Second Interview

Jonathon Gerry
Interviewee: Tom Shutz
Date of Interview: November 1st, at 4 p.m., on the 3rd level of the library
Country that it was based off of: Germany

         

Research Paper
            One of today’s country that I researched for my second country interview is Germany. Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe with it’s landscape reaching “357,021 square miles with a population of 81,799,600,” (Wikipedia). Germany is well known throughout Europe as the largest and most successful economy. Germany didn’t get this successful by just doing nothing, they worked hard for it. Germany has excelled over the years to become what it is today. What I’m going to discuss about in this research paper is the building foundation of this country success, education.

            The education system in Germany is phenomenal and is looked up to in Europe as a system strived for excellence and benefits in the future. Germany takes self pride in their education system and emphasizes the importance of getting one. They are a role model of the European world when it comes to education and continue to strive to excel in it. Education in Germany isn’t just a necessity; it is a requirement of the children to attend school. Germany goes the point that if the parents don’t send their children to school, they will get fined. What makes Germany education so unique is it divides in numerous routes for children and their family to choose from.

            One of the branches the school system breaks off into is the State School. State schools are free and is one of the best way’s you can send your children to for ready them for German society. “The first four years of school, called die Grundschule,, mix all students together in basic classes where the next two are divided among four such choices” ( 123 Lord ). What is meant by this is the first two years children in Germany are put together to take the “general education” of a normal German student and the next two are divided into four different branches after that.

            Once the first two years are up in a German child’s education they then sit down and decide between four different routes that they are going to take for their future. One of the routes they can choose from is Hauptschule. Hauptschule is the lowest ranked and prepares a child for jobs in the trades and industry. Another route a child can choose from is Realschule. Realschule is a little bit higher than Haupstchule and provides broader range of education, preparing the students for jobs in business or jobs in public service. The level after that is known as Gymnasium. Gymnasium focuses on their traditional academics and prepares their students for college. The goal of the Gymnasium is give the students the proper tools for industry and commerce.

            As a student is getting closer and closer to the next step in their educated career in Germany, the education system of “Gymnasium prepares the students for seven to nine years for a brutal test, the Abitur” (124 Lord ). So pretty much what’s going on in Germany is they are help preparing the students for this important test in ones career that will help them take the next step in their career.  The Abitur is pretty much the make it or break it for deciding which college or university the student will get into, or what kind of job they will be offered. All these steps and processes that one must take up to college is very complex, but also beneficial. The fact that the classes you are taking pertain more to the area of your study, you will be benefiting yourself as you get farther down the road.

            As you can tell the education system in Germany is very complex and organized a different way than America does. The education system in Germany is like a filter. The first couple of years everyone takes the same thing to get the general foundation of Germany education. Once every one gets the general education done, they then choose different paths that will lead to different future outcomes. Germany system is unique and helps someone focus on the area of their study and what will benefit them in their future. Germany has been on top of things when it comes to their education system. Because of their competitiveness in education, Germany will continue to excel in producing people well fit and ready to continue on the countries legacy of tomorrow.

Work Cited

Lord, Richard. Culture Shock! Germany. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2004. Print.

Wikipedia contributors. "Germany." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 4, November 12.

Preparation

            The preparation compared to lasts interview was a lot smoother and lot more relaxing than last time. The first interview that I did, I was rushed and had no time to prepare myself for what was to come. What I did the first time was I took quick glances at little facts about China and didn’t really go into depth  about it. For this interview I was able to sit down and go into even more thorough research and have a better background of where I was coming from and what I was talking about.

            The first thing I had to do is find somebody for my interview. I was lucky because that I interviewed actually came to my friend and I and first. I have a friend that used to live in Germany for a time period and discussed about his life up there. A person behind us noticed this and was thrilled to hear because he too was from Germany. So the three of us got to talking and found out about each other’s lifestyle and compare and contrasting our two separate worlds. After that conversation I decided to interview the person that approached us, Tom. Tom is a remarkable character and was very thrilled to discuss about his country and where he was from.             The first thing I did of course for preparation for the interview is research the country that I was going to interview, which was Germany. In my research paper I focused more on the education system and how the student life was like, but I did more than that. I sat down and read Germany’s successful road to a well established economic country and the history that made it the country of what it is today.

