Hey guys,

I’m just finishing up my last few participants in Braunschweig, and reflecting a bit on my time here. Adapting to life in Germany has been very difficult, but I have also found it to be one of the most important experiences of my life. I’ve learned many things while abroad, such as how to survive speaking a foreign language, how to adapt to adversity, and most importantly, how to run an experiment on my own.

Getting participants has definitely been the hardest part of my Braunschweig experience. Students here do not seem very willing to participate in experiments. I managed to get (hopefully) 24 participants in total, which is less than my initial goal. I will definitely be able to do a write-up about my findings with 24 people, but were I to come to Braunschweig again, I would definitely prioritize recruitment above all else (not that I didn’t treat it as an important priority during this trip, of course).

The past few weekends were pretty enjoyable overall. I visited Leipzig, and saw the zoo there on a recommendation from my PIRE advisor. I visited Paris, France, and saw all the normal tourist attractions there. This past weekend I stayed at home in Braunschweig, and walked around my home city a bit more; as I’m moving out this weekend, I wanted to get a final glimpse of the city that has served as my home base for the past 2 months.

Coming back to America will definitely be an unusual experience, but it’s something I’m looking forward to. I feel like I’ve grown from my experiences abroad, and I can’t wait to see my friends on the other side of the world again. I hope all of your PIRE experiences have been as equally exciting as mine.

-Shane