T R A T S >

ANY /+/+/+ M R E G N I G N I 2010 +/+/+/ STUDY DA A D SPECIA L

d to study > Why I decide in Ger many T H E IR
__ __ _ THE R H OW T O FI N D R C O LL E G E U N IV E R SI T Y O

vigator > The Study Na IG H T

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ PAGE 24

T E LL SI X ST U D E N T S ST O R IE S _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ PAGE 04

ent > Shared apartm nce? or hall of reside E

S LI V H OW ST U D E N T __ __ __ __ __ __ _ page 28 __ __ __ __ _

L S A T I N R E O T EDIT CON
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

[02_ ]
03

// S TA RT //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

04

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+ CAMPUS GERMANY Key information about studying in Germany and the different types of universities

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

14
20 24 28 31 22 26 30

12
in German, English and Spanish

What are the important ingredients for a successful start? The best possible preparation sounds like a good idea. Thats why the magazine Start Studying in Germany is providing some initial information about Campus Germany with its great variety of study options. At the moment around 250,000 international students are studying and researching at German universities. That makes Germany the third most popular country with international students following the USA and Great Britain. And theres good reason for this: the high, internationally recognized quality of education and the broad spectrum offered at the 370 institutions of higher education are definitely two key aspects. Of course everyone thinks about their future career when choosing a country for their studies. But thats not everything. The soft factors play a big role as well, irrespective of whether youre thinking about just spending a few semesters abroad or completing a full course of study there. German universities are incredibly diverse, ranging from idyllic rural settings to the hustle and bustle

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+ WELCOME Good tips about starting your studies and the learning culture in Germany +/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+ CHECK-LIST Lots of useful information at a glance about accommodation, work, legal aspects, applications, finances, security and deadlines

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

Lifestyle What is typically German? Language How can I learn German? Creative Studies Where can I develop my creativity? finance What does studying cost? Study Navigator What and where to study? Living and Leisure What is apartment-sharing like? Service Where can I find more information?

f
Published by Societts-Verlag Frankenallee 71-81, 60327 Frankfurt am Main Germany www.fsd.de Editors Janet Schayan (responsible), Gunda Achterhold, Derek Whitfield, Ann Robertson (translation) Design Dunja Metz Cover photograph Veit Mette Printed in Germany Copyright by Frankfurter Societts-Druckerei GmbH 2009

Great variety, internationally reputed educational standards, good quality of life: Germany is one of the most popular places for study abroad.

of the big cities. The quality of life is generally high. And the smaller cities also offer a great variety of art and culture, international restaurants and all kinds of possibilities to spend your leisure time surrounded by nature. Whats more, the weather is better than some people believe. In the following pages Start provides a first impression of Germany as a place to study, plus many useful tips on important topics such as funding, living and applications. All other questions will be gladly answered by the DAAD staff in the branch offices and information centres (www.daad.de/offices), in personal talks or via e-mail, to give you a really good start to studying in Germany.

Masthead
Start Studying in Germany was commissioned by Coordination Dr Ursula Egyptien Gad, Alexander Haridi, Cornelia Hauswald, Department 532: Promotion of Study and Research in Germany This publication is funded by the Federal Foreign Office

m DANY Hallo, I t loads of tips abou

snoopmedia

and can give you e/dany on to www.daad.d studying. Just log e. lin on ur questions and Ill answer yo

s u p Cam RMANY GE
05
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

[04_ ]

// S TA RT //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

UNI VE RS

IT Y

OUT B A W O N K O T EED > WHAT YOU N ERMANY ic? As G ar t, film and mus of e g lle co STUDYING INplie a or d sciences ties and a great
por tuni sity of ap many different op University, univer rs fe of y an m er of G r education the different types of ew vi er a centre of highe ov an resent ts who areas. Here we p ul tips for studen ef us d an ns variety of subject tio itu inst higher education Germany. favour of Campus in ed id ec d ve ha
Michael Hudler

UNI VE R APPLIE SIT Y OF D SCI E N CE S

Michael Hudler, Rafael Krtz (2), Dirk Schumann / Fotolia (2)

The International Office at the university helped me a lot. Its not easy sorting everything out yourself in an unfamiliar city.
flang Nienke Lee rman graduate of a Ge

V IE W +/+/+/+ ace specia l em +/+/+/+ OV ER hulen (F Hs) pl sc ch ho ch ch hi Fa w 1 e, ledg Ger manys 19 ication of know practical appl u niversities as h is gl phasis on the En in themselves to r fe re an oppor ey ts th en is why so of fer st ud al ey Th . es nc to use du ri ng of appl ied scie al knowledge tic re eo th r ei th tu nity to put e. tical ex perienc ents for a periods of prac to prepare st ud ed ur ct ru st ly id rig s are the e ea ar ar es l Cou rs work. Centra of ld or w e al th g, design, soci sw ift entr y into ies, engi neer in ud in st ee ss gr ne si mplete a de field s of bu . You ca nnot co re d ca an th es al nc he ie d work an of appl ied sc stitu at a un iversity in w e la bl or ra e pa in m ic med ersity or co nsfer to a un iv you have to tra e. at r a doctor tion to st udy fo U DY +/+/+/+ PE RIOD OF ST RD A D N A rs) ST + +/+/+/ esters (Maste helors), 4 sem ac (B rs te es m 6 se + AT ION +/+/+/ The international study +/+/+/+ IN FORM e schu le.d w w w.fach hoch + EN T +/+/+/ programme saved me a E REQU IR EM C N A TR EN + +/+/+/ year, which I would otherpl ied Sciences Un iversity of Ap wise have spent learning ification entra nce qual

+/+/+/+ OV E RV IE W +/ +/+/+ T h is is the trad itiona l centre of ac Most of Ge adem ic lea rma nys 10 rn ing. 9 u n iversit versities. C ies a re gene ompa red w ra l u n i it h other in education, stit ution s o they offer a f h igher b road spect ra ng ing fro ru m of su b m hu ma n it je cts ie s a nd the nat law a nd mat u ra l scienc hematics. e s to Follow ing Hu m boldts m o d e a re closely l, resea rch li n ked : pro a nd teach in fessors a nd g to conduct lect u rers h basic rese ave a duty a rch to en su of teach ing re a h igh st a nd to ena a nda rd ble them to method. A better teac u n iversit y h scienti fic e d ucation q u world of w a li fies you ork, but a ls fo r the o e n a bles you to ca reer in re u nderta ke sea rch. a +/+/+/+ STA N DA R D P E R IOD OF S 6 semesters T U DY +/+/ (Bachelors) +/+ , 4 semeste 6 semesters rs (Master (Masters in s), med icine) +/+/+/+ IN F OR M AT IO N +/+/+/+ w w w.daad .de +/+/+/+ E N T R A NC E R EQU IR E M A bitur/H ig E N T +/+/+/ her Educati + on E ntra nc e Qua li fica tion

from South Africa, at the studying medicine school abroad, is urg. University of Freib

ua Shufang H ess international busin

from China studied ty rtwangen Universi management at Fu in English.

German. But Im still learning German on the side.

[06_ ]
07
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// S TA RT //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

lookto find what they are sts are just as likely 500 13, n Technology enthusia tha re mo between students can choose ienv or ing for as art lovers: ign des dia m me mmes in Germany. Fro t jec sub n different study progra der mo new to health economics, ent ori y all ronmental technology on ati ny intern evolving, including ma dlan ion areas are constantly cat edu r e highe ies offer such a divers ed courses. Few countr study locations and 370 170 en we bet o choose the scape. Students can als nder that Germany is education. It is no wo the d an A institutions of higher US the er ts aft for international studen at a red iste most popular countr y reg are world dents from all over the re we re the UK. Nearly 250,000 stu as ny ice as ma college more than tw German university or ten years ago. al part of everyday stu dules are now a norm ree deg e Credit points and mo tag o-s to the tw since the changeover y dent life in Germany w students are alread ne all of rds plete. Two thi ch tea es system is almost com mm gra These pro a Bachelors degree. deciding to study for semesters. Students can ht eig to six a subject in y the fundamentals of an interdisciplinary wa ledge or broaden it in an rm Ge then deepen this know al rm no e once mmes that follow. Th ily in the Masters progra d Magister are stead an a lom Dip ali fications is ure uct higher education qu str w ne tage of the nce. One great advan declining in importa le. ernationally comparab that the degrees are int

The best thing to do is to exchange ideas with people who have already studied in Germany through an alumni network before you begin your course.