            Once I did some research I then talked to Tom about scheduling a date and a time for our interview, which was Thursday, November, 1^st, at 4 p.m, on the third level of the library.

            Once the day have arrived I did the same thing I did in my first interview. What I did was I researched some fun interesting facts about Germany to see if it will spark up some topics in the interview. Plans fell through and Tom and I had the interview the time we scheduled it at.

           

Review of the Interview

            Looking back at the interview, it was whole lot smoother than the first interview. The first interviewee I did, Shu, was really nerve wrecking at first because Shu and I have never met each other before the interview. I met Shu through one of the classmates, Tranh. The interview started out really rough and unease between Shu and I because we literally had to “break the ice.”

            The second interview was a lot more successful and comfortable than the first one. The reason for this is because Tom and I have met before hand and we had an idea of each other from the first conversation that we had with one another. As soon as Tom came upstairs we smiled, greeted each other, and hit it off. Before I even started the interviewing Tom and I just had a normal conversation outside the interview and just talked about life. I do regret not recording that section because there was a lot of information that could have been helpful or interesting in the tape. I felt like I didn’t even have to “warm up” Tom because I felt like we have become friends before that. Before I first encountered Tom we have seen each other in the library numerous times, it was just that one moment to greet one another. Once Tom, my friend Vlad, and I talked for the first time, I felt like a relationship between Tom and I just blossomed. The interview didn’t even feel like an interview, but rather a normal conversation.

Interview

For this conversation, John will be represented by the letter, J. Tom will be represented by the letter, A. This is for organizational purposes.

J-Alright, here we go. Alright, now so what brought you all the way out here to St. Cloud State University?

A-    Well this was the only partner University of my university, so there was no choice.

J- There was no choice

A-    There was no choice. There are other universities, but in a partner university you don’t have to pay tuition. So that’s a financial reason. Otherwise you have to pay tuition and then it is more expensive.

J- Ok then, so like, this like, do a lot of people our age get like, the opportunity to go to college? Or do very few people like, go to college after they’re done with high school?

A-    Umm. You mean for an exchange semester?

J- Umm. Just for anybody.

A-    Ok. Umm. In Germany, many people are going to a university, because its for free and the education. Its mostly for free, only some states are different, and there you have to pay. But its very easy to study, and there are different educational ways to study. So, umm yeah.

J-So college is free up in Germany?

A-    Its only, there are I think only three or four states where you have to pay, but also only eight hundred bucks a semester.

J-What!?

A-    Yeah! And many people are studying, because the government thinks that education is one of the most important things and they subsidence it, I don’t know the word. They pay for it.

J- Oh, the government pays for your school?

A-    They pay for the schools and everything, because they think that education is the most important, so it is free.

J- That’s awesome!

A-    Yeah everybody is happy, not everybody, but many people who want a good education.

J- ok then, so like, what about, for the people that travel, or international students, you just did it because you wanted the experience, or?

A-    Yeah, I think that there was a little pressure, from the university saying you should go abroad for studying, because in your resume, it looks very good because of your language skills and that you experience different cultures, and yeah.

J- Ok then. So let me ask you again. Are you a junior, sophomore?

A-    No I’m a junior I think, because junior means that I’m undergraduate isn’t it? So next year I am a graduate. So I am now a junior, but next year I can graduate.

J- Alright. Yeah I forgot, that you are one more year away from graduating.

A-    One more year.

J- Lucky! I have a couple more left. I don’t know how I am going to do it, but day by day Tom. So let me ask you, how is the school system in Germany? How do you go from one level to the next?

A-    There are many different ways. I think here there is only high school then college? Or you go to university, or I don’t know. In Germany, for example, in every state it is a little bit different. For example, in Poland and my state, Bavarian, you’ve got the normal school career. You have the primary school, then you have a middle performance school. And then a high performance school. And a very easy performance school. Then that is your degree at the end.

