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June 07, 2022

"So, how do you handle the finances?" - funding a semester abroad without a scholarship

Our working student Anna is currently pursuing her semester abroad in Brazil. As a correspondent, she reports for the campaign "Study Abroad" by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Despite being 10,000 kilometres away, she is still part of the Marketing and Communications team at meteocontrol and is thus able to finance her dream abroad. On her blog, she reports on why she didn't give up her job at mc and what it's like to work remotely with the time difference:

Enjoying remote work in the sun

You don't have to be rich to do a semester abroad without a scholarship or grant *mic-drop*. The bio of my blog says "self-financed" and in this blog post you will now learn how I managed to do that.

 

As I already reported in my first blog article, I found out just this year’s January that my semester abroad could actually take place. Almost two months before my planned departure, all deadlines for scholarship applications had already expired. Of course, I had already thought about how I could finance my stay without financial support. Although I had invested many hours in research, the answer was in front of my eyes the whole time.

The thing about money

As I place great value on financial independence and I’m not receiving the student grant, I have been working in different jobs since the start of my studies in order to be able to make a living. In the meantime, it's been almost a year since I made the leap from catering and retail jobs to a position as a working student in the field of marketing.

Instead of making coffee, I'm also involved in planning and executing events!

What was initially a leap into the unknown turned out to be one of the best decisions. As excited as I was to start my semester abroad, I had an uneasy feeling. I didn't want to lose my team, the "learning by doing" and the chance to participate in the day-to-day business as a full team member.

I'm taking my job with me to Brazil

I had a queasy feeling about talking to my team leader and HR about it, but in retrospect my worries proved to be completely unjustified. Then, at the beginning of the year, I asked: "I found out that my semester abroad in Brazil starting in April can take place after all. Nevertheless, I would like to continue working for you. Can I continue to be part of the team remotely from Brazil?". The answer was: "Awesome, a great opportunity! We’d be very happy if you continued to support us." It can be that simple!

Easier said than done

Admittedly, I'm not a morning person (those who know me can confirm that). That’s why the weekly team meeting on Mondays at 6:00am Brazilian time is quite a challenge! It's also been an adjustment to only work in sync with my teammates two days a week. From Wednesday to Friday, I already have university classes at 8:20 a.m. and therefore only work in the afternoon, when it's already night-time in Germany. Together with the preparation and follow-up of the courses and a bit of free time, my schedule is well filled during the week.

Clichés and new rituals

I definitely don't fulfill the stereotype of exchange students with seemingly endless free time and a different party every night. Even if I had the time, it's not what I would want. Always being one of the first ones awake in the house also comes with nice perks! It has already become a ritual that I greet the sleepy cat Tarzan after getting up or the first coffee and serve him his breakfast while meowing loudly.

Tarzan, our flat’s cat, is definitely one of the more talkative of his kind (*meow*).

Interim conclusion: being a working student abroad

With one leg still in Germany due to work, with the other as an exchange student in Brazil - that means compromises from both sides. I am grateful that my team is accommodating and supporting me despite the physical distance – that can’t be taken for granted.

Even though scholarships or other funding opportunities are a huge support especially in more expensive countries or for big expenses like flights: rejections for financial support don't automatically mean the end of your dream abroad.

In the beginning, my new routines here took some getting used to, but in the meantime, I have found my rhythm. I consider myself lucky being able to continue both my hands-on job and experience my semester abroad!

Best greetings,

Anna

 

PS: one can work even better with a fluffy co-worker;)

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