T E C H N ICA L U N I V E R SIT Y
+/+/+/+ OV ERVI EW +/+/+/+ Tech nische Un ive rsitten (T Us) an d Tech nische Hoch schulen (T Hs ) are the idea l un iversities for tech nolog y enthu siasts and amateur inv entors with scien tific aspi rations. Basic research is he ld in high rega rd at these in stitutes of technology. A core cu rr icu lum of engi neer ing an d scientific su b jects is supplem ented by accompa ny ing disciplines for example, from , the field s of med ici ne, managemen and econom ics. t The ni ne largest techn ica l un ivers have joi ned toget ities her to for m the TU 9 in itiative. Toda engi neer ing degr y ees have been lar ge ly ha rmon ized across Eu rope. +/+/+/+ STAN DA RD PE RIOD OF ST UDY +/+/+/+ 6 semesters (Bac helors), 4 semes ters (Masters) +/+/+/+ IN FORM AT ION +/+/+/+ ww w.hoch schu lko mpass.de +/+/+/+ EN TR AN CE REQU IR EM EN T +/+/+/+ Abitu r/H igher Ed ucation Entra nce Quali fication

, T R A F O S E G COLLE USIC A ND FI LM M
EW +/+/+/+ +/+/+/+ OV ERVI h, but the tra in ing irements are hig qu re e nc tis tra en e Th decide whose ar nce exam inations l co d ize gn is excellent. Entra co state -re developed at 55 e ar ts en tic talents wi ll be ud St any. and fil m in Germ niz leges of ar t, mu sic freedom in orga of nt ou am ge lar ly ive lat re a n granted develop their ow to enable them to ing their studies are especia lly colleges of mu sic 23 ys an na l rm Ge style. share of inter natio n students : their eig for th wi lar pu . po hly a th ird larly high at roug students is pa rticu ST UDY +/+/+/+ RD PE RIOD OF +/+/+/+ STAN DA ters (Masters) helors), 4 semes 6 semesters (Bac AT ION +/+/+/+ +/+/+/+ IN FORM hl.de ww w.studienwa chule.org hs oc ww w.ku nsth T +/+/+/+ CE REQU IR EM EN +/+/+/+ EN TR AN Exam ination Abitur/E ntrance

Michael Hudler, Andreas Labes, Dirk Schumann / Fotolia (2)

EMAN MARIO AL a Masters student

or iver sity sport ON TACTS Un to meet es M A K ING C ac pl od ses are go t. language cour n departmen ly from your ow on t no le peop

from Nicaragua is e l study programm in the internationa ing er tion Engine on Global Produc che Universitt nis ch Solar at the Te (TU) in Berlin.

____________________________________________________________________________________

[08_ ]
09
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

ena Subiranas Dr. Alba M l engineering. ra cto te in chemica

mes on offer in Germany is beThe range of new study program ialand at the same time more spec coming increasingly varied in me ram prog s oriented Bachelor ized. The new internationally Unithe at n bega ing, for example, steel technology and metal form 2009. It specifically aims to train ter win in sen versity of Duisburg-Es of foundry metallurgy, who are engineering specialists in the field ted ur market. The university is loca highly sought-after on the labo ely clos es erat coop l industry and at the centre of the German stee ure lect the in n lear ents do not only with local companies. The stud rks. k placements directly in steelwo wor l tica prac theatre, but also on of ity vers Uni the virtual design at The Bachelors programme in e mor er rath into n takes students Applied Sciences in Kaiserslauter d lope deve is or sect e in the media abstract worlds. Design expertis architectural training. Germany an of rk ewo here within the fram enviin the future-oriented field of is one of the leading countries er High . stry indu in research and ronmental technology both ed join have n shor sburg and Elm education institutions in Kiel, Flen a Master of Science in Wind ring offe tly join forces and are now in the position not only to eering. Its graduates should be Engin paanalyze complete systems. Com design new turbines, but also to any. Germ ide outs non-existent rable programmes are practically

do from Spain has a . She now works na and Karlsruhe elo rc Ba in ed di She stu igshafen. for BASF in Ludw

I decided in favour of Universitt Karlsruhe because it has a very good reputation in my subject. Today I work on strategic projects as part of an international team.

COLLEGE OF E DUCATION
+/+/+/+ OV ER V IE W +/+/+/+ St udent teache rs tra in to teac h in pr imar y, secondar y an d specia l scho ols at the si x P gogi sche Hoch da schu len. As a ru le, these st ud prog ra m mes y usua lly lead to a State Exam in but there are al ation, so Bachelors degree course s. +/+/+/+ STA N DA RD PE RIO D OF ST U DY 6 to 8 semeste +/ +/ + rs (1st State Ex am ination) +/+/+/+ IN FORM AT ION +/+/+/ + w w w.st ud is-o nl ine.de /studi nfo/ lehramt.p hp +/+/+/+ EN TR A NCE REQU IR EM EN T Abitur/H igher +/+/+/+ Education Entra nce Qua lificatio n

lze Katrin Schu ag dying ricul-

stu from Germany is be tropics and su th in ce tural scien l na tio na the inter tropics as part of e at the University mm ra og pr Masters of Hohenheim.

Michael Hudler, Rafael Krtz (2), Dirk Schumann / Fotolia (1)

We work a lot in small groups where there is very lively interchange also interchange between cultures.

THEOLOGIC COLLEGE AL
+/+/+/+ OV ER V IE W +/+/+/+ The 15 church colleges do no t on ly tra in pr ie gists, but also sts and theolo social educatio n workers, heal church educat th educators an ion workers, nu d rsing and heal ists and church thca re specia musicia ns. A co l nnection w ith desi red. A n ex the church is ception here is the Col lege of Heidel berg, w Jew ish St ud ies hich is open to in al l fa ith s. Ther Masters system e is no Bachel . ors / +/+/+/+ STA N DA RD PE RIO D OF ST U DY 10 semesters +/+/+/+ (P riest hood /D iplom /Mag iste r Theologiae) +/+/+/+ IN FORM AT ION +/+/+/ + w w w.theologi estudium.in fo +/+/+/+ EN TR A NCE REQU IR EM EN T +/+/+/ Abitur/H igher + Education Entra nce Qua lificatio n

[10_ ]
11
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

Schweden

// S TA RT //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

In a small town you can easily concentrate on studying and quickly make contacts.

GAbriel di leo

completing from Argentina is ge first degree an English-langua iversity. at Furtwangen Un

OF W E I V R E V AN O A C U D E R ALL HIGHE S N O I T A C O L TION

Flensburg Kiel Heide SchleswigHolstein Lbeck Pinneberg Wismar Rostock Gstrow Stralsund

North Sea Denmark

Netherlands

Belgium Germany Luxembourg

Poland Czech Republic Austria Hungary

Kroatien

France Switzerland Italien

Slovakia

Rumnien

IT UT S N I E T A V I PR HE R G I H F O N O I T E DUCATION
tions V IE W +/+/+/+ pr ivate in stitu +/+/+/+ OV ER aduates from gr te ia ec ined pr ga s ap of ten al ready Globa l player al l, they have r fte A ud ies. st n. r io ei at du ri ng th of higher educ me and abroad ho at st udy e l nc ea rie id udents w ith practical ex pe advertise for st s d ge an lle co ry st e at The highly applicatio ts w ith indu The 70 pr iv n-oriented Fachhoch ps, good contac ou te gr si l schulen, known simply ui al eq sm er s: pr a un iversities of applied is n io cond ition as FHs or at in am ex sciences in English, e nc tra en n A are a special feature s. se ur higher education. Th shor t co of German ey complement the pro . grammes offered by the 0 eu ros a 70 4, tie d s for ad m ission an an d 0 tec un hn 80 iversiica l universities (TUs an are between 1, d THs). Rigidly organ sities must be er gra iv The tu ition fees mm ize un d es e stu wi at dy th iv proa strong practical em importa nt : pr phasis enable graduate s are semester. Very applied sciences to mo s of universities of e thei r degree is rw ve he qu ot , ick ly ed int o the world of work. state-recogn iz the new two-stage sys The changeover to tem is particularly adv anced in this sector. + wor th less. +/ +/ un +/ ive Y rsi D tie At general U s an ST d technical universitie OF s, on the other hand A RD PE RIOD asters) lec (M , tur pro +/+/+/+ STA N D rs ers fes te hav sors and es e a m duty not only to teach achelors), 4 se , but also to engage in principle has a long tra 6 semesters (B res ear ch. Th is dition in Germany. Th + e underlying idea is tha AT ION +/+/+/ benefit ver y directly t stu dents +/+/+/+ IN FORM from new findings wh t en academics remain hoch schu len.ne res ear on ch ers the w w w.pr ivate. + bal +/ l as EM EN T +/+/ A NCE REQU IR ination am Ex t+/+/+/+ EN TR e nc ra nt A great deal is also ch ch schulreife/E anging in the field of Abitur/Fach ho private higher educat that has only played ion, a sector a secondary role in the past. In addition to est private institutions suc ablished h as the University of Witten/Herdecke or pean Business Schoo the Eurol in Oestrich-Winkel, there have recently bee ing new foundations n interestsuch as the Bucerius Law School in Hamb Zeppelin University urg and the on Lake Constance. Wh ile completing a deg vate university or col ree at a prilege costs a ver y large amount of money ind you manage to gain a eed unless scholarship studying at most German highe institutions is free. Alt r edu cation hough tuition fees are charged in some Germ at a ma ximum of 500 an Ln der, euros a semester they are still rather moder national standards. ate by inter-

Greifswald

Elmshorn Wilhelmshaven Emden Oldenburg Bremen Wedel Bremerhaven Buxtehude

Hamburg Hamburg Lneburg

MecklenburgWestern Pomerania

Neubrandenburg

Ottersberg Bremen

Brandenburg Eberswalde

Vechta

Lower Saxony

Stendal Brandenburg

Elstal Potsdam

Berlin Berlin Frankfurt/O.