J- Ok, so do you go up from the very easy or do..

A-    No, no, in Braveria, you’ve got four years of primary school then you can make three options. The easy school, then you are finished in four years. Or you can go to the middle performance school where you are finished in five years. Or you go to the high performance school, and you are finished in eight years. You can also switch, for example, my parents said I can switch to the high performance school, and then I, umm, after four years my marks were bad. Because when you are sixteen or seventeen, everything you are interested in, that’s not in school.

J- oh yeah.

A-    So then I go to the middle performance school for one year. Then I make an apprenticeship. And afterwards, there is also an opportunity to make the high performance school again. So that is another way to get your, is it a degree in high school? A high school degree to finish?

J- yeah a high school degree.

A-    Ok then it’s a degree.

J- ok then.

A-    So there are many opportunities. There are also some states in Germany which have one school for everybody.

J- Really?

A-    Yeah, its complelely different from state to state.

J- so like, what are the, lets say someone graduated from the easy school. Compared to someone who graduated from the high like the highest school, like, what do the highest people get to do and what do the easy ones get to do?

A-    They can only make an apprenticeship, or they can make also, they can go to the middle school, but it is harder for them.

J- Ok, alright.

A-    And they can make an apprenticeship. And the high performace school, I think not all, but most of them go to the university. You can only go to the university if you have the high performance school. So its not as simple as everybody goes to college, so only the high performance.

J- so lets say you started out at the easy school.

A-    The first four years?

J- yeah, that is the super easy, to the easy, to the middle, to the highest, right?

A-    Yeah, yeah, but there are different ways. You can switch from one school to another, but normally, if your parents say, after the first four years, the first four years is for everybody, it is a primary thing. Then in secondary school you have the three ways.

J- Oh! Ok.

A-    Three different schools. The lower performance schools, then the high performance school.

J- Ok.

A-    And you can switch, for example, after the easy school, if you finished it fine, you can switch to the middle.

J- so you are saying that you have to take four years at the lowest school, right?

A-    Yeah, you take four years.

J-then you have to take five years of the medium..

A-    No, no. you only have to take one. Because they have five, and they had four, so they take the one more, but it is very difficult. Only some people make this.

J-Really?

A-    Yeah, because easy performance school..

J- doesn’t prepare you for the middle?

A-    Yeah, definitely not. If they are interested in they can.

J- so, how hard is it for them to get from the middle to the high?

A-    I think you can kind of go, when you have an apprenticeship. So in middle school, you can make an apprenticeship. And after you can go to the high performance school, but this is only, I think thirty or forty percent do not finish it.

J- they just go straight to a university after?

A-    No they cancelled. Because it is too hard for them. I think thirty or forty percent. The school after my apprenticeship, thirty or forty percent cancelled because they said it is too tough.

J- Way to tough it out tom!

A-    Yeah, I think its not that hard.

J- yeah its just the amount of time and commitment. Youll be going somewhere in life, I can tell you that. Like, these years are hell, but they’ll, once we are out of it we are in the clear.

A-    Laughs, yeah in the clear.

J- I am so excited. So, what major are you going into again.

A-    In Germany it is called, international, there are two ways of studying. One is in a university of applied sciences, and the other is a normal state university.

J- Ok.

A-    And the difficulty is the same in the end, but in the university of applied sciences, you have more practical, because everybody has to finish it. And there are some models, some I don’t know, some. There are different study opportunities. Like, the most general is business/economics. And here it is business major and engineering studies. Mine is a subdivision of administration economics. It is called international retail management. And it is only a study course that you can choose if you have a company in your back and you have to work over the study course for three and a half years. You are supported by the company with money the whole study, but you have to work for the company on every break and in your practical semester. There is one semester, my next semester I have to work six months for them. And yeah. But you get money.

J- that is true, you cant complain. So a company that you want to work at, say best buy.

A-    Yeah, for example, if I have a fall break here. I have to work at best buy.

J- ok.

A-    And in Germany I have to work at the company on every break.

J- so, like, the company that is paying for your school you have to work for on every break?

