Excuse me? Yes? Hi, I am enrolling today. Can you
let me know how much I owe you? Nothing, it's free. Mind blown?
Me too! In Germany, university education
is almost completely free! So it's no wonder that it’s one of the
popular countries in the world to study in. Here are a few things that I bet you
didn't know about studying in Germany. The most important thing you need to
know about studying in Germany is that there are no education fees at public
unis, even for international students. There are some small semester fees
that are around 200-400 Euros, but these go towards things like your
public transport and the student unions. Germany is home to over 400
colleges and universities. Universities emphasize the
academic, while colleges or polytechnics focus on practical skills.
But the degrees have equal standing. A bachelor's program in Germany usually
takes six semesters or three years. But many students take eight semesters to finish. It's generally no problem
if it takes a bit longer. There are almost half a million foreign
students in Germany, most of which study in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
which has the most students in general. International students receive a lot of
support here for things like scholarships, counseling, initial steps and settling in. Germans also like to study abroad.
The number of students doing Erasmus is on the rise – that's an EU
program that enables students to study abroad for a year or a semester.
And there is even a financial incentive as you get paid to do it. I also did
an Erasmus, right here in Berlin! Studying itself might be free, but the
average cost of living is around 1000 euros a month – depending on where you live.
This covers things like rent, groceries, textbooks and socialising.
So most students have a part-time job to help cover these costs.
What’s it like in your country? Now, I'm heading to the Student Service
Organization - like the student union. It's important for students in Germany.
There, I'm meeting Jana Judisch. She's the contact person for everyone's
questions about the university. As education is considered a public good, caring
for students also is considered a public good. So that's why we exist here in Germany. And we are basically responsible for
all that isn’t research or education. We do the housing, the meals,
the canteens, the consultation. Do you have any tips for international students? When you get your enrollment, it
doesn't mean you have accommodation. Most do not know that and they come here. I get often emails like 'Next week I'm
coming and please show me my room.' And then we have to tell them:
'No, there is no room for you. You are one and a half years too late.
Please look on the free market.' Most students live in shared flats. However, these are getting
more and more expensive. Munich and Stuttgart are the most
expensive cities so study in, followed by Berlin whereas cities in what used
to be East Germany are considerably cheaper. Okay, schools and session.
Time for some German vocab. Being fluent in German isn’t
necessarily a requirement, as there are specialized English courses or
you can often write your papers in English. However, most universities’
first language is German, so here are three essential
words to help you get started. Hörsaal: this directly translates to listening
room, but it is basically a lecture hall. Mensa: this is the school canteen
where students get their lunch. And Ersti: freshers! Students
in their first semester. Looking back: Germany's oldest
university is in Heidelberg. Students have been attending
class there since 1386. Students in Cologne and Erfurt
started studying soon after. The first university in Europe wasn't
founded in Germany but in Bologna, Italy, where classes have been
held for nearly a thousand years. Higher education was once a male domain.
Whilst the first woman to attend class was in mid-19th century Switzerland, Johanna Kappes
was the first German woman student in 1900. Currently, slightly more women are
enrolled at German universities than men. I'd like to hear a little about
what university life is like from two students in Berlin - members of
the AStA General Students' Committee. What does student life in
general look like for you? Do you have a part-time job,
do you go out partying a lot? Most of the students have
part-time jobs, just like me. It’s like a balance, it’s not always
easy, especially during exams. I have a lot of fun with the thing I study
so I don’t feel a lot of pressure from that. We do drink a lot of beer.
You do not have to do it and you shouldn’t feel pressured to do it
but it is a good way to meet new people. And the Späti, you have to get to know the Späti. Späti in Berlin, yeah. It is a kiosk.
Some Spätis have like DJs and music. And how do you meet people? The stereotype that Germans can be quite cold, maybe rings true to some international students.
But I think if you just approach us openly, we don't bite and we are actually
quite nice, but we are a bit shy. Enough education for today. Personally, I loved studying in Germany.
So much so that I decided to move here permanently!
The fact that it’s free is obviously a major benefit, but there are also great programs
on offer and a lot of support for students. So now that you've had a flavor of
what it's like to study in Germany, would you study here?
Let us know in the comments!