Osnabrck Bielefeld Detmold Hamm Herford Lemgo

Hanover Braunschweig Wolfenbttel Hildesheim Magdeburg

Friedensau

Wildau

Wernigerode Dessau Cottbus Bernburg ClausthalKthen SaxonyZellerfeld Paderborn Anhalt Senftenberg Halle Gttingen Nordhausen Merseburg Kassel Leipzig Moritzburg Grlitz Wuppertal Saxony Dsseldorf Bad SoodenZittau Dresden North RhineThuringia Mittweida Allendorf Westphalia Weimar Freiberg Gera Hesse Erfurt Cologne Jena Brhl Chemnitz Siegen Aachen Marburg St. Augustin Alfter Schmalkalden Zwickau Gieen Bonn Ilmenau Fulda Hachenburg Friedberg Bad Honnef ce: Germany Vallendar Spoi lt for choi Idstein Koblenz an 13,500 Bad Homburg offers more th Oberursel Coburg Mhlheim Hof Rhinelandm mes at 370 Frankfurt a.M. Offenbach study progra Palatinate Schweinfurt OestrichWiesbaden higher eduAschaffenburg Winkel institutions of Mainz Bayreuth locations. A n Darmstadt Bingen Wrzburg Bamberg cation in 170 Trier Weiden er education Worms excellent high Gelsenkirchen Bochum Duisburg Dortmund Essen Witten-Herdecke Krefeld Hagen Iserlohn Kleve Holzminden Saarland Ludwigshafen Kaiserslautern Speyer Saarbrcken Landau Mannheim Heidelberg Heilbronn Erlangen Ansbach Nuremberg Amberg

Mnster

Neuendettelsau

ai lable in big is not on ly av in many cities, but also sity towns. smal l un iver

Michael Hudler (2), Rafael Krtz, Dirk Schumann / Fotolia

You should not leave the search for your ideal university too to start finding out abo late. Its best ut the higher educat ion landscape on the before you plan to beg Web a year in studying. Which subjects have restric Which kind of institu ted entry? tion suits me best? These are questions answer early on. Ot you need to herwise dealing with the application docu can become stressful me ntation . Although places for some subjects, e.g. me biology, are awarded dic ine and nationally by the ZV S clearing house, you directly to individu can apply al universities for all other places. But be because entrance req careful, uirements var y from un ive rsity to university. We like ww w.hochschulk bsites ompass.de and ww w.u niversity-rank ing.de you find the right un can help iversity.

Schwbisch Hall Regensburg Eichsttt Ludwigsburg Aalen Deggendorf Ingolstadt Stuttgart Calw Schwbisch Gmnd Passau Offenburg Hohenheim Esslingen Nrtingen Tbingen Landshut Reutlingen Bavaria Rottenburg FreisingUlm Neu-Ulm Weihenstephan Lahr AlbstadtAugsburg Riedlingen Furtwangen Sigmaringen Erding Biberach Munich Baden- Trossingen Weingarten Frei- Wrttemberg Rosenheim Friedrichs- Ravensburg burg Benediktbeuern Konstanz hafen Isny Kempten Weilheim Karlsruhe Pforzheim

[12_ ]
13

WELCOME
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// S TA RT //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

Questions are important!

Professor Liqiu Meng from China is Vice-President of the TU Mnchen where she teaches cartography. She has a great deal of contact with international students and advises them to openly approach lecturers. A conversation about learning culture in Germany.
Professor Meng, what do lecturers in Germany expect from their students? We expect independent scientific work. This is more or less an understood thing among German students, because they learn this at school. International students not only come from different countries but also from different learning cultures. So, especially during the first semester, this often creates a double cultural shock: a new environment and a new university system. Where are the difficulties? Whereas in many countries theres a lot of emphasis on text books, in Germany we have an open-end system. The students receive teaching material, papers, and sometimes weblinks as well, and then its a matter of reading, understanding and digesting the information. We want students to develop a broad profile and the ability to take a wider view of things. Reading text books isnt enough. International students often find it hard to assess the breadth of knowledge and limit it accordingly. Many learn far too much, and develop a superficial knowledge rather than in-depth knowledge. Have you noticed any typical mistakes? Many students are shy and dont ask questions in seminars. But interactive study is expected in Germany. As a lecturer I can often assess the level of knowledge from the questions students ask. Thats why stuJan Greune

: a strange everything is new At the beginning d lots of an ty faces at the universi countr y, unfamiliar there are s tie rsi ! At all German unive rules. But dont panic to give can y the o will do everything people to talk to wh of conint po t firs ts a good start. Your international studen samt nd sla Au es al Office (Akademi sch tact is the Internation ail, em by m the t rsity. You can contac or AA A) at each unive ure ced pro on ati d out about the applic letter or phone to fin everything s. The office can tell you before tak ing up studie and posses ces ements, selection pro about entrance requir DA AD or ers tur chers, university lec sible tuition fees. Tea useful th wi lp he me countr y can also assistants in your ho and es elv ms the eady studied abroad advice. Some have alr s to offer. have a lot of good tip

offers made looking at the Its we ll worth Every university resentative bodies. by the student rep tA) that looks tion (AStA, StuPa, US has a student organiza eresting proint . There are often ver y after student interests semester or t firs for students in the grammes and events nn: a multiBo i oad. For example at Un newcomers from abr ing, work dy stu swers questions about lingual AStA team an s such as age gu or job hunting, in lan or residence permits, mbers me m tea , Japanese. All of the English, Dari, Russian rsonal pe e sam who have gathered the are foreign students . They ers om wc ne many international experience needed by and al leg , ral ltu d advice on social, cu also provide help an political issues.

dents shouldnt make the mistake of thinking that questions are a nuisance and so remain silent. They should forget their shyness and openly approach the lecturers. Doesnt this restraint have something to do with language difficulties? People often speak too quickly in seminars without taking foreign students into consideration. I think this is wrong, but it often happens unconsciously. The pace should be modified and expressions should be easy for all to understand. I suggest pointing this out to the professor and asking him or her to speak more slowly. So if students have difficulties, they should do something about it? Yes, dont wait. That can be fatal, especially when it comes to exam regulations. Many students dont look into the details, because it means reading the many rules in German. But if the seminars are attended in the wrong order, for instance, it might even mean being rejected from the final exams. Who can help? Even if youre very busy, its useful to keep in touch with the student representatives or actually become a member of the student organization. They have mentors and advisors to help you along, and you gain more contacts with German students. Many foreign students underestimate the value of networking with domestic students.

val theres a after your arri In the first weeks ommodation or authorities, finding acc lot to do: visits to the tation is import nt. Gaining an orien opening a bank accou ready to pro onal Offices are always ant and the Internati ere wh parties, ey organize welcoming vide effective help. Th d guided tours an rs tou y Cit t contacts. you can gain your firs on of the uniies give a first impressi of institutes and librar dy to help with And the staff are rea versity and the town. al residents ofistering with the loc formalities, such as reg tion office. You hority or the examina fice, the local aliens aut who take care of are personal mentors will often find there dents needs. new international stu

gramme RISE A DAAD pro tists and for natural scien engineers

in a new place by l really at home But you only fee le. Many univercountr y and the peop getting to know the m contacts with mmes to help you for sities organize progra arning tandems through language-le Germans, for instance en their doors n the townspeople op or sponsors. In Giesse o German everystudents insights int to give international dentenwerk) uses Student Ser vices (Stu day and family life. guage skills and d out about your lan a questionnaire to fin ernational stungs Germans and int interests and then bri er and how ofards it is decided wheth dents together. Afterw to nt do together. et and things you wa ten you all want to me ny possibilities for ty town there are ma But in every universi er international with Germans and oth developing contacts ty sports clubs, sports clubs or universi students, such as local ns and much, tio oirs, cultural organiza dancing courses, ch much more...

rch Internships in ty? The DA ADs Resea rsi ive un an rm Ge a at ser look s and engineers from Feel like taking a clo ble. Natural scientist ssi po t tha ke ma ) SE ing (RI ond yea r of their unScience and Engineer pleted at least the sec com e hav y the if ly can app they act as research the USA and Britai n ek stay in Germany we e elv tw to six a Du ring t more from the DA AD dergraduate studies. menta l work. Find ou eri exp ir the in ts studen assistants to doctoral se /ri .de aad at ww w.d

[14_ ]
15
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

CHECK-LIST
// START //
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

> EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT

+++ EMPLOYMENT +++ ARBEITEN +++ TRABAJO +++

Gut zwei Drittel aller Studierenden in Deutschland verdienen etwas nebenher. Gute Karten hat, wer Know-how auf beson ders gefragten Gebieten mitbringt, zum Beispiel in der IT. Grundstzlich gilt: Aus lndische Studierende drfen in Deutsch land auch ohne Arbeitserlaubnis arbeiten. Fr Nicht-EU-Brger und Studierende aus einigen neuen EU-Mitgliedsstaaten gelten jedoch Einschrnkungen (90 ganze oder 180 halbe Tage im Jahr). Beschftigungen an der Hochschule sind ohne zeitliches Li mit mglich, mssen aber der Auslnder behrde gemeldet werden. En Alemania, alrededor del 60 % de los estudiantes trabaja para obtener ingresos adicionales. En principio, los estudiantes extranjeros pueden trabajar sin una au torizacin especial. No obstante, existen algunas restricciones para estudiantes de pases no pertenecientes a la UE o nuevos en ella (90 das completos o 180 medios das por ao). En la universidad es posible trabajar sin lmite de tiempo, pero los em pleos de este tipo deben ser registrados ante las autoridades de extranjera, que deciden si el puesto puede ser clasificado como actividad estudiantil secundaria.

