Many young Germans go abroad for a year or even for an entire period of study. On the other hand, there are also many young people who come from other countries and would like to study in Germany. The most important tips to ensure that your studies in Germany are successful are summarized in the following article.
A university entrance qualification is mandatory
In other countries, the unwieldy word “university entrance qualification” can mean Bachillerato, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Matura or Abitur. In short: This is the school leaving certificate that entitles you to study at a university or technical college . If the university entrance qualification from the respective country of origin is not recognized, an assessment test can pave the way for a place to study in Germany. There are various preparatory colleges in Germany where you can prepare for this exam. An alternative is to start studying in your home country and then, for example after successfully completing your basic studies, look for a place to study in Germany.
The student visa enables you to stay in Germany
A student visa is mandatory for most young people who do not come from the EU. The student visa is not a tourist visa, but a special form of residence permit that must be applied for at the consulate or embassy. The student visa is the only sustainable option for studying in Germany. The language course visa only aims to enable a language course to be completed in Germany. The applicant visa is limited to three months. Due to their short duration, both do not represent an alternative to a student visa.
Language skills are mandatory for studying in Germany
There are a few study programs (mostly master's programs that are internationally oriented) that take place in English. The German Academic Exchange Service offers an overview of which types of study are possible in which language . This form of study is conceivable if knowledge of German is not sufficient to be able to complete a German-language course of study. However, this variant also means: You are a student in Germany without studying in German. The better alternative, however, would be to prepare well in advance for studying abroad - for example at a language school like EloquaMUC. There are several possibilities for this:
- If you plan to study in Germany, you can complete a language course in your home country. Many courses are offered online. The perfect time for this can be basic studies in your home country (which could also get around the problem of not having a university entrance qualification).
- Anyone who comes to Germany first to get to know the country, people and language can spend half a year learning German. A German course (preferably alternating online lessons and face-to-face lessons) as well as as much contact with the German language as possible in the form of television, literature and communication are the best mix to start your studies with knowledge of German.
On the way to a study place – central allocation or directly at the university
In Germany there are two ways to get a place at university and future students have to adhere to registration deadlines for both ways. For those courses that have restricted admission throughout the country and are awarded through Hochschulstart (this includes medical courses, for example), May 31st is the deadline for applications. Applications are made centrally via the Foundation for University Admissions . There is the possibility of choosing a place to study. However, it is unclear whether this wish can be taken into account when allocating the hotly contested study places.
If the study places are not allocated centrally but distributed directly by the respective university, there are two deadlines: mid-July is the application deadline for study programs with restricted admission; The application deadline for non-restricted degree programs is mid-September. Future students can submit their application directly to the respective university. It may be necessary to have the existing certificates translated for an application in Germany. This emerges from the information documents from the universities.
Living as a student in Germany
Anyone who has prepared everything at the university to start their life as a student in Germany certainly needs one more thing: a place to stay. Of course, you can only look for this once it is clear which place of study you will be studying - but that doesn't make the search for affordable student accommodation any easier. These options are available:
- Anyone moving to Germany for the first time is well advised to stay in a student dormitory. Most of the rooms are functionally furnished, which makes moving to Germany (without furniture) significantly cheaper. In addition, student halls of residence are equipped with everything you need for student life - for example high-speed internet, electricity, water, gas, telephone connection - and all of this is included in the rental price.
- If you don't want to share a kitchen with tons of people, a student shared apartment could be a better choice. Here too, the infrastructure that is important for students is usually already in place. If there is no furniture in the room, it can be obtained quickly.
- Renting your own apartment is much less communicative and requires more organizational skills and more effort to make contacts. While the first contacts live right next door in the student dormitory and shared apartment, the search for an affordable apartment can also lie in a rather unattractive corner of the student city. Although there is usually more space in your own four walls, this also means that you have to manage your electricity, gas, water and telephone on your own. In order to get away as cheaply as possible, there are often student tariffs that can pay off noticeably. Since the providers want to convince young people who are standing on their own two feet for the first time about their offers, the conditions are often very favorable.
