This is a straight to the point complete guide on "Studienkolleg" in Germany. It's a really important thing if you want to study in Germany as an international student. I will talk about all these topics. So this video is fully packed with sauce. I understand studying in Germany is connected with a lot of uncertainty. Now a lot of people misunderstand Studienkolleg, so this is exactly what it is. If you are an international student who wants to come to Germany and your education certificate doesn't meet the requirements in Germany, you need to enroll in a one year long prep course. So for example, you went to school in India and you now want to study in Germany. Well, for obvious reasons, the Indian high school certificate is not the same as the German high school certificate. The "Abitur". Makes sense, right? The primary goal of the Studienkolleg is to get you ready for German universities. They offer specific courses that help international students learn the essentials of the German language and boost their skills. And they also introduce you to the academic structure and life at German universities. When you first come to Germany, chances are that almost everything is different than you're used to from your home country. At the end of every Studienkolleg, there is an important exam called "Feststellungsprüfung" that you need to pass to successfully complete it. I will talk about it at the end of the video. You can have a look at the DAAD database to check if you need to do a Studienkolleg Now, not every Studienkolleg is the same. There are multiple types of them and it's good to understand all of them so that you know which one is the right fit for your specific situation. Basically, the choice of Studienkolleg in Germany is influenced by the study program and the university type you want to attend. Studienkollegs for classic universities and Studienkollegs for universities of applied sciences, known as "Fächhochschulen" in Germany. This classification is important because the type of Studienkolleg affects where you can pursue your university education. For example, doing a Studienkolleg at a classic university, so for example, the Technical University of Munich or University Freiburg, this means you can study at both the classic university and the University of Applied Sciences. However, and this is really important to know, if you complete a Studienkolleg at a University of Applied Sciences, you can only pursue your education at the University of Applied Sciences. In general, applied science Studienkollegs focus on programs that are about practical application or technical aspects instead of theoretical or research-based studies. So for example, a student who wants to go for a degree in art history would better fit in a university Studienkolleg rather than an applied science one because the field is more theory-based and focused on cultural understanding, you know, instead of technical application. For different subjects, you need different learning methods, right? What you do in STEM degrees, for example, is way different compared to social theory programs. And fields like business and engineering offer Studienkollegs for universities and universities for applied sciences. And some degrees like medicine, they have specific Studienkollegs dedicated to them. I made an entire video about the university system here in Germany and a whole bunch of videos about studying in Germany in general. A lot of people seem to really love them, so subscribe and get notified whenever I drop a new one. So a very important question a lot of people keep asking me is, "Are Studienkollegs in English?" Yes, but as with all convenient things in life, there is a catch. There are some Studienkollegs that offer courses in English, which is quite nice for international students, right? But there are not many. Since Studienkollegs are designed to prepare you for studying in Germany, the primary language of instruction is typically going to be German. This makes sense, right? To get accepted to a Studienkolleg, students usually need to show proficiency in German at the B2 level. But it's important to note that some Studienkollegs might accept a German B1 certificate. So to join a Studienkolleg, students need to show their language proficiency by presenting a language certificate from a language institution or through recognized language exams like TestDAF, DSH or Goethe. Even in English taught Studienkollegs, you will have German language courses, even though the program is taught in English. As I mentioned earlier in the video, there are different types of Studienkollegs. In addition to the two categories, classic university and the University of Applied Sciences, there are also private and public Studienkollegs. In general, Studienkollegs in Germany don't charge tuition fees, except for specific programs like the Freshman program at FH-Aachen. However, there is a mandatory contribution that all students need to pay. This contribution fee covers administrative expenses, on-campus services and on top of that, typically includes a public transportation ticket. These fees are relatively low. They are something between 100 to 400 euros per semester. Private Studienkollegs usually cost much more. The fees for the program can range from 4,000 euros to 28,000 euros. In some of these, you can even get private accommodation. But that's a lot of money, by the way, only for the preparation for a university degree. So if you look at both, public Studienkollegs, while they are generally free of tuition fees, they have limited spots available. And it makes sense, right? Public Studienkollegs are very affordable, so a lot of students apply for it. Because there are only a limited number of spots available, Private Studienkollegs, on the other hand, are very expensive, but the competition is not nearly as crazy as the public ones. And there are more English taught programs as well. It's up to you to decide which one fits your current situation. Now, I get this question a lot. Can I skip Studienkolleg and directly apply to a German university? If you think about it, this is the fastest and most convenient way to get your degree in Germany, right? I mean, the only thing I can say is it always depends on your school certificate. In most of the cases, attending Studienkolleg is mandatory. You cannot get around this. If your education qualifications don't align with the German education system standards, attending Studienkolleg is going to be necessary. Now, I know some cases where students tried to take the final exam, the Feststellungsprüfung, without actually attending a Studienkolleg to skip the year. It's possible to pass, and there are some students who did this, but this approach is highly risky and I cannot recommend it to you. Some attend because they have to because of the educational background and others do it voluntarily. It always depends on the person, but it's important to understand that the purpose of a Studienkolleg is to help you get used to the German university system and the culture. If for some reason a student finds a Studienkolleg difficult, it usually means that the person really needs the course. Studienkollegs have a set structure and a curriculum and you need to attend the classes. If you follow along and do your stuff properly, Now, when it comes to applying to a Studienkolleg, there are going to be two different ways to do this. In most cases, applying to a Studienkolleg is part of the larger university application process. You submit your applications through a centralized university portal on the internet. UniAssist is the most common platform. In the rare case, you have to directly apply to the Studienkolleg without going through a university portal. To find a good Studienkolleg, Studienkollegs.de is a fantastic resource. So I'm going to lay out the complete timeline for Studienkollegs. First, you check your qualifications. Verify if your school living certificate is recognized for studying at a German university. Then step two, research Studienkollegs. Explore different Studienkollegs I've talked about. Look at their specific admission requirements, application procedures and deadlines. Because every Studienkolleg is different. Next is the application process. You need to figure out if you can apply directly to a Studienkolleg or if you need to go through UniAssist. The fourth step, very important, the visa application. As soon as you get accepted into a Studienkolleg, apply for a student visa. Make sure that the visa process is aligned with the exam schedule. After that, prepare for the entrance exam. Understand the entrance exam format for the Studienkolleg you're interested in. You know, some focus more on German proficiency and others might include math as well. Check out their websites. They have very good sample exams. As a final step in the application. Take the entrance exam. Depending on the country, you might be able to take the entrance exam at an external office or in Germany. It's important that you have the minimum required German language skills since the entrance exam is going to be in German. Also, I can recommend you brush up your math skills because this subject is usually included in the exam. They will also check your foundational knowledge in the subject that you have chosen in the Studienkolleg. Private Studienkollegs don't have the entrance exam in most cases. They follow a different admission procedure compared to the public ones. Now, the number of available seats for students in a Studienkolleg can be different each year. Usually, it's something between 150 and 300. And not all seats are open each semester because there are going to be reservations or some students are repeating semesters. It's smart to apply to multiple Studienkollegs at once. Two or three is a good number. Now, the climax, the most important part of a Studienkolleg is the final exam, the "Feststellungsprüfung". This exam covers the modules that you've had during the course and the questions will be relevant to the subject. You need to answer questions related to the German language and also specialized questions about the study topic. Here is the minimum requirement for German might be B2, but I can recommend aiming for C1 because nowadays there is a lot of competition. For math, understanding classical mathematics is going to be fine. Online resources like this YouTube channel will help you a lot in the process. Don't forget to download the free studying in Germany guidebook in the video description and join our huge Discord community. With that said, love you and stay focused.
