Ethan Worch, a native of Ocean Springs, said he found Berlin to be quite a change of pace from his hometown. 
Worch is an electrical engineering major with minors in computer science and German. By studying abroad in Berlin, he earned his last credits for his German minor.
Worch traveled to Germany through the Mississippi State University Foreign Language Department’s six-week program.
Alongside a group of fellow MSU students, Worch attended classes at a local language-learning center for non-native speakers over the span of a month and a half.
Every morning, the group worked with a single teacher and a class of approximately 10 other students learning German. 
Worch’s fellow students hailed from all around the world, including places like Japan, Columbia, Italy, Thailand, the Czech Republic, China and the Netherlands.
Each class was conducted entirely in German, leaving students on a level playing field, despite their immensely different cultures.
When they were not in class, Worch and his fellow study abroad students participated in many excursions across the country. These trips took them from museums in Berlin to places much farther from their new second home, such as Erfurt, Weimar and Dresden.
During his stay in Germany, Worch and another MSU student lived with a host family. This allowed Worch to learn and use even more German.
On most days, the two students were provided breakfast and dinner by their hosts, so they experienced traditional German food.
One of Worch’s favorite moments from his study abroad experience was discovering an old accordion in a street market in Berlin.
Worch said he is glad he studied abroad, not only because he gained the necessary credits for his minor in German, but also because it allowed him to experience another culture he learned to love.
“I look forward to the opportunity to return to Germany,” Worch said. “I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who is considering it.”