Ratul Rauniar: “Berlin has been a breath of fresh air”

Ratul Rauniar Pradhan  is one of our students from Open Campus Spring 2024 studying in Berlin. He is originally from Nepal, Kathmandu currently a junior in Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania, where He is double majoring in Computer Science, Business Analytics and minoring in Music. During his student life, Ratul has been able to live abroad in different countries, such as India and USA. Here he tell us more about his experiences in Berlin so far!

-Could you tell me more about your experience in Berlin?

Berlin has been a breath of fresh air. I studied in a British boarding school in India for 16 years in Darjeeling, after which I came to Kathmandu for three years and then directly left for College in the US. I’ve found familiarity with the smallest things, like going back to Celsius, Kilometres/grams, 24 hour clocks, cyclists, which weirdly makes me feel more at home here. It’s been overwhelming at times not speaking the language but the more I make an active effort to immerse myself in the city, and the more I make a conscious choice learn the language, the easier it gets.

- Could you mention some of the best moments/experiences?

It’s only been a month but I feel like there’s so much I’ve had a chance to experience. The fluid culture here touches every part of the city, and I’ve been making an active effort to leave the comfort of the “CIEE Bubble” as much as I can. 

The one thing I realized very quickly is whatever your creative hobbies/passions may be, all you need to do it put yourself out there and you will find a way to practice it. Sofar Sounds, for instance is a DIY music community all over the world based on small house shows. I was part of this community in Kathmandu and found out that Berlin has a Sofar community. I quickly signed up for concerts and am excited to see where this goes. Similarly, I found a ton of open mics, and other creatives outlets that I am trying every week!

Ratul Rauniar Pradhan  is one of our students from Open Campus Spring 2024 studying in Berlin. He is originally from from Nepal, Kathmandu currently a junior in Gettysburg College,  Pennsylvania, where He is double majoring in Computer Science, Business Analytics and minoring in Music. During his student life, Ratul has been able to live abroad in different countries, such as India and USA. Here he tell us more about his experiences in Berlin so far!

- You are also an "international student" in the US. How would you compare or maybe mention some similarities from that context and this being studying in Berlin? 

It’s a lot of stepping out of your comfort zone and being open to the fact that people are going to be different and acknowledging you’re the minority here. Personally, that doesn’t mean that I feel uneasy or awkward or feel less like myself. 

It just means that I make more of an active effort to understand the culture and people wherever I am and see where I feel the most comfortable in this new environment. It’s cultural relativism, it’s not judging a place or the people by my own standards of what I consider weird, strange or different but embracing them as their own separate entities oblivious to my standards. That’s what has helped me find my place wherever I go and genuinely is a value I live by.

-What would you tell a student that is thinking on studying abroad, some advice?

I’m double majoring, minoring and still have been able to make ample time to study abroad. It usually just takes a lot of planning, and my biggest advice would be to start planning as soon as possible. It can be a shock, physically due to the change in diet, weather, night outs and just mental burn out. Finding alone time to recharge is a must. Finally, I highly recommend taking a language course if you can fit it, I feel like I can understand words and small phrases just walking around every day with less than a month of learning the language.

-How does the experience of study abroad allow you to value parts of your home culture or life back home? In your case, how has this been and what elements do you value the most?

It’s finding these small things that remind me of home that make me value home so much more. Moreover, I feel when I am abroad or travelling, I have a constant guard simply because I am in a new place, I don’t recognize which definitely can get draining sometimes. It also makes me value my culture and the feeling of familiarity. At this point in my life, I find the US home as much as I do Nepal, so I do miss many of the small norms at times, whether it be the weather, the politeness, extroverted friendliness or the familiar language.