January 2nd – Arriving in Munich

I took a train from Girona to Barcelona, and then a flight to Munich, with a layover in Dusseldorf. Yes, there were direct flights but they weren’t as cheap, especially when I bought the ticket less than a week before.

I arrived in snowy Munich at around 6 PM. After meeting with my sister, we took the S8 train to the central station.

Airport-to-city tip: The cheapest way to get from MUC airport to the city is by train (S1 or S8.). The airport is out in zone 4 so if your hotel is in the inner city, you need to buy a 4-zone ticket at 11.60 euros one way. I suggest that if your flight lands early in the morning, you get the Airport-to-City-Day Ticket instead. For around 1 euro more, you get unlimited trips inside zone 1 which is what you will most likely visit on your first day in Munich. You will save a lot of money this way, especially if you travel during wintertime and walking around isn’t as fun with below 0°C temperatures. 

Our hotel was around 5 minutes from Hauptbahnhof. After getting a little lost -as always- we found the hotel, checked-in and started planning our next day.

Day 1 – Jan 3: Nymphemburg Palace and the city centre

Our first day in Munich welcomed us with a chilly -6°C, the coldest temperature I had ever experienced (yet). The city was covered in snow yet the sun was weakly shining a bit through the clouds. We planned to visit the Nymphemburg Palace and then on our way back, go to the city centre.
I bought a One-Day Ticket at around 7 euros because it was the cheapest alternative. It covered the inner city zone so it was good for the day. Then, we took the tram. Our first stop: the palace.

Nymphemburg Palace was built in 1664 as a summer residence for the former rulers of Bavaria and where Ludwig II was born. At first we planned just to see it on the outside but the temperature was too cold to handle so we went in. It was a great decision. With my student ID, the entrance only cost me 5 euros.

Tip: Student discounts everywhere – If you’re a student, make sure to carry your student ID with you all around Munich. There are discounts that will help you save a lot of money in the end.

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 After seeing the palace on the inside, we went to see the gardens.

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We headed back to the main station to take the U-Bahn to Marienplatz and walk around the city.

Neues Rathaus

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Around Hofgarten.

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This was during my complete first day at München. The city is definitely on my list of places to go back during spring or summer to experience it on a different light, literally.

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Tip – Eating in Munich (and paying in cash): I am used to the prices in Barcelona, so I found eating in Munich a little expensive. Calculate not less than 20 euros/day. Thankfully I was with my sister, so we would usually buy one plate and split it in two. Also, we saved money by drinking just water (free from the hotel lobby!). Something that annoyed me was that lots of places wouldn’t accept credit cards. I really dislike carrying money around and especially withdrawing money (bank fees are the death). 

Breakfast: Definitely the best alternative would be to cook it yourself, but if you’re not staying at an Airbnb place, you are most likely stuck with eating out. There’s a place called Coffee Fellows, it’s similar to a Starbucks. You can eat a decent sandwich and a nice cup of coffee for 6 euros. 

Lunch and dinner on a budget: Central station has lots of places to eat. It was an option so we wouldn’t have to travel to Marienplatz every night.

Day 2 – Jan 4: The Allianz Arena

As a Bayern fan, I had to see the Allianz Arena, home stadium of the Bavarian team. I dragged my sister with me (spoiler alert: she had a great time) and we headed to the Allianz.

Getting there: From Senlinger Tor or Marienplatz take U6 until Frottmaning. It has a football ball in the train signs to indicate the line that goes to the arena. An inner-zone ticket works.

The wind and snow were insane that day. It’s a 10-minute walk from the train station to the stadium. I could barely see with the snow falling on my face. The wind was so strong that I felt I was being pushed. None of it mattered in the end because, there I was:

Behold the world's most beautiful stadium, home to the world's most beautiful team. 😍

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We wandered around and took some pictures before I finally decided to go in and ask for the tour prices. At first, like always, I was planning on seeing the stadium on the outside only. But I was there, and who knows if I could ever go back. Why wouldn’t I take the tour? I found out the prices weren’t outrageous, and with a student’s discount, I bought two tickets, one for me and one for my non-football-fan sister.

We took the English tour at 12:15 PM that would show us around the stadium, the dressing room, the press room, the tunnel and the museum. Needless to say, I was like a kid in Christmas.

Inside the Allianz Arena 🔵🔴

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Dressing room 🔴

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Mia san mia

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After being blown away by everything, I entered the store which again, is like a dream for any Bayern fan. I managed to stay in budget and only bought a Thomas Müller mug and a lanyard.
The tour is very well prepared, it’s entertaining even for non-football fanatics. I really recommend any sports fan to visit the stadium and take the tour. It will make you love -or at least respect- the team for everything they’ve accomplished.