Two thirds of all students in Germany work part-time to earn additional income. Foreign students are also allowed to work without a work permit. However, certain restrictions apply to non-EU citizens and students from some new EU member countries (90 whole or 180 half days per year). It is possible to work at the higher education institution without any time re strictions, but employment of this kind must be registered with the Auslnder behrde.

+++ ACCOMMODATION +++ WOHNEN +++ ALOJAMIENTO

Student halls of residence are at the top of the popularity ratings. They are usually close to universities and offer an ideal op portunity to get to know other people. Its by far the cheapest solution (roughly 180 euros a month). Rooms are allocated by the local Student Services, but they are of ten in short supply. Some Student Services also offer packages covering a variety of services ranging from accommodation to insurance. Students who prefer to live in private rented accommodation must expect to pay at least 300 euros a month. A popular alternative involves living in a Wohngemeinschaft, a private apartment shared by a number of students. Studentenwohnheime stehen ganz oben auf der Beliebtheitsskala. Die Huser lie gen meistens in Uninhe und man lernt schnell Leute kennen. Auerdem ist es die preiswerteste Lsung (rund 180 Euro im Monat). Die Pltze werden von den Studentenwerken vermittelt, sind aber oft schwer zu bekommen, weil das Interesse so gro ist. Also: Auf jeden Fall rechtzei tig bewerben! Manche Studentenwerke bieten auch Servicepakete an, die von der Zimmervermittlung bis zur Versiche rung alle mglichen Leistungen enthalten. Wer alleine leben will, muss mit einer Miete von mindestens 300 Euro rechnen. Eine beliebte Alternative sind Wohnge meinschaften (WGs), in denen sich Stu dierende eine private Wohnung teilen. Las residencias estudiantiles son muy po pulares. Generalmente estn cerca de las universidades y en ellas se puede cono cer rpidamente a otros estudiantes. Es la solucin ms econmica (unos 180 euros al mes). Las habitaciones son asignadas por los Studentenwerke (Obras Estudian tiles), pero ojo!: la demanda supera a la oferta. Es aconsejable presentar una so licitud no bien se obtenga una plaza de estudio. Algunos Studentenwerke ofrecen tambin otros servicios, desde ofertas de alojamiento hasta seguros. Los apar tamentos pequeos de alquiler cuestan, como mnimo, unos 300 euros al mes. Una alternativa son los pisos compartidos: se alquila un piso algo ms grande entre va rios estudiantes que se reparten las habi taciones.
Ausserhofer/Himsel/DAAD

www.arbeitsagentur.de www.studentenwerk.de www.studentenjobs24.de www.jobber.de

+++ LAW +++ RECHT +++ LEGALIDAD +++

Students from the EU only require an identity card to enter Germany. Non-EU citizens require a visa or a residence permit. Individuals who do not yet have a place at a higher education institution and would like to make enquiries in Ger many can apply for a study application visa for a period of three months; it can be converted into a residence permit. One thing that it is not advisable to do is to enter the country as a tourist. A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa at a later date. Studierende aus der EU brauchen nur den Personalausweis fr die Einreise. Beim Einwohnermeldeamt erhalten sie eine Bescheinigung ber das Aufent haltsrecht. Nicht-EU-Brger brauchen ein Visum oder eine Aufenthaltserlaub nis. Wer noch keine Zulassung hat, sich aber in Deutschland informieren will, kann ein Studienbewerbervisum bean tragen, es kann in eine Aufenthaltser laubnis umgewandelt werden. Achtung: Touristenvisa knnen nicht in Visa zu Studienzwecken umgewandelt werden. Los estudiantes de la UE slo necesitan el carn de identidad para entrar en Alema nia. Los de otros pases, un visado o una autorizacin de residencia. Quien an no tenga una plaza de estudio y quiera in formarse en Alemania, puede solicitar un visado de bsqueda de plaza de estudio, vlido por tres meses, que luego puede convertirse en una autorizacin de resi dencia. Pero cuidado!: no entrar como turista en el pas. Un visado de turista no puede convertirse luego en un visado de estudiante.

www.daad.de/deutschland/download www.diplo.de

www.studentenwerk.de www.wg-gesucht.de

[16_ ]
17
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

+++ Applications +++ BEWERBUNG +++ Solicitudes +++

All applicants for a higher education place who come from outside Germany must ap ply for admission. That applies to undergrad uates and also to postgraduate or PhD stu dents. The admission procedure examines whether an applicant fulfils the relevant requirements. They include, for example, the school-leaving certificate or previously completed periods of study. Diplomas must be recognized as equivalent to German qualifications. Proof of adequate knowledge of German is also required for many courses. You should make enquiries in good time in order to be able to catch up on any admis sion requirements you may still need. Jeder Studienbewerber aus dem Ausland muss eine Zulassung beantragen. Das gilt fr Studienanfnger, aber auch fr Graduierte oder Doktoranden. Bei der Zulassung wird geprft, ob ein Bewerber die notwendigen Voraussetzungen mitbringt. Dazu zhlen zum Beispiel das Schulabschlusszeugnis (wichtig fr Studienanfnger) oder bereits erbrachte Studienleistungen (wichtig fr Graduierte und Doktoranden). Sie mssen als gleichwertig anerkannt werden. In vielen Studiengngen ist auch der Nachweis aus reichender Deutschkenntnisse Vorausset zung. Man sollte sich frhzeitig erkundigen, um gegebenenfalls die Zugangsvorausset zungen nachzuholen und die ntigen Doku mente zusammenstellen zu knnen. Todo extranjero que desee realizar estudios en Alemania debe solicitar su matriculacin. Esto es vlido tanto para quienes comienzan sus estudios, como para quienes desean re alizar estudios de posgrado o doctorado. En el proceso de matriculacin, la Universidad verifica si el solicitante cumple con los re quisitos necesarios, entre los que se cuenta el haber finalizado la enseanza secundaria. Tambin se verifica qu estudios ha reali zado ya el candidato. Los estudios previos deben ser reconocidos como equivalentes a los alemanes. En muchas carreras tam bin es necesario poseer conocimientos sufi cientes de alemn. Para poder presentar puntualmente la documentacin necesaria es recomendable informarse con tiempo.

+++ Security +++ Sicherheit +++ Seguridad

There is no such thing as a country with out crime, but in Germany you can move around relatively safely. As in all coun tries, certain areas should be avoided for example, in the vicinity of train stations. Generally, too, women do not need to have any fears. Nevertheless, it is best to keep away from dark secluded places but that advice does not only apply to Germany either. www.polizei.de Ein Land ohne Kriminalitt gibt es nicht, aber in Deutschland kann man sich recht sicher bewegen. Bestimmte Gegenden, etwa in Bahnhofsnhe, sollte man wie berall lieber meiden. Auch als Frau muss man generell keine Angst haben. Um dunkle einsame Orte sollte man aber lieber einen Bogen machen aber auch das ist keine deutschlandspezifische Sa che. En todos los pases hay criminalidad, pero en Alemania se puede uno mover con con siderable seguridad. Conviene evitar, eso s, lugares como los alrededores de las estanciones de ferrocarril, como en todas partes. Tampoco las mujeres tienen por qu tener miedo; no obstante, deberan evitar los lugares oscuros y solitarios que no slo son poco recomendables en Ale mania.

www.daad.de/zulassung www.anabin.de

+++ Finance +++ FINANZEN +++ Financiacin +++

International students in Germany must prove that they have access to at least 643 euros a month. This amount will probably be raised by 5 euros/month. On average, studying in Germany involves costs of 770 euros a month. However, roughly one quarter of all students manage on less than 600 euros, while another quarter spend more than 890 euros. Tuition fees of up to a maximum of 500 euros a semester will be charged in a number of German Lnder. International applicants must also pay application fees. www.daad.de/gebuehren www.studis-online.de Internationale Studierende in Deutschland mssen nachweisen, dass sie ber mindestens 643 Euro im Monat verfgen. Dieser Betrag wird voraussichtlich um 5 Euro pro Monat erhht. Durchschnittlich kostet ein Studium im Monat 770 Euro. Rund ein Vier tel der Studierenden kommt aber mit we niger als 600 Euro aus, ein anderes Viertel braucht mehr als 890 Euro. In mehreren Bundeslndern werden rund 500 Euro Studienbeitrge pro Semester verlangt. Fr auslndische Studienbewerber fallen auerdem Bewerbungsgebhren an. Los estudiantes extranjeros en Alemania deben probar que disponen de por lo me nos 643 euros por mes. Est previsto que ese mnimo aumente en 5 euros prxima mente. En promedio, estudiar cuesta unos 770 euros por mes. Sin embargo, una cuar ta parte de los estudiantes gasta menos de 600 euros, mientras que otra cuarta parte necesita ms de 890 euros. En varios Ln der se debe pagar una matrcula de hasta 500 euros por semestre. Los estudiantes extranjeros deben abonar adems una tasa de solicitud de plaza de estudio.

