Linh from Vietnam on his nursing training in Germany.
What does your weekly schedule look like?
The vocational training for qualifying as a registered nurse consists of a theory-based part at college and a practical part at a hospital. A key benefit to this is that you can apply the things you learned at college in practice right away, which also makes it much easier to memorize everything you’ve learned. A lot of people also find alternating between theory and practice helpful because it allows them to learn new things more quickly and easily – and keeps things fresh and fun!
What do you do in your spare time?
When I first arrived in Germany and Rostock about a year ago, I wanted to discover everything. That’s normal – after all, you’re in a foreign country, where everything feels new and exciting. Back then, I often used to explore the local area after college or work by bicycle. There aren’t so many new things for me to discover now though, so these days my Vietnamese classmates and I often go out after work or college for a stroll on the beach. A lot of festivals also take place here, such as Christmas and Easter.
How do you find Germany, the Germans and life here after 2 years?
I think it’s great that so many Germans are nice and helpful. They treat the foreigners here, including us, very kindly. They take the time to explain everything to us until we understand it. We are, of course, very grateful for their help and very much appreciate it.
What are your plans after you have completed your vocational training?
Right now, I'm in my 3rd year of training, which means my final exams are coming up. I’m planning to stay here for another year or two after finishing my vocational training to gain more work experience. I’m really thankful for the GIZ project and all the staff there. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll have my permanent residence permit after five years and would like to continue working as a registered nurse. After that, I think I’ll see how I feel when I’m 35 or thereabouts...