I went back to the city with my head up in the clouds and bragging rights about saying I walked the same tunnel that my Bayern boys walk every home match.

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On my next blog post, I’ll share more about other city sights, the Dachau Concentration Camp, and the Neuschwanstein Castle.

This has been the third and last part of my Iceland travel diary. I still daydream about this country, the most peaceful place I have ever been to. On my next visit I want to see the Botanical Garden, some museums, the glacier, hike and hopefully see the Northern Lights *fingers crossed*.

Curricular vs extra-curricular internships

When internships aren’t curricular, it means that it isn’t a requirement to complete the bachelor’s or master’s degree. I thought that it wouldn’t make a difference, but it did. Why? First, it makes the process of finding a job harder because most places will require the internship to be curricular. If it’s not curricular, the company doesn’t feel obliged to give you the job. There’s not an agreement between the company and the university to place the students in practices. Second, because the paperwork is far more lengthy and bureaucratic. I applied to several offers without success. It was like looking for a job. A real job. I was getting a little discouraged (and desperate) until I decided that I would not back down.

Finding an internship on your own

I sat down one afternoon and googled all the agencies in Barcelona and started applying one by one. I didn’t care if they didn’t have want-ads. I would still send my CV. Some said “yes but we can’t pay”, to which I said “thanks but no”. I had +3 years of experience, I could do most bilingual tasks locals couldn’t. I have bills to pay. I was not going to do free work. That, I had very clear. I say this because often we get desperate and accept the first offer we get when most of the times, we know that it isn’t the right one. My past experiences have taught me to stand firmly by what I believe in. And if I go down, I’ll go down swinging.

But I didn’t go down. Eventually I got the call I wanted.

Big or small agency – which is better?

Choosing a big or small agency to do your internship will depend on your goals. A big agency has a worldwide reputation, it is well-known within the sector. Also, your chance of getting hired or find out opportunities across the globe might be higher. Nonetheless, these agencies often do not delegate a lot of challenging tasks to the intern. If your goal is to learn, you might consider getting into a small agency. Small agencies are well, small. This means that they can offer a personalized attention and are most likely to delegate more meaningful tasks to interns. Having your expectations clear will help you choose the type of agency. Likewise, that will help on the next point: the interview.

The interview

Learn everything that there’s to learn about the company and understand what you are looking for. If you don’t have a clear mind on what it is that you expect, you might end up in a less-than-thrilling intern job. I knew what I wanted and why I wanted it, so communicating that was very important. Interviewers sense your will to do a job and value your confidence and honesty. I got selected for the job and I do believe that it was because of how confident and capable I portrayed myself. My motto has always been, “look like you know what you’re doing, even when you have no idea.” It’s all about confidence. And hey, for the record, it’s better to know what you’re doing.

The paperwork

Once I got the internship position, the paperwork process began. It takes around 2 weeks to be complete. I don’t know how it is in other universities but here in la Autònoma it goes down like this:

1. Tell the company to contact Treball Campus – The company must fill some forms in the online platform. Treball then will take up to a week to validate the information, approve the agreement, and prepare a contract. There’s also a fee involved that the company has to pay.
2. Treball Campus will contact you and the agency once the contract is ready to download. – The agency must download the contract and print 3 copies: one for them, one for you, and one for Treball Campus.
3. Contract signing (on all sides) – the contract needs to be signed by you and the company on each page. Each page. If not, Treball will say it’s not valid and make you go back to the company to get it signed. 
4. Take the contract to Treball Campus to get it signed and validated – this will take up to 2 business days for reasons I am still trying to comprehend. When it’s ready, Treball will notify you and you can go pick it up.
5. Get registered with the Seguridad Social (social security) to get a number. If your internship is paid, the company needs this number to do the legal process to pay you. The registering process is straightforward:

• Go to a Seguridad Social office (usually open Monday thru Friday, 9 AM to 2 PM). Make sure you don’t need an appointment prior to getting there. I didn’t need one but offices in Barcelona city might me different due to the higher volume of people.
• Take with you your NIE, passport, the original contract (signed on all pages by you and the company, and approved by Treball Campus) and a copy of the contract. 
• In the office, they’ll assign you a number that you’ll need to give to the Accounting/Human Resources department at your internship center.

And that’s it. I had to wait around a month until all the paperwork was finally done. It’s not a walk in the park but one of my goals had just been achieved: I got an internship at a communications agency.

So, should you do an internship?

If you don’t have a job, I advise that you try to get into an internship. You will get not only experience, but you will improve your current skills and acquire new ones. Is it easy? No, it’s not. You must organize your time to fulfill your school and work obligations. But internships are a great way to demonstrate your commitment to your career and your determination to take it to the next level.

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Have you ever done an intership? How was it? Do you think it’s worth it? Leave your comments below!