+++ Deadlines +++ Termine +++ Fechas +++

The summer semester usually lasts from April to September at univer sities and from March to August at Fachhochschulen (FH, universities of applied sciences). Accordingly, the winter semester lasts from Oc tober to March at universities and from September to February at FHs. 15 January and 15 July are the deadlines by which applications for admission in the next semester must arrive at most institutions of higher education. Some institutions of higher education have other dead lines. Re-registration for the next semester takes place at the end of the current semester; students who miss the deadline are exmatriculated. Please also note the ZVS (Zentralstel le fr die Vergabe von Studienpltzen) deadlines!
snoopmedia, Wenzel/DAAD

HOW ABOUT A SCHOLARSHIP?

Many German foundations award scholar ships for which international students can also apply. The DAAD scholarship database provides an overview at www.funding-guide.de (in German, English and Spanish). If you understand German, www.stipendienlotse.de is another good address for information about scholarships.

Das Sommersemester dauert von April bis September an den Univer sitten (Termine knnen variieren), von Mrz bis August an den Fach hochschulen (FHs). Das Winterse mester geht von Oktober bis Mrz an den Universitten, von September bis Februar an den Fachhochschulen. Am 15. Januar und 15. Juli ist jeweils Bewerbungsschluss beim Akade mischen Auslandsamt vieler Hoch schulen. Achtung: Manche Hochschu len haben unterschiedliche Fristen. Die Rckmeldung fr das nchste Se mester erfolgt dann am Ende des lau fenden Semesters. Wer sie verpasst, wird exmatrikuliert oder muss Ver waltungsgebhren zahlen. Die ge nauen Termine stehen im Vorlesungs verzeichnis. Bitte auch die Fristen der ZVS (Zentralstelle fr die Vergabe von Studienpltzen) beachten!

El semestre de verano va general mente de abril a septiembre en las universidades y de marzo a agosto en las universidades de ciencias aplicadas (Fachhochschulen, FH). El semestre de invierno va de octubre a marzo en las primeras y de sep tiembre a febrero en las segundas. El 15 de enero y el 15 de julio son las fechas lmite para reinscribirse para el semestre siguiente en muchas universidades; pero algunas univer sidades tienen otras fechas. La rein scripcin para el semestre siguiente debe realizarse al final del semestre en curso. Los estudiantes que no se reinscriben son borrados de la ma trcula. Las fechas exactas se hal lan en los catlogos de asignaturas. Por favor tenga en cuenta los plazos de la ZVS (Zentralstelle fr die Vergabe von Studienpltzen)!

www.zvs.de www.hochschulkompass.de

[18_ ]
19
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Admission ?!
Until a few years ago, foreign students had to apply directly to the institution of higher education at which they wished to study. Uni-assist e.V. aims to make it easier for international applicants to apply to German universities and colleges. Arbeits- und Ser vice s telle fr internatio nale Studienbewerbungen is a charitable association whose affiliates include more than 200 German higher education institutions, the German Rectors Conference (HRK) and the DAAD. We asked Thomas Liljeberg, uni-assists director, five questions.
What are the advantages of applying through uni-assist? Many study programmes at German in stitutions of higher education now have restricted admission: only a limited number of places are available and not all applicants who satisfy the admission requirements will automatically receive a place. As a result, many applicants ap ply to several institutions at once in order to increase their chances of gaining a place. That is a perfectly legitimate prac tice. Unfortunately, however, it generates a substantial administrative workload for universities and colleges. A central clear ing office has obvious advantages here. We now work with more than 100 institu tions of higher education, carrying out the initial examination of applicants docu www.uni-assist.de www.inobis.de mentation on their behalf. This means that students who apply to several universities or colleges through uni-assist only have to submit one application. We digitalize the documentation and send the formally admissable applications on to the institu tions. That saves a lot of money and effort, because all the papers only need to be translated and certified once. How long does the process take? Its impossible to make generalizations about that. We guarantee the universi ties that they will receive all data records at the latest two weeks after the close of applications so that they can start their admission procedures as soon as pos sible. That therefore means the process ing time is also correspondingly short for applicants. Outside these peak periods, however, it can sometimes take four to six weeks before students receive the result of the examination. As soon as the appli cation has arrived and the processing fee has been paid, we check the paperwork and ensure that all important documents have been received. We actively help stu dents submit a complete application to that extent, uni-assist can also be seen as a seal of quality. If you want to play safe, you can also submit your application on line. In other words, you initially send in your certificates in digital form. On the basis of these scans, uni-assist will pro vide a provisional assessment of whether an application has any chance of success. Applicants then know whether sending in certified copies of their documentation will be worthwhile or not. How much does uni-assists help cost? An application to one or the first institu tion of higher education normally costs 55 euros, the fee for EU citizens is 30 euros. Chinese applicants with an APS certifi cate pay 25 euros. An additional fee of 15 euros is payable for each additional appli cation at another institution. Thus, for ex ample, if you come from Russia and would like to apply to three different uni-assist

universities, you will have to pay a total of 85 euros 55 euros plus 15 euros plus 15 euros. When you transfer the money from outside Germany, further costs will also accrue as a result of bank charges, which you must take into account. That is import ant because we can only pass applica tions on to higher education institutions when the fee has been paid in full. This transfer can take some time. You should therefore ensure you leave enough time for the money to reach us before the final application deadline. Which applicants is uni-assist responsible for? When it comes down to it, it is the high er education institutions themselves, which are members of the association, that decide whether or not you have to ap ply through uni-assist. As a rule, uniassist is responsible for applicants with foreign school qualifications, such as a High School Diploma, A-Levels, Baccalau reate and Gaokao, and/or foreign higher education credits. Meanwhile, however, there are also a number of universities that have assigned uni-assist the task of processing all groups of applicants for Masters degrees in other words, also including applicants with a German higher education qualification. Essentially, uni-assist is not responsible for applicants for first higher education degrees with a German Abitur diploma, which also includes graduates of German schools abroad who gained an Abitur there. How can I ascertain the admission requirements for a course? Interested students can find detailed infor mation on INOBIS, our online application and information portal. A diploma data base makes it easy to find out whether, in principle, specific qualifications are suffi cient for admission to a programme, while another database informs users what they can study at the uni-assist higher educa tion institutions. Additionally, a database supplies an application check-list that contains important application details in an easy-to-understand form. There is a lot of information about studying in Germany available on the Internet but it is often difficult to find and rather complicated.

+++ Language +++ Sprache +++ Idioma +++

If you want to study in Germany, you must be able to communicate in German. Even participants in international degree pro grammes should improve their kno w l edge of the language during their studies. After all, knowledge of German is often re quired for PhD dissertations and also for normal everyday life. Differ ent institutions offer tests on the Internet that provide ori entation (www.ondaf.de, www.goethe.de/ einstufungstest). TestDaFis a test of Ger man as a foreign language that can be ta ken at centres worldwide. It is recognized by all German higher edu cation institu tions. Goethe Institute tests can also pro vide proof of adequate German-language skills (www.study-in.de). Wer in Deutschland studieren mchte, sollte Deutsch knnen. Auch Teilnehmer der internationalen Studiengnge sollten sich parallel zum Studium in Kursen an der Uni fortbilden. Denn auch fr Promo tionsarbeiten sind hufig Deutschkennt nisse notwendig und natrlich auch fr den ganz normalen Alltag in Deutschland. Verschiedene Einrichtungen bieten zur ersten Orientierung Tests im Internet an (www.goethe.de/einstufungstest,www. ondaf.de). Der Test Deutsch als Fremd sprache (TestDaF) kann weltweit in Test zentren abgelegt werden. Er wird von allen deutschen Hochschulen anerkannt (www.testdaf.de). Auch die Prfungen der Goethe-Institute reichen zum Nachweis aus (www.studieren-in.de). Quien quiere estudiar en Alemania debe saber alemn. Es recomendable que tam bin los participantes en los cursos interna cionales aprendan alemn paralelamente a sus estudios. Y es que para escribir te sis doctorales se necesitan conocimientos de alemn ... como tambin para la vida cotidiana. Diversas instituciones ofrecen tests en Internet para una primera orien tacin (www.goethe.de/einstufungstest, www.ondaf.de). El examen TestDaF se puede hacer en todo el mundo en centros de exmenes y es reconocido por todas las universidades alemanas (www.testdaf. de). Tambin los exmenes del GoetheInstitut sirven para acreditar los conoci mientos de alemn (www.estudiar-en.de).

www.sprachnachweis.de www.testas.de

Hagenguth/DAAD

TYPICALLY GERMAN
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

[20_ ]
21

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

FASHION
It doesnt always have to be Engl ish . Tokio Hotel have proved that the German languag e is as good as any for producing char tbusters an d for lea rn ing Germ an too. Its more fu n!

