Translation of Streckmittel

Luckily it didn't happen to me, my kids really grew up with us all the time. And besides, they are not allowed do that, because they are monitored endlessly. If they don't attend class they could find themselves on the next train going home.
I have always met nice people so far, and I have never had a strange friends request. So far I only had problems with my grammar in various foreign languages that I am trying to acquire.
So you want to know what I'm doing? I am 22 years old and I am studying medicine at the university in Atlanta. I want to learn German because I have a German girlfriend. We want to get married.