Avani Lakhe comes from a city with nearly 21 million inhabitants: Mumbai, India. When you ask her how it feels to move from such a large city to Kiel, she can't help but laugh. "It's a significant change. Mumbai is still my favorite city in the world, but it's good to breathe fresh air," she says. Avani is currently pursuing a degree in Information Engineering at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. "I've always been drawn to computers. Both my parents are engineers. My dad has been tinkering with computers, and I grew up around hard drives." For her, it was clear that she wanted to pursue a career in this field in the future. She began her bachelor's degree in computer engineering in Mumbai.
For her master's studies, she made the move to Kiel. "The program here offers a good blend of IT project management and computer science. It strikes a great balance between hands-on practical work and in-depth learning – it just made sense to me," Avani explains. She had always planned to come to Europe one day, and in her opinion, Germany offers the best opportunities and technology. But why Kiel? "It was the perfect city. It's a small city close to a larger one. You can head to Hamburg for parties or shopping. Plus, Kiel has beaches... I love beaches", she raves. Mumbai is also situated by the sea, and a beach is something Avani doesn't want to miss.
She has been living in Germany since last year, and, naturally, there are aspects that seem strange to her, especially when it comes to German families. "Kids are quite independent here. There isn't as much family togetherness, I would say." Avani talks to her parents every day. In India, children and their parents spend much more time together. The dynamics within German families are something she still needs to get accustomed to. "I call my parents for everything, not just because I miss them, but because they miss me too," Avani says. Despite being separated from her family, she had a fantastic first year in Germany and made many new friends.
Avani has already explored much of Europe. She has been to Denmark, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and more. However, she hasn't seen much of Germany, and there's one thing she really would like to do: Oktoberfest. It's one of the world's largest events, and that fascinates her. However, she still has some time to cross that off her bucket list. Avani plans to stay in Germany after completing her studies, not just for enjoyment and to experience German culture. Her parents worked tirelessly to make her stay possible, and that's why she's committed to making the most of it. Nevertheless, there's still time to explore the country. One of the highlights so far was attending a Holstein Kiel game. Avani is a big football fan, and she has her favorite German club, which she'd rather not reveal…