A-    On every break. I have to work, yeah. But they pay when I work, as well as I am in school. So they pay the whole year and then yeah, that is even better!

J- there you go! So once you are done with school and everything, you don’t have to work for them at all ever again?

A-    Ive got no contract with them. Now I have a contract with them, but afterwards I am not. There are some companies that say you have to work for me afterwards. But in my company, that is not common. They  don’t, I don’t have to work afterwards for them, but they would prefer it if I go to them and work for them for many years.

J- So, let me ask you. You said it was one of the really good industries in Europe?

A-    It is like Best Buy in the U.S. its called MediaCenter. They also have difficulties at the moment as well as best buy.

J-Yeah.

A-    Yeah its. They also have a multi channeled strategy. Multi channeled strategy. Its like, if you buy something from JC Penny. You can go online and say send it to the store. Or please send It to me, and when they send it to you, you can bring it back to the store. And get your money back and such things. The store and online shopping are interacting.

J- oh my, that is why I don’t go into business Tom.

A-    Yeah, and I think that is called the anatomy.

J- yeah its hard work, its just all memorization though. Like you actually have to know how things work. For example, your bones aren’t going to change shape and youre like shit, what do I do now? Atleast with you, it is a lot more challenging.

A-    Yeah its not so, that retailing it doesn’t count in which retail business you are, because its always people business. You always have to market with the people and give them the good sorts that they are wanting. And its always the same. If you sell clothes or electronics it is the same.

J- Yeah. So true. So let me ask you, for the people out there. How would you compare the egocentric to the people in America to the people in Germany?

A-    Egocentric means personality?

J-  Yeah, like our ego. How would you compare?

A-    Like how do they them of themselves?

J- Yeah.

A-    Ok, ok. I heard when I was in Germany that the americans are so…

J_ Stubborn?

A-    I don’t know the word, they uhh, they don’t talk to each other very deep. They only say, ok, hello, whats going on, and such. That’s only why the Europeans, they mean when somebody asks whats going on? They want a real honest answer. Here it isn’t like that.

J- ok, you guys literally take that for context. Like wahts going on means is something wrong?

A-    Yeah, and in Germany, if you ask someone how are you, you expect a really honestly good answer. And here its oh, fine. You see it in kind of a forced way.

J- Ok, yeah.

A-    Communication is umm, but if you talk to someone deeper or more, I don’t know how to say. I think the americans are more not so as they seem.

J- so we are not as like, in depth with our conversations, like more personal with our conversations?

A-    I think the conversations are also personal, but the Europeans see it as, yeah.

J- they just have a serious personal connection? Like, I don’t know.

A-    It is really difficult to describe.

J- I cant imagine, I really cant.

A-    I think that the americans have, I like the mentality, It is more easy-going. In Germany it is more focused on himself? And the people are more seeing about their own goals, and they are not so friendly?

J- not so friendly?

A-    No definitely not. Americans are also more in depth in their conversation when you have more people. And they are also critical I think. The only thing, for example, in such I think the mass comm here is incredible good. And that’s a point that some americans often don’t understand the complexity but they talk with so good communication skills, that if you know what is going on, you know that they are talking crab, but the with so much confidence and when you say its like, they don’t care what they are talking about I don’t know.

J- there are so many ways that we can communicate, like you don’t really know if you are really interpreting it or not. Like if he is fooling around or if he is like.

A-    Yup, and you know it, because you understand the complexity. There are very good communication skills. And there is a connection with not understanding the complexity.

J- Yeah

A-    Atleast you understand it. Laughs. For example I think there are many teachers who are not so intelligent I think.

J- Oh my gosh.

A-    But they have good communication skills. And if you combine these two and you combine this with the confidence it all works out.

J- yeah, for example I have a really good professor. Smartest guy ever. And he talks like he is so fast and there is so much information and you cant absorb it. And you are trying to keep up with him but you cant. You know when someone is too smart to talk to the other? It is exactly like that. Whereas, someone who completely doesn’t know what they are talking about.

A-    But that is more seldom here. That point with small conversation skills but you are very smart.

