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Erasmus + traineeship – field report

My name is ____and I studied at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich Geomaterials

and Geochemistry. Toward the end of my master's degree, I went to my supervisor of the

master's thesis and talked to her about a practice-oriented further education. I inquired

about prospects to make an internship abroad and in the best case directly through the

LMU and found the Erasmus + program. I informed myself online about the office hours of

the career service office and was personally advised there.

I was looking for the possibility to find an internship of my study orientation in the English-

speaking area within Europe. The literature research of my master thesis revealed that the

University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom is one of the leading research institutions in

the field of materials science worldwide. My supervisor offered me to ask her former

college, who is now an affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge. She asked, if they

would need a trainee during the summer and so I got the vacancy there. I expected a very

professional environment in an international science group with the ability to improve my

experience of laboratory work and material analyzes. Besides, I would have the opportunity

to participate different projects and thus to gain another field of view of my study areas. In

addition to deepening the well-known analytical methods, such as SEM imaging, I have now

got the chance to learn new investigation methods, such as thermogravimetric analysis

(TGA) and morphological bio-material characterization techniques. The scientific work in this

research environment was exclusively in English and I gained an overview of the different

research departments within the university complex. My high expectations were not only

fulfilled, but even far exceeded. I was very positively surprised that after an introduction to

the respective projects I was able to carry out all experiments, as well as preparation steps

myself. Dr. Harper and her PhD students, Emma and Luca have given me a lot of trust and

enabled an effective and concentrated work flow through clear tasks and constant feedback.

The labour was very diverse and I was able to develop project areas independently from

start to finish. I was trained to operate with the equipment for the material analyzes and

learned the handling of the thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy by

myself.

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The stay abroad in the UK was not my first, so I was familiar with the habits and social forms

of daily interaction. The research work, on the other hand, required a certain degree of

preparation, so I spent some time preparing and discussing the subject areas. I read a few

scientific papers about the different research topics and got familiar with an image editing

software, I would use for analysis purposes. Before the internship started, I had a frequent

correspondence with Dr. Harper, so I could adjust my duties there. Some of the tasks were

already known to me through my experiments during my master program and it only took a

short repetition of the required techniques. In addition, I have intensified myself with the

English language, in order to improve through books and movies my linguistic usage.

My tasks at the internship were to assist within three different research projects:

I. Morphometric studies and shell characterization of Notosaria nigricans

over a century of changing sea water conditions (ocean acidification)

II. SEM imaging of the bivalve shell microstructure of Notosaria nigricans

III. Studying dissolution patterns of Mytilus edulis and comparing samples

over a century of changing sea water conditions with TGA measurements.

Each individual scientific project involved sample preparation, experimental execution, as

well as subsequent analysis, evaluation and discussion of the results.

I could implement practical experience of operating a scanning electron microscope and

basic laboratory procedures, which I learned during my master program. Furthermore I

applied my know-how of scientific work and data analysis to edit the tasks. The definite 30

working hours per week were ideal to accomplish the targeted goals. The work with my

team was flexible and was adjusted to the particular duties during the week. I have learned

new investigation methods, as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), aspects of morphological

characterization and working in a different scientific environment. The additional material

examination techniques improve my understanding of bio-materials and will enrich aspects

of my scientific career.

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I definitely enjoyed the internship at the University of Cambridge and also the cooperation

with my supervisor, Dr Harper and her students Emma and Luca. They were always very

supportive and helpful, and also showed me besides the work life, the social facets of the

city. Cambridge is a very traditional and proud university city, so you get in touch with a lot

of different rituals depending on the time of the academic year. In my case the summer

semester was nearly over, so graduation balls and several ceremonies took place all over and

enchanted the whole city.

There were no problems or other issues during the internship, since there was a constant

consultation with the supervisor and the PhD students. I communicated with my supervisor,

Emma and Luca frequently about the organization of experiments and the weekly schedules

of my tasks. We texted via Email or also with WhatsApp, if there were some rapid time

changes. After the summer semester, basically in the beginning of July most of the student

left the University of Cambridge to stay at their original homes for the holidays, so it was not

that easy to meet local people or students from the UK anymore. I spend a lot of time with

my roommates though, which was also very international with two American and two girls

from Hong Kong. Furthermore I have met a few other PhD students at work in the inter-

national office or at lunch in the University Department, mainly other interns from India or

the States. The most common meeting points in Cambridge are the lovely parks along the

small river, watching the punting and enjoying warm summer evenings. On the weekends

you can see a lot of people having a picnic on the grass or doing a cross-country bike trip.

