Updated: 26.04.2022, 08:00
Bochum. Pasquale Hinrichs from the USA observes everyday life in Bochum with amazement. For example, dealing with Corona and the German “bargain study.”
Pasquale Hinrichs comes from Greensboro in the USA and has been living in Bochum for eight months. The 19-year-old is spending a year after school with relatives in Germany. She was born in Germany, grew up in the USA and was raised bilingually. She is currently doing an internship at the WAZ editorial office in Bochum. Much of what native Bochumers accept motionlessly in their everyday lives amazes the young woman. Her view of our city:
Traffic: In Bochum, I take the train – in the U.S., I drive a car.
In Bochum, I can get practically anywhere by bus and train. From my new home in Altenbochum, there is a train to the main station every five minutes. In some cases, it’s even easier to take the train or bus than to drive. I walk or ride my bike for shorter distances.
In my American hometown of Greensboro, it’s quite different. The city is designed for driving. There are buses, but they are hardly used. There are plenty of parking spaces on Greensboro’s major streets. But every now and again there is no sidewalk. Bike lanes? No such thing! In Bochum, I travel more environmentally friendly and cheaper, but in Greensboro, I get to my destination faster.
Corona pandemic: strict rules in Bochum – “freedom” in the USA
I also observed great differences in the way the Corona pandemic was handled. The mask requirement – I experienced that in America, too. But apart from that? In Greensboro, employers, restaurants or clubs are not allowed to ask for proof of vaccination or testing. That would be considered an invasion of privacy and freedom.
In Bochum, on the other hand, when I went to eat at a restaurant for the first time a few months ago, I had to show my American proof of vaccination. At the time, I only had a handwritten card that was given to me when I was vaccinated in the US. The employees gave me a questioning look. Until I got the digital proof, I had to explain myself every time.
Trash- In Greensboro, you get a plastic bag with every purchase – In Bochum, A tote bag
When I go shopping in the US, I get a plastic bag for every few products. The shopping cart is full of plastic. In Germany, on the other hand, you’re expected to have your own cloth bag. The first few times I went shopping, I had to look afterward to see how I was going to get my groceries home.
The fact that more garbage is produced in the U.S. can also be seen in the garbage cans. They are much bigger in Greensboro. And the garbage is not separated either. We have two garbage cans – residual waste and “recycling” – but many people doubt that the garbage isn’t thrown together in the end. There are no deposit bottles in Greensboro. The first few days I had to keep asking which garbage can I should put my trash in.
Studying: In the USA I pay around 4,000 dollars per semester – in Bochum 300 euros
While semester fees in Germany are 300 euros, in America I have to pay between 10,000 and 20,000 dollars for state universities, and around 35,000 for private universities. If students can’t afford that, government loans are available to them. As a result, many people have to work off their debts from their studies for the rest of their lives.
After my year in Germany, I will also study. I would like to study journalism at a university in North Carolina. I have the privilege that my parents can pay for my studies. For others, financing is much more difficult.
I notice that Bochum students feel more connected to their city than to the university. Instead of parties on campus, RUB students tend to spend their free time at the Bermuda Triangle, in clubs or in student dormitories. In the USA it is quite different. Those who study move to the university campus and spend almost all their time there.