My semester abroad at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in the United States was a
valuable and memorable experience. I stayed at Penn State for six months, from June to No-
vember 2022, to write my master’s thesis, the final part of my aerospace engineering studies at
the University of Stuttgart. The PSU is a public research university in State College, Pennsyl-
vania, USA. It was founded in 1855 and is the largest university in the state. The university has
24 campuses and offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is also
known for its strong engineering, business, and communications programs.
The most important preparation for my stay was getting all the documents for the J-1 visa,
booking a flight, and finding housing. The latter was particularly challenging, as most rental
contracts are for the entire academic year from August to July. As I was arriving in June, finding
housing for my stay took a lot of work. I had a sublet room for the first two months and then
moved to another house for the rest of my visit from August to November. The preparation also
included research on the university, my research group, and the American culture.
At Penn State, I was at the main campus in State College, which is home to over 45,000 students
and offers a wide range of activities and organizations for students to get involved. Addition-
ally, the university has a strong sports tradition, particularly in football. For my thesis, I was a
visiting student at the Air Vehicle Intelligence Lab (AVIA) of Professor Laangelan. The lab has
a mix of Ph.D. and master’s students, and its research mainly focuses on autonomy for un-
manned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The contact to Prof. Langelaan was provided by one of my
professors at the University of Stuttgart, who works on similar research topics. The research
area of my thesis was “Data-driven power minimization for coaxial multirotor aircraft”. My
supervisor and colleagues were very helpful throughout the entire time there. My research with
a UAV had a strong experimental focus and was different from my previous work, in which I
was mainly working with simulations. I did a lot of flight testing with my colleagues in the
field, which was a unique and exciting experience.
The structure of the aerospace engineering faculty at Penn State University is quite similar to
the University of Stuttgart, as its research groups work on similar topics. The main differences
are that the faculty has fewer students and, generally, smaller classes. Unfortunately, I could
not attend a class, as I was working full-time on my research project. Nevertheless, I realized
that the graduate students were working more practically and project-focused than those in
Stuttgart, who got a more theory-based education. The university felt more like a school, as the students worked in smaller classes and had a more personal connection to their professors. This
setting was very different from what I was used to.
The university itself was also different from the University of Stuttgart. The campus is very
beautiful and has many old but renovated brick buildings. Penn State also has a broader range
of degree programs, which do not only focus on engineering, and there are many international
students. I had the opportunity to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds,
and it was easy to get in contact with international, non-engineering students. For example, I
met a musical student who invited me to a performance of the musical Cabaret, which was
performed by a musical class at the university. Cabaret is a musical set in the early 1930s in
Berlin, Germany, during the rise of the Nazi Party, and explores themes of love, loss, and the
dangers of political extremism. The performance took place in the university’s theater and was
a fantastic experience. I was able to enjoy the music, the acting, and the costumes of the musical.
Still, due to the serious topic, which was addressing the history of my home country, it was also
a thrilling experience. Another memorable experience was attending a college football of Penn
State’s Nittany Lions team with more than 100.000 spectators. Together with some friends, I
was in the student section, and the atmosphere was terrific. Visiting the musical and the football
game were two of the most exciting moments during my time at Penn State’s campus.
In July, I traveled to New York for five days with my girlfriend, who visited me for two weeks.
Although it was very hot there during the summer, with a temperature close to 40 degrees Cel-
sius, we had a great time. We visited several prominent attractions like the Metropolitan Mu-
seum, the 9/11 memorial, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the observation deck on top of the Rocke-
feller Center.
One of the biggest challenges I faced during my semester abroad was not having access to a car
which made it difficult for me to get around. The bus service in State College mainly focuses
on connecting residential areas with the campus downtown, but there are no connections be-
tween different residential areas or to neighboring cities. Thus, I was always happy if someone
had a car to get around. Additionally, it was hard to meet people initially, as I arrived during
the summer when very few students were there. Fortunately, my roommates stayed for the sum-
mer and were very nice. However, I recommend other students begin their stay at Penn State
either in August or January when the fall and spring terms start, as there are more students on
the campus, and the housing search is much easier. Getting a car might also make sense if one
stays for a full academic year.
Overall, my semester abroad was a valuable experience that allowed me to conduct research in
an exciting field I am passionate about while also allowing me to live and study in a new envi-
ronment. I enjoyed being in a different country and finding my way in daily life there. I recom-
mend this experience to anyone interested in studying abroad.
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