J- Yeah!

A-    It is very seldom I think. The difference here is often here that you have.

J- I think it depends on the area you are in. there are some people who have great communication skills, like they are just upbeat and outgoing, but they have a low intelligence level. Like they balance each other out.

A-    Doctors are a good example for this, because they are so smart but they cannot communicate.

J- yeah they cannot stoop down to our level. In a way. And it isn’t their fault or our fault either, they are just too advanced. Laughs. Definitely a breed of their own. So let me ask you about sports and activities.

A-    The big sport in Germany is soccer, everybody plays when they are six years old you go to a soccer club and learns soccer. Everyone can play soccer. If you are very good in soccer you get honored in this. But if someone is better in school, you are more honored.

J- so people would rather be smarter than be better at soccer?

A-    Yeah. To be smart in Germany is better than being good in sports. There are only some guys at the top of the soccer reaches, they are phenomenal. People love them, if someone is very good and popular in soccer. But there are many people like athletes here that are ok. The people look at them and say wow. But the people in Germany that go to America to play soccer, nobody cares about.

J- Really?

A-    Yeah, because it is just a sport. If you are good at sports it is fine, you can look a little better than others because you have a good work out. Laughs. I think education skills get more and more important. And yeah.

J-So you guys take education really serious down in Germany. I saw online, my friend is from Poland. He was talking how he loves soccer. Like he gives me all these updates and I have no idea what the hell is going on. He told me one time in England, the players start training in little clubs that feed into the big clubs. The kids train to be professionals at such a young age. Is that how it is in Germany?

A-    I think if you are very good at sports you will go to a sports school. You live there, you learn there, and you play soccer.

J- So you have schools that pertain to sports, so let’s say for football or soccer?

A-    Yes but the schools are very seldom.

J- The education is poor?

A-    No their education is fine, it’s not poor, but because they teach the same you have the same degree afterwards but everything is focused on Soccer.

J- That’s awesome

A-    Only the best players can get there, it’s very hard.

J- It is different here because people look up to NFL players and MLB players like gods, and role models. If you see one of them walk by you immediately want to shake their hands. It is awesome how Germany values education still; I wish the United States could be like that. I feel like we are lacking in that aspect.           

A-    Yes like Dirk Nowitski, do you know of Dirk Nowitski?

J- No I not pay attention to Basketball. Do you watch Basketball?

A-    No but I read something about him and I think that his autobiography is coming out and I think I should read it because I like his personality and he complained at the beginning that he always has to bring the big guys of the NBA and has to bring them their drinks and their shoes at the beginning of his career.

J- So he was the lower type of guy?

A-    Yes he starts very low, for a German guy, there’s only one or two German guys in the NBA and he is the best.

J- Oh, so he is a NBA player from Germany?

A-    He is the only German guy who is good at Basketball (Laughs)

J- See I am sorry I do not watch Basketball

A-    It’s okay I only look up to him because he is very good, he has a lot of money but he is down to earth, he has a very small house, 500 squared meter house.

J- So he is giving away some of his money to other players?

A-    Yes, Dallas has to invest in other players, and I like that.

J- Yes he’s like Ray Lewis, this guy named Ray Lewis, he has so much money but he cuts a ¼ of it so the coaches can go get more players.

A-    Oh I see, I will look him up.

J- Who did you look up to when you were growing up?

A-    Soccer, my daddy is a big soccer fan, he is only interested in sports and the stock market.

J- My dad is boring and he loves his job but loves the Vikings, that’s all I know, he loves pulling teeth, his family and the Vikings.

A-    He pulls teeth out?

J- Yeah he is a Dentist, they have a hygienist, he’s not allowed to clean or anything but he does surgery and looks at x-rays. Have you had your wisdom teeth pulled?

A-    Yes before I came here I was told by my Dentist that I would have to get them pulled, so I did not go anymore, then I subscribed and now I have to go do it in Germany cause it is free there because of Social Insurance.

J- You get it for free?

A-    Yes because of Social Insurance

J- Can you explain to me how your economy works? How the Government pays for everything, doesn’t everyone have to help each other out?

