The Ugly Side of Studying in Germany (you should know this)

This is the reality of studying in Germany. The quality of life is actually pretty good here, but it's good to keep these things in mind as a student in Germany.

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[joschafinger]

_Pünktlich wie die Bahn_, "As punctual as the railway, " used to be high praise until the system got privatised. Now, it's dripping sarcasm.

[iij]

Another thing is student life:
there might be less feeling of community or belonging to a university, because universities may spread around different parts of a city or town, and people may just disappear into their private lives after lectures. You need to be very active to look for activities or organise on your own. In general, there is less/non-existent "campus life" and more about your private circle of friends.

[phsiungus]

Interesting that speaking German is the elephant in the room . Glad you brought it up . I could not agree more . Without German, even if they do English speaking degrees, which is where many foreigners gravitate to, the options for decent job opportunities will become limited . Reminds me why I’m currently learning German .

[dyslexictunes]

going to a foreign country and not willing to learn the local language voluntarily baffles me everytime. Here in germany, but especially when i did my erasmus semester in Italy, what do you expect?Youre missing out on a huge part of the culture and a big part of making friends with the local inhabitants, the ones being able to help you the most!

[ichbinhier]

if you are going to study in Germany be prepared to learn German, regardless if your studies will be in English or any other language. German is a must in Germany... (more jobs opportunities, build your network, meet local people and so on}

[BruceBoschek]

I left the US in 1965, came to Germany and after "learning German" at a beer-drinking course at the Goethe Institute in Bad Reichenhall I began my doctoral work at Eberhard Karls Universität in Tübingen and at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cyberntics under Prof. Dr. Werner Ernst Reichardt. Work at the MPI was very demanding for an American with a BS in microbiology from Purdue Univ. and no German language experience, especially since I had to build up a complete electron-microscopy department while doing my thesis work. Study at the university was much like at Purdue and I got along with English for almost 2 years, while trying to learn German. German students enjoyed practicing English with me and asked me to correct them if appropriate. Finally, after 3 years I began giving lectures and writing papers in German. It took me 7 years to finish my PhD work, which at that time was not unheard of. It took that long because of the nature of my thesis work. When it was finished it was accepted in English so that it could be published in an international journal as soon as I passed my exams in cybernetics, biochemistry and microbiology. (In Tübingen doctoral theses could be submitted in German, English and Latin). I loved my time at the university and found it generally very pleasant and satisfying. The last 30 years of my career I spent as director of the dept. of electron microscopy at the virological institute of the Uni-Gießen. I enjoyed my interaction with colleagues and students and helped many students obtain their doctoral degrees. I have always been grateful to have had the opportunity to follow my academic career in Germany.

[iij]

About academic diffculty:
it varies from universities, but technical subjects like engineering or applied sciences can sometimes be "overly theoretical" and come at a shock for some students. I know friends from my masters in Munich who struggled or even dropped-out for failing a course twice. This is because students come from different academic backgrounds in different countries, some of which might be more hands-on or have different focus.

The key is to "fail early" and look for a new program/university that suits you better, so that you don't waste time struggling. Not everyone needs those obscure theories in real world jobs or asipire to become a researcher/professor.

[equation]

As an Indian, the train thing isn't a problem for me 😅😅

[gungna]

1. University Demand (note to myself : different system, need to adapt)
2. Train
3. Internet Speed

[elinajha]

Thank you so much! I love how you give so many resources for free. One of the best persons to follow if you are planning for Germany!

[charlottepeukert]

What people don't understand about the german university system: it's a fight for survival and not by accident. You have to pursue your education on your own. You're an adult and you have to take responsibility for your education, life and decisions. The motto is : if you can make it there, you make it anywhere.
It's you against the system.There are some students ( good ones in fact) who wouldn't want it any other way.If you succeed, you know your limits, capabilities and you have achieved a lot.😊

[Thakshyyy]

Germany starter kit course is superb.Thanks a lot for updating us.sending love ❤️

[leoh]

I go to university in a small town in Saxony and we have over 40% international students. Most German students are used to having to communicate in English in bigger groups. Lectures are still mostly in German though and I just had a seminar today with about half of the students being international and while they mostly understood everything and participated in German because of their limited vocabulary the pace was so slow that the German students got quite bored.
I think while participating in student life can work very well when you know only a little bit of German, you need to know much more to be able to follow lectures and participate in seminars.

[englishwithdej]

Taking the trouble to make this and other videos and providing all this useful information is very generous of you! Thanks!

[LearnGermanwithMarzipanfrau]

This was really interesting. I am from Switzerland and must admit that it's a big advantage to speak German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Thank you.

[oliverjamesdulay]

I got a scholarship in Germany, finish my master's recently. Und alles gut gemacht. I am very thankful for this opportunity and Germany. All things are beautiful experience I had with Germany

[dominikhorvath]

So I study at RWTH Aachen which is said to be one of the most difficult universities in Germany. And yeah it's challenging but you definitely learn a lot and the exam periods are stressful but it's also important for life to know how to deal with stress.

[christianefiorito]

I can tell you what went wron with Deutsche Bahn. Privatisation. It all started when it was partially privatised. In the eighties the Deutsche Bahn was cheap and perfect.

[laurin]

German Internet actually got pretty good, just compare it to the US and Canada just stay away from O2.

[philler]

I feel this things apply for every country and are (except the trains being late) common to almost all countries.
You always need to know the local language to be a local.
There are always exams.
Course organziation/ sign up for exams etc. is difficult for everyone and everywhere since its something you never did before.