Cambridge is a bike town, so my advice, get a cheap bike and explore the surroundings!

One of the most important factors for each trainee is the accommodation in the foreign city,

how to find it and where… The Cambridge University website helps a lot! Since I stayed just

for two months at Cambridge, I couldn’t apply for a hall of residence, because it is restricted

to full time students or long term internships. The website leads you to a second option, so

you see private renting. It shows a list of different private offers, which are spread all over

the city. You can compare the different accommodations, read reviews and make your own

choice. I stayed with four other students / researchers in a house in Arbury in the north of

Cambridge. We all had our own rooms (furnished, nothing special) and shared a bathroom,

toilet, kitchen and living room. Since Cambridge is such a well-established university you

have to expect comparably high rents in the surroundings; therefore look around early!

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Arbury is well connected to the city center, as well as to the research departments in West

Cambridge by several bus lines with an interval of 10 to 15min. The other two options were

to walk 30min or get a bike, which just takes roughly 15min. I would definitely recommend a

bike, since Cambridge is a very bike friendly town and it is the best way to get around.

The shopping facilities in Cambridge are limited, so I made enquiries where the big grocery

stores (ALDI and Tesco) are located. I did not want to take a bus ride just to do my weekly

provisions, so check in advance (google maps helps).

The internship thought me about the everyday life in the UK and I was able to gain a lot of

impressions about the country and its residents. The UK is differs in many respects from

Germany, but is more European than the citizens would ever admit. The speed limits are

given in miles per hour and they drive on the left side, but the daily work from 9 till 5 or the

rest day on Sundays is still noticeable, although the shops are open until 5 o'clock. The

international environment in Cambridge, however, distorts the impressions strongly, so that

this is not considered an example for the whole of the UK. In the summer an abundance of

tourists from all over the world visit the small town every day and ensures a lively activity.

Cambridge is very cosmopolitan, friendly and a beautiful little university town, which is full

of tradition and English flair! Look and see!!

The stay abroad improved my English skills and especially my confidence to speak in a

scientific environment as well as in daily life situations. Being surrounded by native speakers

increased my vocabularies significantly. In addition the different reports and data discussions

enhanced my writing competence and my written structure.

The internship at the University of Cambridge in the UK confirmed my endeavored career as

a scientist and the decision to make a PhD in the near future and work in the scientific field. I

highly recommend every graduate student to gain experience abroad and to expand your

own horizon. The experience of working and studying in a foreign country can change a lot

and will show you, in your personal development, new possibilities and facets of your own

abilities that were otherwise hidden from you. Go abroad!

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In the last part of my field report I will suggest you some leisure time activities in Cambridge

and the surrounding areas:

1. The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge

located near the city center and exhibits a variety of sculptures and paintings.

2. Botanic Garden in Cambridge

located close to the Cambridge station and shows a fascinating flora.

3. Ely, small town in the northeast of Cambridge

possesses an impressive cathedral and many lovely, small cafés; is also

an ideal destination for a bike tour along the Cam river of Cambridge.

4. Newmarket, small town in the east of Cambridge

an idyllic town with a great tradition of horse racing

5. And of course London! “home of the queen”

cosmopolitan city, with all kind of attractions…

Last but not least a few tips on arrival and departure:

The city of Cambridge is located in the north of London and is well connected by bus and

train lines as well as the London Airport ‘Stansted’ (STN). The easiest way to travel from

Germany is getting a flight to Stansted and taking a train to Cambridge station (30min train

ride). If you travel from London you can take trains from Kings Cross or Liverpool Street

(~every hour), which reach Cambridge in around an hour. The cheaper alternative is a bus

from Victoria station in London to Cambridge, which takes around two and a half hours.

I hope my experiences help you with your internship abroad, good luck and all the best!!