SUCCESS ITH GERMANW SONGS

> WHAT IS TYP I LEATHER TRO CALLY GERMAN? U CUCKOO CLO SERS, BEER AND CKS? NO WAY Ever yone has th ... eir image of anot her country. Neus
chwa nstei n Castl e and the Hofbr uhau s, leather trousers, du mpl ings, a litr e of be er and autobah ns wi thout speed lim its are th ings that many people abroad im med iat ely as sociate with Germ any. But is all th is ty pica lly German? Yes, its pa rt of the pictu re , but by no mea ns ever yt hi ng. The 16 Germ an federal states stretchi ng from the North Se a to the Alps are so di ffe rent, ever y tow n ha s its char acter istics, so its di fficu lt to say wh at is really ty pica lly German today. One th ing is certa in : sometimes qu ite di fferent th ings ar e ty pica l of a country than we tend to th in k!

Dir nd l d resses a nd leath fi ne for er trou s the Ok to ers ? T he ber fest. fer their yre B u t G er m ow n we a n s muc ll-k now n s uc h a s h pre , elega n Boss, Str t fash ion e n e s s e, Ca in or bra nd s Steffen S K av ia r G ch raut, M auche. a rc

A. Vossberg / VISUM, Hans Slegers/Fotolia, Sasse/laif, Jens Boldt

Su sh i, tor tel lin i, falafel, tzatzi ki, keba b, tabou leh , pael la... A su rvey ca rr ied out by th e Al len sbach In stitute showed that over ha lf of German s prefer inter nationa l cu isi ne when ea ting at a res tau ra nt. And ther es ample va riety of these ev en in the smaller tow ns . Beef roulade with du m pl ings is on the menu too , of course...

SUSHI OR DUMPLINGS?

Design

Simple, simpler, Bauhau s. The Ge rman desig n scho produced many ol has classics. But Germ an desig ners ca n qu ite di fferent th make ings as well: play fu l, amusing, unco tiona l, as Chair On nv en e by Konstantin Gr cic clearly proves .

ALIMDI.NET/Sabine Lubenow, all-five.de, Alexander Rochau/Fotolia

German s prefer to dr in k m inera l wa ter (sparkl ing) rather than beer! Germany has over 50 0 di fferent m inera l waters. But the very favou rit e German dr in k is in fact coffee.

WATER RATHER THAN BEER

CYLCES INSTEA D OF CARS

People in the lan d of Porsche, BM W and Mercede like rid ing bi kes. s On average ever y person in Ger many cycles a go od 30 0 ki lomet re s per year. In un versity tow ns lik i e Mn ster or Frei bu rg the bi ke is of ten the char t-top pi ng vehicle for students. It keep you fit and is sim s ply practical. W ha ts more, there ar lots of cycle path e s ever ywhere. trees in the cit y. No, its not a drea m. In German cities away from the coast people are draw n to the beach clu bs with their Med iterra ne an atmosphere in the su m mer. Th eres noth ing mor e relax ing than dozing in a deck chair with sa nd ca re ssing your toes, right in the hear t of tow n.

CHILL-OUT AT T HE CITY BEACH CLU B Pa lm

Its obvious : if yo u study in Mun ich, you ca n go sk iing ev er y weekend in the wi nter. But there are wi nte r spor ts available not just in the Alps. In th e Sauer land, the Rhoen and the Ha rz there are en ough mou nta in s with sn ow in wi nter to put a sp arkle into spor ts fan s eyes.

SKIS AND TOBOGGANS

[22_ ]
23

how do you
Jan Greune (2)

GERMAN?
Studying in Germany without learning German?
That doesnt really make very much sense. Although knowledge of English (e.g. TOEFL) is sufficient for international degree courses, students can also learn German in language programmes at university during their degree course. As a rule, however, you need to be able to prove adequate knowledge of German before you begin your studies (TestDaF, DSH). Its also important to be able to speak the language in everyday life otherwise you can feel left out and only discover half of whats going on.

LEARN

Summer, fun and learning the language

E FUN ITS MOR R E H T TOGE

Links for learning German: www.testdaf.de www.goethe.de www.deutsch-uni.com www.sprachkurse-weltweit.de

Feel like getting a taste of what a German university is like for a few weeks? No problem. Many universities offer summer courses in German and English during the summer vacation period (sometimes also in winter). The courses range from art history to economics. There are also a large number of courses for people who want to learn German. The summer courses leave enough free time to get to know the country and its people. The courses cost money, but the DAAD does award scholarships. Support is available, for example, for German-language courses that focus on the subject of German as a Foreign Language and run for no less than 18 days with at least 25 lessons a week. An overview of all programmes can be found at www.daad.de/sommerkurse

The small basement party is jam-packed. Students from all over the world are crowding onto the dance floor. Where do you come from? What are you studying? Which types of sport do you enjoy? A truly Babylonian confusion of languages is in full swing. At least 50 or 60 young people have come together this evening to find a partner who will help them learn the language. Interest is always especially great at the beginning of the semester, explains tutor Tim Appel. Many also come to make contact with other students when theyre new in town and dont know anyone. Appel is responsible for the SprachDuo meetings in Munich, an initiative of the AEGEE European student forum. There are now 20 branches of this free, non-commercial undertaking across Germany. It is based on a very simple idea: learning a language with someone else is much more fun. Every jumper or T-shirt bears a piece of paper with the wearers name and nationality. Sigi is looking for someone from France because he will soon be working in an international firm as a legal intern. Oskar, who has only just come to study in Munich from Sweden, would like to improve his German in the easiest possible fashion. The tandems work together in entirely different ways, says Appel. Some only meet a few times to prepare for a very concrete situation, while others become good friends and remain in contact long after half of the tandem has left the country.

Ellie and Andreas immediately found a mutual interest: skiing. I love the mountains! enthuses Ellie Smith. Thats why I chose to study in Munich. The Londoner, who is studying German and Spanish at Cambridge University, is spending her compulsory year abroad in Germany. She spent the first six months gaining work experience in a small lawyers office and then registered as a student of German at LudwigMaximilians University. Her German tandem partner, Andreas Fackelmeier, found her through the SprachDuo Internet platform. On this particular morning they are meeting for a coffee and a cup of tea at the Uni-Lounge. Whether we talk German or English depends on the subject, explains Andreas. If something is important to me, then I automatically speak German. And I speak English, says Ellie spontaneously. Andreas laughs. You can speak both really well and simply switch between the two. After all, the Englishwoman also has the advantage of continuous practice and in the most diverse locations: In the office or at the court I have to cope with legal jargon, says Ellie, who wants to complement her degree in languages with a qualification in law. But at the same time I have a part-time job in a coffee shop to earn the money for my rent and there I learn colloquial expressions Ive never heard before. Her German language-learning partner has also gained considerable linguistic self-confidence.

The electrical engineer is currently working on a doctorate and repeatedly has to present his findings in scientific papers to research groups. The working language is English. Writing is not the problem, explains Andreas. But I have to practise speaking so that I can answer questions. Youve really moved on, says Ellie. Once you get going, your English steadily improves. Language tandems need to observe certain rules. The partners are not vocabulary trainers. In other words, they must already have some knowledge of the respective language. Vocabulary and grammar have to be learned alone independently. Even in the case of languages with very difficult written characters, the native speakers only help in speaking, not in writing. Obviously, you need to be corrected frequently. In a nutshell, that is the whole purpose of the tandem, which is why you really shouldnt be too sensitive in that regard. How quickly youll find a suitable partner also depends on how much demand there is for your native language. Ellie was immediately able to make many interesting contacts through www.sprachduo.de and did not only get to know nice people, but also the city of Munich from very different perspectives.

On a recent visit to Tbingen Ellie discovered how import ant it is that you dont exclusively meet with fellow-countrymen. I went to see a friend from Cambridge whos there as an Erasmus student, she reports. We spent the whole weekend only talking English afterwards I had to re-adjust all over again. Back in her German routine, however, that wasnt so difficult. At the coffee shop she only works with Germans. We have a lot of fun together, says Ellie. And because were at the central station where we have a lot of regular customers who come in every day, I do a lot of talking there too. Thats why she has no fears about her semester of German. I may not need to do an exam, but you still ought to be able to speak German well so you can benefit from the curriculum. As a result, she intends to maintain her SprachDuo contacts. After all, one thing is clear: sitting in a ski-lift talking with native speakers beats a lecture any day. > More information and tips about language tandems: www.sprachduo.de www.speak2speak.de www.tandemcity.com

W her Y D U e? T S THE R O T A G I NAV

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

[24_ ]
25

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

This university is right for me!

