erasmus, enabling an adventure I will never forget.
