There are several reasons why the 1st of July has been the best day in this year. At first it was my 17th birthday, so I was quite happy when I waited at the airport for the flight to Oxford. The other reason, why the 1st of July has been the best day in this year is because I got an internship placement at BMW, MINI Plant in Oxford, England.
The first thought I had when I arrived in England was, why the hell every vehicle drove on the wrong side, until I remembered that it’s normal that everybody drives on the left side. After a two-hour-ride by bus from Airport London Gatwick I arrived in Oxford but missed the right bus stop. So I had to carry my heavy suitcase though the whole old town of Oxford. After looking for the right bus stop and a following 10-minute-busride I finally reached my house, where I stayed for 6 weeks.
It was quite hard to find an apartment in Oxford. Fortunately, there was the German student, Jonathan, also working at BMW who arranged a sleeping accommodation for me.
I shared this house, where I lived in, with 5 other guys:
- Paul, a British guy, who works in the nuclear industry;
- Manuel, a Spaniard, who is a chemist at the Oxford University;
- Ryan, a 36-year-old half Welshman and a half Italian, who works in the water industry;
- Jimmy, who merchandizes books;
- And last but not least, Jonathan the German student.
I lived in a large room in the first floor with an own bathroom, a common kitchen, common living room and a garden. My house was very spacious and from the very beginning I felt quite comfortable in there.
The internship at MINI started on my second day in Oxford. At first Tim and Adam, two apprentices, who looked after me during my internship at BMW, showed me around the MINI plant and they introduced me to several people, among others Ade McGee and Peter Jochimsthal, who put a lot of effort in my internship. The first week, I was shown around and became acquainted with the huge plant. The following weeks I worked in “Body in White”, where I basically measured and timed robots. In addition I learnt a lot about theoretic management techniques. After the three weeks internship, I had to summarize my results and to make a presentation to my department. I cannot name any details because in my daily work BMW’s confidential information was involved which of course has to be kept secret. I was so enthusiastic about the work at the MINI Plant so I asked to extend my work experiences. They appreciated it and so I had the chance to maintain and optimize with two apprentices, Jack and Philippa, the manufacturing process.
In the evenings I watched with Andreas the football matches of the world cup in several English pubs. Dependent from the football teams there often was a thrilling atmosphere in the overcrowded pubs. Normally, only persons above eighteen are allowed to visit English pubs. However, the proprietors of the pubs often accepted me and Andreas staying in the pub.
The rest of my free time I spend with my house mates, with Tim and Jack in Banburry, or I made sightseeing-tours in and around Oxford by bike or by bus.
After my time in Oxford I traveled to London, where I met my family and visited this magnificent city.
I really enjoyed the time in England and after the seven weeks I initially felt like a stranger in Munich. For me my internship at BMW and the time in England was a great success.