Which subjects are offered by which universities? Where is the equipment particularly good and how content are the students? The CHE (Centre for Higher Education Development) has produced rankings for 33 subjects which offer the most comprehensive and most detailed overview of the study situation at German universities and universities of applied science. The analyis includes facts about studying, teaching and research as well as the opinions of over 250,000 students about their universities and departments. Soft factors also play a part, such as supervision and how well courses are organized. Users select up to five criteria and receive a list of universities which score well in the chosen aspects. The atmosphere in the place of study is important too, but thats difficult to measure. But you can quickly discover what the leisure activities and nightlife are like by looking on the Internet. When you click onto a university, you automatically find a link to its town or city. www.das-ranking.de

If you can already speak German well, you can also do your research through the Federal Employment Agency. Its Berufnet website offers a whole list of suggested

careers in response to keywords such as languages or energy and describes the openings for study as well. Thats important, because once youve chosen a subject to study, the next step is deciding where to submit your application. Academic ex-

> Tips and tests: finding the right subject to study

cellence is a feature of many universities, not just those in the big cities. Smaller cities such as Heidelberg, Mnster or Tbingen also have universities with outstanding reputations, and the places themselves have attractive student scenes. Whilst the bigger universities usually have a greater choice of courses and seminars with higher levels of freedom, the smaller ones often have clearer structures and better supervision.

? t ha W
Before you start studying, you need to answer two key questions: Which subject do I want to study? And which university shall I choose? Its not always easy to know what you want at first. To begin with its important to discover where your special strengths and interests lie and which kinds of activities you really enjoy. Tip: its a good idea to write down your preferences, strengths and weaknesses, because a list like this makes things a lot clearer. If you have difficulty doing this, you can find support on the Internet. There are several self-assessment tests which help you to sound out your aptitudes and abilities and discover a suitable direction of study. As a rule the university syllabuses are free of charge. Orieneinstieg.com. However, these online tests are accompanied by experts and there is a charge. Alternatively, the community participants of university portals, such as unicum.de, can get their personal profiles for free. For international students who are interested in studying technical subjects, such as mechanical engineering or civil engineering, the nine leading technical universities in Germany have developed a self-assessment programme. The TU9.de test enables you to get to know the range of requirements involved in studying technical courses. It takes about 90 to 120 minutes to work through the test and assess your mathematical skills, logical reasoning, motivation and level of commitment. After the test every participant receives a reply with an explanation of the results.
McPhoto/vario images, imabase/Fotolia, Yuri Arcurs/Fotolia, snoopmedia

BERLIN

TBINGEN
CHECK-LIST
 hat am I good at and what is less interestW ing to me? Hold a mini-brainstorming session, but without worrying too much about jobs or definite subjects to study.  sk parents and friends. How they see A you can open up perspectives that you may never have thought of by yourself.  hich area of study suits my inclinations? W Hunt around for possible courses, for instance on the Internet at www.daad.de.  Which requirements must I satisfy? At the universities specialist advisors can provide detailed information about courses of study. Tip: look out for advice services for future international students.  hat do other students think about the W course and the university of my choice? Look for contacts with networks, for instance via www.studivz.net, and let people tell you about university life.  an I do it? Naively embarking on studies can C end up badly. Always take a good look at the curriculum and examination regulations.

Are you interested in academic depth or a more practical orientation? The type of university is important too. If you want to pursue basic research, a university is definitely the best place for you. But in Germany it is also possible to study at a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule or FH). The lecturers come from industry, have a lot of practical experience and put their students in touch with the professional world. Courses are very clearly structured and more regulated than at general universities. Consequently, Bachelor students handle if they have come from a university. Of course, money also plays a role when choosing a place to study. Some Lnder charge tuition fees (maximum 500 euros per semester), while others do not. In smaller towns it is easier to find reasonably priced accommodation than in places like Munich, Cologne or Hamburg. But its not just the rents that are more expensive in the big cities (with the exception of Berlin!), cinema tickets, cafs and restaurants are more expensive too. On the other hand, global players are mainly located in and around the big cities. For students with an international background these companies can be very interesting, for instance when gaining practical experience during your studies.
Futh/laif, Daniel Karmann/dpa,Bernd Weibrod/dpa, Werner Otto/OK APIA

LINK TIPS
General information on studying www.study-in.de International programmes in English www.daad.de/international-programmes Einstieg advice on studies and careers www.einstieg.com Help with orientation and applications www.inobis.de University or university of applied science? www.studium-ratgeber.de/hochschultest Federal Employment Agency careers advice www.berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de Hohenheim University study choice test www.was-studiere-ich.de Self-assessment www.self-assessment.tu9.de

tation is also provided by various German study guidance portals, for instance

who want to follow up with a Masters degree often find it easier to

[26_ 2] ]
2 27
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// START //

>CREATIVE STUDIES
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

in wh ich German for wa rd-looking fields are gy olo hn tec d an any also has a lot to Natural sciences at expertise. But Germ gre ir the for ed niz og un iversities are rec s. ding to creative career offer with cou rses lea

FASHION L A N IO T A N R E T IN +/+/+ Esmod /+/+ + P U O R G Y IT S R E UNIV

dra two desig ners Alexan car pet: since 2004 the red the is ge ing sta tak eir Th nced a breath an na K hl have ex perie Fischer-Roehler and Joh Bag sel ls as far lla me La eir r Gauche. Th rise wit h the label Kavia eron is among their erican sta r Charl ize Th ng away as Korea, and Am met du ring their tra ini cessfu l fashion lad ies s wa ich wh , customers. The two suc ool sch e n desig n in Berlin. Th hio fas of y rsit ive un at Esmod rman Empress, is now the pu rveyor to the Ge originally opened by ar cou rse in Fashion -ye d. Du ring the three rke wo net ally tion rna inte t to know importa nt students personal ly ge the ion eat Cr and n sig De At the end students Tok yo, Par is or Beijing. fashion centres such as aim of creating their lection concept wit h the produce a diploma col ance: the desig ns are e for the gra nd perform ow n label. Then its tim od.de hion show. ww w.esm presented in a big fas

EMY +/+/+ D A C A S E M A G + / + +/

THE FUN FACTOR

Academy in Berlin and Students at the Ga mes the laborator ies and sem Fra nk fur t are free to use ex to ce tan ins clock, for ina r rooms rou nd the ropes 2D space shooters. Eu on as ide h wit periment nt for ga mes developme un ique specia list school eo vid boom ing computer and tra ins ex perts for the pro : ee to fou r semesters ga mes indust ry in thr ga me , ga me desig ners, and ers ducers, progra mm graph s me ga g ble for puttin artists who are responsi nal sio fes pro turers are ics into practice. The lec r e from German and inte com and s ner sig ga mes de ga mes-academy.de national studios. ww w.

THE CRAFT WITH THE GLAMOUR FACTOR

Games Academy, Caro/Kruppa, Bar th/laif, Andreas Reeg/ VISUM, David Ausserhofer

LIVE, LOUD, LAID-BACK

Holzenleuchter/laif, esmod, Gnther Reisp/dpa, Murat Tueremis/laif

himsel f a Rapper Da nny Fresh, demie in aka Pop graduate from the mu sical the s che Ma nn hei m, now tea stage ing om d-c -an up know-how to hip to p po k, fun to nk sta rs. From pu d alle un riv hop : in Germany this of s itie personal col lege fosters mu sic les and works sty al sic mu rn de all mo ian s. The wit h high-calibre mu sic compe a as lf Popakademie sees itse s of the ect asp all tence centre for rses. cou two rs offe mu sic sector and pa res students Pop Mu sic Desig n pre sicia ns. nal mu for a career as professio i ng g on, son wr it They study compositi ally eci esp e and producing. Th Bu siness practice-oriented Mu sic rs and ize an org cou rse is more for nes. sce the d hin be decision-makers de ie. em ad ak op w.p ww

+/+/+ POPAKADEM

IE +/+/+

LEVISION E T F O Y IT S R E IV N +/+/+ U +/+/+ H IC N U M M IL F D N A

Un iversit y of is the motto at Mu nichs Learn ing by doing : severa l HF F FF ). The recipe is good Television and Fil m (H cars Ha ll of Fame. im morta lized in the Os graduates have been Award in 2003 ph) won the Academy Ca rol ine Lin k (photogra n Henckel von guage film, and Floria for the best foreig n lan r re 7. Floria n Ga llen berge ma rck followed in 200 Donners final his h wit film best live action short t at ceived the Oscar for the las ich wh s, rse cou Ser in 2001. The graduation film Quiero are least eight semesters, , ors ect dir ng devoted to tra ini and s cer du pro w riters, screen e HF F cinematographers. Th ns in atio nd fou id sol s create me and l ica hn tec g, kin film ma ilst wh e, dia bu siness ex pertis ex for provid ing ample space names as director ers include such great perimentation. Lectur Ba llhaus. The HF F ematographer Michael Wi m Wenders and cin for technology. un iversit y wit h a cha ir is the on ly German film rta nt German city arded as the most impo After all, Mu nich is reg nchen.de ology. ww w.hff-mue for film and video techn

[28_ 2] ]
2 29
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

LIVING + LEISURE
S T U DY I NGI NGE R M A N Y
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

> A nice room and friends are feel good -good factors in a new town
students Room with a view: the WG the as l wel as sha re the balcony room ng livi and kitchen, bathroom

A happy crowd: Ch ristopher, Sawssa n, Sybi lle, Ayosha an d Soph ia (from th e left)

Many students in Ge rmany choose to liv e like the five from Mnst er, because its almost impossible to find a sep arate apartment for les s than 300 euros a mo nth. The price for a roo m in a WG, where severa l tenants share the cos ts, averages between 20 0 and 300 euros a mo nth . International studen ts coming to German y can start their search on the Internet from ho me, on websites such as ww w.s tudenten-wg.de or ww w. studenten-wohnung .de. Places in student ho stels are also in dema nd, especially among firs t-year students. The ho ste ls are often close to the un iversity. Their apartm en ts are often furnished and have low-priced Internet connections. Th is type of accommodat ion is also reasonably priced (on average 180 euros pe r month) and is available through Student Ser vic es (Studentenwerke). And how do you ma ke contacts in the new town? The best way is simply to mi x with the people, says Ayosha, for instance through un iversity sport. Hes con vinced that you quick ly gain contacts by op enly approaching oth ers: I enjoy cooking and often invite a big cro wd in to eat, he says. Its something his flatmate s appreciate too!

