Living in Cologne: Hana's Study Abroad Experience

Published: 22 May 2026 | Updated: 22 May 2026 | By: Alistair Pringle | 2 min read

International Business Management student Hana studied at Cologne University in Germany in 2022–23. Looking back at her time abroad, she shared some reflections on day-to-day life in Cologne.

While many students talk about their academic experience when studying abroad, Hana wanted to focus on the everyday moments that made life in Cologne special. From cooking with friends to sunny afternoons in the park and the ritual of grabbing waffles at the university canteen, it was these small, shared routines that shaped her time in Germany.

A favourite memory: a potluck with friends

My favourite memory of the year was a potluck during the first semester, with dishes from all our home countries. It was our last big gathering together as most people were leaving to go back to their home universities. One friend was actually leaving for his train home to Poland that same night, so that was a first proper goodbye for the group.

Crammed into my small kitchen, we enjoyed quite the feast.

A Georgian friend made khachapuri cheese-filled bread and sweet candy called churchkhela. A Polish friend brought pierogi and Polish beer as well. We also had pastel de nata that a Portuguese friend bought from a local Portuguese pastry shop. Our four Italian friends brought a meat and vegetarian lasagne, spaghetti amatriciana (made with proper bucatini and guanciale for my Italian cuisine purists), a huge tray of tiramisu and a bottle of amaro. And lastly, because I'm Vietnamese and grew up in the Czech Republic, I made some Vietnamese thịt kho and a Czech blueberry bublanina cake.

We were reflecting on the exchange and talking about everything we experienced together. We realised how quickly it had flown by. Though our exchange was ending, we quickly started making plans to meet during the summer. This was my favourite memory of the year not just because of how much food or how many drinks we had, but also because of how sweet and wholesome it all was.

We wrapped up the night with more banter and some good old karaoke with a laptop, a hairbrush as a microphone and a dream. I got to duet ‘Bring Me To Life’ by Evanescence, so I could not ask for a better ending.

Everyday life at the university canteen

The university canteen, Mensa, was a great place to grab lunch or a snack after lectures. Though not the top place for foodies, it was cheap and student-friendly. You could get decent warm food with lots of choice, including many vegetarian options. A main meal, salad and dessert cost between 3 and 5 euros. What I appreciated most was that it was a great place to hang out after lectures or seminars with my classmates.

Almost everyone goes to Mensa – it's where students from different classes and faculties mingle. It definitely helped me socialise and make friends with a lot of people. It probably doesn't sound that exciting, but since coming back to Newcastle, I’ve missed having a large and cheap canteen like Mensa! I can't say I was the biggest fan of the warm meals, but my favourite snack to go for was the fresh warm waffles, with whipped cream and Nutella of course.

Sunny days in the university park

The days started getting warmer and sunnier in March – much warmer than in the UK, that’s for sure! The university park was a fun place to hang out between or after classes. Located between the main campus building and Mensa, it was always a blessing on sunny days – especially in May, when temperatures sometimes reached almost 30°C. Sometimes we would get a small meal or a sandwich from Mensa to eat there.

Weekends in Cologne’s green spaces

The park is connected to another larger one that is more hilly and stretches further down to a pond with swans and ducks. It was perfect for barbecues. On our off-uni days, we would usually spend our time on this side. On late afternoons during the weekend, people would often turn up with their rigs and sound systems, playing some techno for everyone. As the day turned into night, they would still be playing – the park would sometimes turn into an outdoor rave as well!

Want to study abroad as part of your degree?

Interested in adding an international experience to your degree but unsure where to go? NUBS has several partners around the world, with teaching available in English in all destinations.

Here’s how to get started: