Sebastian Newmann—Hamburg University, Germany

Sebastian Neumann is a senior undergraduate exchange student studying economics at Temple University’s Main Campus for one year, who plans to graduate May 2012. Sebastian joins Temple from his home institution, Hamburg University in Germany, where he also studied economics. This is Sebastian’s first time studying abroad and he is having a very positive experience at Temple.

“Temple is a very diverse place,” Sebastian said. “Interacting with a lot of different people has made me become more open to talk and work with people. First impressions aren’t everything. I’ve learned to give people a second look.”

When Sebastian isn’t interacting with fellow students, he can be found taking advantage of the many resources that Temple offers to students. Sebastian especially benefits from Main Campus’s Tech Center, where he spends a lot of his time studying. In fact, Sebastian is most proud of the excellent grades he’s earned. “Temple practically forces you to frequently learn. You are constantly preparing for classes for quizzes, and papers that you have to write,” Sebastian said. “In Germany you go to class and get your syllabus. There is no mandatory attendance. You usually do one month of intensive learning before the final and in between you are practically free. Temple teaches you to spread your work so you will remember it for a longer time, which is an advantage.”

In addition to the academic structure at Temple, Sebastian benefits from the small class sizes and the connections that his professors offer to their students. Of those connections Sebastian was thrilled to meet with the Pa. Senator Daylin Leach regarding Leach’s proposed legislation.

Sebastian is an avid learner of economics. “Economics gives you a complete picture. Business focuses on a company’s profit whereas economics is oriented on how society benefits from business decisions as a whole.” One of the courses Sebastian is currently enrolled in is International Monetary Economics. Sebastian finds this course very interesting because it’s a topic currently covered in current events. Sebastian commented on some of his achievements at Hamburg University. “The School of Business has a board of three student members,” Sebastian said. “I was one of them and we were able to achieve longer hours of operation for our business library. It was a major thing that benefited all students.”

While at Temple, Sebastian he has had the opportunity to travel to New York City and New Hampshire. Sebastian would like to visit Washington, D.C. and California before he returns to Germany. Upon his return to Germany, Sebastian plans to continue his studies in economics while working toward a master’s degree. Sebastian hopes that his university education will enable him to find an interesting job, where he can achieve measurable goals while earning a decent income.