Veit Mette

Mnster, Hafenstrass e, 2nd floor, 5 rooms , kitchen, bathroom, balcony: its where Ayosha, Sop hia , Sybille and Christopher share an apartment as a Wo hn gem ein schaft, or WG. They have their own room an d share the rent and electricit y, the kitchen, bathro om an da living room. The fou r study at the universi ty an d the university of applied sciences in Mnster and are now sitting in the kitche n drinking coffee tog ether. Sawssan from Lebanon ha s just dropped by for a ch at. When asked which type of accomodation they wo uld recommend for students, the y reply in unison: W G . A WG helps you to find your feet in a new town, say s Ayosha.

A nd you gain lots of new contacts tha ts great for leisure time too. Ch ristopher has already lived in a classic student hoste l: In a WG I have to con sider my flatmates more than the students in a hoste l, he says, but here I can hav e my own furniture . An d theres always someone aro und. That improves the atmosphere. It means you dont have to eat, or cle an , alo ne, agrees Sybille. But you have to be able to agr ee wi th others, about cleanlin ess, shopping and thing s lik e tha t, adds Sophia. Sawssa n lives in a different WG, but she also likes student ho stels where you live in your own domain.

[30_ ]
31
+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

// START //

+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+

What does ? cost studying

ct to spend e p x e n a c u o y y e n o e prices > How muchcom ropean countries. Th mpared with other Eu ey are
ive average for the EU. Th Germany isnt expens cultural activ ities are d the an re su lei , ing us ce, Great Britain and for food, ho th countries like Fran wi ed ar mp co low ly even relative Netherlands.
Even if living costs are not above average, the monthly sum of 643 euros that every international student has to prove their parents can provide will certainly not allow you to lead a life of luxury. On average, German students have available funds of 770 euros a month. How much you will spend depends very much on where you study and not least on your leisure activities. Roughly a quarter of all students have to get by on less than 600 euros a month. Monthly rent Canteen meal Bread (1 kilogram) Milk (1 litre) Daily newspaper (monthly student subscription) Health insurance Cinema visit 185 315 euros 2.60 3 euros 2 3 euros 0.50 1 euros 16 20 euros 54 euros 4 8 euros Very few manage without additional income: German students earn roughly one quarter of their budget themselves. Finding a good part-time job is not very easy. Student Services at German higher education institutions have therefore set up job centres for students in conjunction with the Federal Employment Agency. Here you can find temporary jobs such as typing or other short-term work in businesses. An interesting alternative is a job as an academic assistant (wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft or Hi-Wi for short) at your university or college. But beware! Your studies can suffer if you spend too much time working. Medical student Indradeo Hemraj from Mauritius has already seen many of his fellow students lose form: When you do too many night duties in hospital, you stop being able to concentrate. And that can turn out to be expensive: if you exceed the standard study period, you can end up paying up to 500 euros a semester in additional tuition fees. Financial documentation Before you begin your course you will need to provide evidence that you can finance your studies. Please consult the German Embassy in your country to find out which form of financial documentation you will require (e.g. proof of income/assets of parents, bank guarantee, scholarship, security payment to blocked account). Service packages Student Services at many higher education institutions offer special service packages that give new students from outside Germany financial security for their first year in higher education. These all-inclusive deals are very convenient and make it easier to calculate costs. International students receive accommodation, food and medical insurance cover for a lump sum. Leisure activities are often also included. These service packages can already be booked before you arrive in Germany. Cost: between 158 and 358 euros a month depending on the range of services included. Further information: www.internationale-studierende.de

S K N LI
www.daad.de,
Service em ic Exchange The German Acad students of ge es the exchan (DAA D) promot and the tween Germany and academ ics be mber of nu e rg la th rough a rest of the world mes. It m ra og ojects and pr internationa l pr tries that un co s ou s in nu mer mai ntai ns office formation d di rectly for in ca n be contacte rmany. Its Ge in rtu nities about study oppo deta iled of ra a ph letho website provides in formation e bl ntly, relia and, very importa Germany. It s of studying in about al l aspect s and scholtabases of course also includes da offices lin ks to al l DA AD arsh ips as well as ide. centres worldw and in formation

e www.study-in.d

www.hochschu

ctors Con, the German Re On th is website ned by ai database mai nt ference offers a nes study tli colleges that ou un iversities and d instituze ni al l state-recog progra m mes at y. You an rm ucation in Ge tions of higher ed e ra nge tir en e ugh al most th ca n browse th ro e basis th on y le in German of courses avai lab e site Th . ria rse search crite of the most dive appl ie th of ef ul over view also presents a us sities. er iv un for individual cation dead lines

lkompass.de

www.young-ge

website with Engl ish-la nguage about higher n lots of in formatio oyment. pl education and em

rmany.de

www.das-rankin

www.tu9.de

offices www.daad.de/

e addresses es access to al l th Th is page provid ct lin ks to the twork with di re of the DA AD ne e as well as offices worldwid 14 DA AD branch formation merous DA AD in contacts at the nu the globe. centres arou nd

institutes oduced by ni ne Th is website is pr phasis on em l ia at place spec of tech nology th provides d an e) (T U9 In itiativ internationa lity ing and n about engi neer lots of in formatio natu ra l sciences.

ive ra nk ing of The very extens gher Education Hi the Centre for HE) and the Development (C er Die Zeit helps ap week ly newsp d would be school leavers an e right higher th d students to fin tion. education institu

g.de

www.studivz.ne

www.internatio

Some German Lnder charge tuition fees, in which case you have to reckon with paying up to 500 euros per semester. Some higher education institutions also charge foreign applicants application fees (approx. 50 euros). A semester contribution of between 50 and 100 euros is also payable for the use of the social facilities offered by Student Services, such as the canteen or sports amenities. At some universities this payment also covers the cost of a semester ticket that enables students to use the public transport system for six months. What can you do if your funds are not enough? If you dont have enough money to make ends meet, you can try for a scholarship. Numerous institutions, such as the DAAD, foundations closely associated with German political parties and church and business organizations, provide financial support for international students. The precondition for backing is above-average achievement in your subject and/ or significant political or social commitment. The DAAD scholarship database lists not only its own programmes, but also those of 50 other organizations: www.funding-guide.de

www.

ucation and forthcom ing ed An over view of the DA AD n fa irs in which higher educatio rt. will be ta ki ng pa

mine.html daad.de/de/ter

enten , Deutsches Stud On th is website Stu e th of n ella orga ni zatio werk, the umbr any, rm Ge in dent Services) dentenwerke (Stu rnate in r fo lly ation specifica presents in form in d ste If youre intere tiona l students. ca refu lly any, you shou ld rm studying in Ge repa re P d e section ca lle read th rough th your studies.

.de nale-studierende

ntact one Students ca n co ange in formaanother and exch form, which is tion on th is plat s la rgest socia l one of Germany ites. networki ng webs

www.uniturm.d

les students Th is website enab dy literature, to exchange stu d other malectu re notes an teria l.

www.eu.daad.de

of in formaite provides lots Th is DA AD webs ra m mes of og er education pr tion on the high EU eduas ll ion (EU) as we the Eu ropean Un tside ou es tri ips with coun cation pa rtnersh m mun ity. the Eu ropean co

www.spiegel.d

iegel s magazine Der Sp The German new ye a ar. The ispiegel six times publ ishes its Un te in formaovides up-to-da magazine also pr velopments ost importa nt de tion about the m the Internet. er education on in German high

e/unispiegel

www.all-student

l in formaitself as a centra Th is website sees s for students uced by student tion porta l prod em are sti ll authors al l of th in Germany. Its fer schoollves want to of students themse formation. nts first-ha nd in leavers and stude

s.de

Summer Schools in Germany

Language and Specialist Courses

www.summerschools-in-germany.de