A-    Umm, the economy is more, you do not have lower wages, the wages are very high in Germany, there are costs, the employer has to pay 100% and you only receive 50%, the other 50% goes to insurances.

J- So, when the company pays you, they give you half the money and the rest goes to insurance?

A-    Yep half goes to me and the rest goes to insurances, if you’re married you don’t have to pay for so much but if you are single you have to pay for 50%. My company has to pay me 1000 euros and the other 1000 goes to companies and insurances.

J- That’s awesome.

A-    Yes, that’s awesome, but here you do not have as many costs or wages, here you receive what your employer pays isn’t it?

J- Mhm

A-    For example, to pay for this, 20 bucks, that amount here, everything is more expensive in Germany, there are two types of GDP, goods, and additional costs and services. The services here are very cheap but in Germany they are very expensive.

J- Alright then

A-    For example if you buy groceries in Germany they are cheaper, most are imported and there is much more competition, here you have Wal-Mart knocking out all the competition.

J- Yeah Wal-Mart, no kidding, Wal-Mart is knocking out all the small businesses.

A-    So I think in Germany, if we want to export we can only export premier products because of our higher wages, and we can only create better products if our people are well educated.

J- I agree, you guys are on the right track.

J- So let me ask you, is there a lot smaller businesses than larger businesses, for example less Wall-marts than local businesses?

A-    Yes, a lot smaller, middle businesses, I think the smaller, middle businesses cover 90% of employers.

J- Just because there is a lot more competition over there?

A-    Yes there is a lot of competition, there is an also very small business which are very specialized and make very special products and are very successful. Very specialized in Auto motives.

J- So, alright, that makes more sense, so if you want to start a business in Germany, you have to make sure you’re right on, do a lot of small businesses get shut down in Germany?

A-    I think there is and there is also Americanization, because there are also many big players like TJ Max or Forever 18, they are very big chains, which go into inner cities and the small independent businesses have to leave because they get beat out.

J- Okay

A-    For example, here there are so many fast food chains, I think in Germany there is 1 subway for every 50,000 people. McDonalds for example is only in big cities. KFC is only in cities of 100,000 plus people. Everywhere is a fast food chain here.

J- So how would you compare the food in Germany to here? What’s big in Germany?

A-    I think you have more variety than in America, you don’t have the strong ingredients, in Germany the food is very restricted by the Government, you are not allowed to use much flavor enhancer. In Germany, I can only eat McDonalds once a week. McDonalds doesn’t taste as good in Germany because of flavor enhancers. Everything is more light.

J- Okay, so we have a great variety

A-    And in Germany people cook for themselves more because it is cheaper than eating out at a fast food restaurant.

J- Sounds a lot more healthy than we are

A-    At a University for example you can never buy unhealthy food there.  I think the only unhealthy thing you can buy at a primary school is a healthy chocolate bar.

J- (Laughs) That is sad

A-    My first Primary school they do not sell lemonade, apple juice was the sweetest.

J- Wow I would die.

J- When you go back home to Germany do you like the food better there or here?

A-    I would like the food better here because there is no flavor, the food here is so intensive and then the food in Germany has no flavor enhancer so it tastes like nothing.

J- well you gotta love America for that, but if we give you the freshman 15 I am sorry for that, have you ever heard of that?

A-    No

J- Like usually when kids go to their first year of college in America most kids gain the freshman 15 because of drinking, or eating, or not working out, like I remember after coming back from my first year most of my friends were big. One of my friends runs a fraternity and he drinks all the time and he is smart he has a 3.8 but he has been gaining weight more and more per year.

A-    And he wants to become a doctor?

J- Yeah he’s smart, and he works hard in school, he is always studying. Him and his brothers are all smart.

A-    So he can be proud of his grades because he works hard for them

J- Exactly, like if you see your hard work paying off that feeling feels better than anything.

A-    Yes and if you do well on a test than you can look forward to the next party.

J- Exactly one weekend I destroyed myself and after that it was so hard to concentrate on school and once you have fun it’s hard to get back to it.