The Profile of a Graduate: Simson Loving the German Experience

Recent Chatham high school graduate Walter Simson IV, who is also known as Chip, began studying German in middle school and loved it so much he studied abroad his junior year at a German high school.  Enamored with German culture, Simson has decided to forego American college all together and instead attend college in Germany as a full-time student.

"It grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined," Simson's mom, Valerie, told Patch.

Patch interviewed Simson, who is already in Germany starting an internship before officially beginning classes, via email about his plans for the future and his love of Germany, the autobahn, and his middle school German teacher. 

How was graduation?

Graduation was a lot of fun and very wet.

Your mom said you've taken German since middle school. Why German? 

We had the choice between German, Spanish and French ... I tell most people that I chose German because I liked it more than Spanish and didn't want to take French, because my dad speaks French. I wanted to do something independent at the time. But in all honesty, the German teacher was the best looking in middle school and that might also have influenced my decision.

When/how did you get interested in traveling to Germany?

After I moved to Chatham from Wisconsin I started looking for an experience that would set me apart from the crowd. I found the CBYX [Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange] scholarship to Germany that the state department offers, applied, and after many nerve-racking months, received the scholarship.

Why did you decide to go to college there? 

I just really enjoyed being in Europe and thought: "What better time than my college years to live there?"

Was it a hard decision to make?

Yes, I am still torn about the decision. Being away from home is hard, but I am having a good time and feel confident that it was the right decision to make.

How did your parents react when you told them? 

My parents were reluctant to let me go but became supportive once they saw how hard I was working on the application process.  

How do German classes differ from U.S. ones? 

In German high school, classes stay together all day, just like in grade school, but instead of just having one teacher, the teachers switch classes and go to the students. I liked that trait because it allowed me to make friends much faster than in America.

How about partying? How's that different than in the U.S.?

Partying here is more fun that at home ... but that was not at all a deciding factor. It is more of their German way of life and not such a big deal in my opinion.

Do you miss speaking English?

Sometimes. But the language is just a way for me to express my thoughts ... as long as my thoughts come across correctly, the language with which I convey them is irrelevant to me.

What about German culture do you like?

Toughest question in the world and I get it so often you would think I would have an answer for you. This may sound dumb, but I think I have been here for so long that the way I live my life has become a mixture of both. Things that might be normal for me could be considered strange by others. For example, I try to clean up after myself. I know that is the "German thing to do," but at the same time, there are people in America who clean more than some Germans I know. I find it extremely hard to speak in absolutes when comparing countries.

Wow ... that was a tangent.

To answer your question, my favorite "German culture" is the autobahn. I love cars and don't understand why our highways have speed limits. The beer isn't bad, either.

Describe one time in Germany when the differences between German culture and American culture really hit home.

Germans are not as prude as Americans in general. Sex is not as big of a deal and is not censored on TV as much as at home. That was embarrassing for me at first, but I have adjusted.

Describe one time when you thought, hey, we're all part of this human race together. We're not that different, after all!

I would say the best example of a time like that is now. I came back [to Germany] and settled right back in with my old friends, just like when I was at home. I feel at home in both places.  

Anything you don't like about German culture?

Nothing comes to mind.

How do people react to you as an American? Can they even tell?

At first people could hear my accent and would sometimes treat me differently. That annoyed me so I really worked on getting rid of my accent. Now I have even picked up a little Bayerish dialect [a dialect indigenous to Bavaria] and my German has improved immensely. I find myself correcting my friends' German sometimes. When people find out I am an American now, it is not because of my accent, (but) rather because someone has told them. Most are amazed. I was at a party the other night where one guy I met thought that my friends and I were making fun of him and didn't believe me until I showed him my driver's license.

How has Chatham High School prepared you for this experience?

How can anything prepare you for this kind of experience? I think it's something you just have to do. German language class was helpful, though.

How have your parents prepared you for the experience? Any pearls of wisdom they shared before you left?

None that can be printed in the paper. (Smirks.) But I think that their open mindset and international lifestyle had a big influence on me, even if I didn't notice it as I was growing up. It wasn't obvious. I thought I was going to grow up to be a professional hockey player.

What are you doing in Germany right now? You're not taking classes yet, right?

I haven't started with German college yet. I am currently working as an intern at a company called Schmidt Seeger in Beilngries.

How has living in Germany influenced you? 

Like I said, my experiences in Germany have just influenced how I live my life. And for some reason, I seem to be more reflective about my experiences when I am abroad.

Major? Career aspirations?

Looking into a double major in either mechanical engineering and electrical engineering or mechanical engineering and business. I want to work for a German car company. I love cars and mechanics ... (it) just seemed like a good fit.

Finally, what do you hope to get out of your college experience? 

A job. Knowledge and fun would be nice too.