Student exchange is an opportunity to spend a semester in another country. Some domestic universities offer internships in Germany. What surprises most about a German university, how to arrange everyday life, and what helps to establish communication with Germans? Students shared their impressions with a correspondent of Deutsche Welle.
Ekaterina Astafieva (spent an exchange semester at the University of Greifswald):
– What struck me most was the number of class hours. It seems to me that in Germany they study much less compared to our country and get less homework. There is a lot of free time left, which can be spent on something interesting. For example, I traveled.
My scholarship was 650 euros per month, and part of my travel expenses were reimbursed. I didn't look for housing because I went through a university exchange program. I just sent an application to Greifswald, and I was provided with an inexpensive room in a dormitory. So I had more than enough to live on. Besides, Greifswald is a small town, everything is cheaper there. I saved on transportation because I rode a bicycle. An acquaintance gave it to me for free. I had enough money even for "carousing": in Germany, students often throw parties. As a result, I learned German so well that now I can easily communicate with Germans over a beer.
I got to know Germans thanks to my Buddy – a tutor student. I quickly blended into his group of friends. So I had no lack of communication. But the students I attended classes with were not particularly forthcoming, although I tried several times to strike up a conversation with them. It seemed strange to me that many foreigners only communicated among themselves and practiced English rather than German.
Evgeny Dulepinsky (studied on exchange in Rostock):
– I was surprised that students are not divided into groups. Everyone can make their own schedule. The main thing is to fulfill the minimum plan for the required subjects, and when exactly you will take them is up to you. Otherwise, you can attend lectures that interest you. The downside of such learning is that you definitely won't have a common graduation group photo where all faces are familiar.
I was also struck by the grading system. For example, it seems to me that the grade you get at a German university is more objective. So, teachers in Germany give fractional grades, for example – "1.5". Therefore, getting the maximum score – "1.0" – is quite difficult.
My scholarship was enough for everything, although it was not large. I arranged my daily life easily: I bought semi-finished products and heated them in the microwave. All my dreams that I would learn to cook when "push came to shove" did not come true. Products in German stores are high-quality and relatively cheap. But if I had cooked, I would have saved significantly.
When I arrived in Rostock, I deliberately did not get acquainted with Russian students who also came on exchange at first. In Rostock, I made my schedule and, coming to class, sat next to one of the German students and started a conversation. The topic could be anything: the lecture, the teacher. With some students, I developed friendly relations. In the evenings, we went to a bar or club. I also did a rather strange thing by other students' standards: I signed up for Russian language courses. It was there that I met Germans who were interested in my native language.
Ana Nazirova (interned at Humboldt University of Berlin):
– At a German university, the learning system differs in many ways from the one adopted in our country. Students are given complete freedom. You can skip lectures, but you must know everything on the exam.
Finding housing in Berlin is difficult. Landlords know this and inflate prices. Universities, of course, have dormitories, but even there you can wait in line for more than a semester. It is much easier for those who came for an internship through an exchange service (for example, DAAD), which takes care of a place in the dormitory.
To save on living expenses, my friend and I decided to look for a room or apartment for two through rental websites. We were lucky and managed to find a room in two weeks. What was new was that residential buildings have a so-called "quiet time" from about 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, when it is forbidden to make noise, play music, vacuum, and even throw glass bottles into trash bins. The same rule applies on weekends and holidays, and we had to adapt to it.
The biggest expenses were housing – 300 euros monthly, food cost at least 200 euros, and various entertainment (from museums and theaters to parties) – about 100-150 euros.
Before the start of studies, I attended a language course at the university, where I met other exchange students. Later, I also communicated mainly with them, because for all of us life in Germany was new. We shared impressions and helped each other solve similar everyday problems.