Foreign exchange student, Laura Draskovic is living in Vienna for a year to experience American high school life. Her time at Madison expires at the end of June, and her courses are not granted credit, making her sojourn here purely for cultural enlightenment. American life in Vienna is a big transition from Berlin, Germany and Draskovic is excited to see what she will learn.

Draskovic’s schooling in Berlin has made the differences at Madison much more distinct. Going from a city experience in Berlin to a suburban American experience shows Laura how different countries handle school life.

Despite being a cosmopolitan capital city, Berlin has a more relaxed atmosphere. After school, Draskovic would spend her time at cafés with friends. Vienna, she said, is more fast-paced than Berlin because she engages in extracurricular activities like field hockey, making her schedule more charged.

“I lived in a part of Berlin known for its unique culture, on the border between a neighborhood known for its hip gangster culture and another for its fancy restaurants,” Draskovic said.

People’s customs and culture have also exposed a dichotomy between German and American life. As a foreign exchange student Laura has received a great amount of attention.

“People in Germany have more profound conversations and interactions. When you walk down the street in America people will ask how I am doing without actually wanting to know how I am or start a conversation. People are genuinely interested in other people’s lives in Germany,” Draskovic said.

Draskovic wishes to pursue psychology at university where she can then go on to work in criminal psychology.

“I want to talk to people in jail. The stories of prisoners have always interested me,” Draskovic said.

Though Draskovic will not receive credit for her time at Madison she stills sees it as a valuable endeavor. Learning while immersed in a different culture teaches Draskovic that people have different ways of living across the world.

People don’t behave and go about their lives in the same fashion, but what Germans and Americans want from society is not all that different.