According to Deutsche Welle, there are quite a few ways to come to Germany to study. The first is that you finish a German school (although then you would have to attend school for 13 years), then submit your documents and come to Germany to study. The second way is to find a foundation (for example, DAAD), submit documents, receive a scholarship (if you're lucky) - and go study. The third is to gather documents, go to Germany, submit your documents and enroll in a university, but without a scholarship.
So, before going to the country, it would be good to know how foreign students are treated here, whether they are readily accepted for study. Here is what Stefan Bildhauer, head of the foreign students office at the University of Cologne, says: "I think that foreign students enrich the university in many ways. Our rector, for example, as soon as he took office, stated that one of his main goals is to increase the number of foreigners. Students from other countries are often highly qualified, bring new ideas, a different culture."
First, you need to choose a university or some other institution of higher education where you would like to spend at least the next five years of your life. There are a great many universities in Germany. The Internet will help you choose one - every university has its own website where you will find all the necessary information in German or English. After reading and comparing the data, you will be able to conclude which institution has the strongest economics faculty, which has the strongest law faculty, where it is more prestigious to study languages, and where, say, the computer science or journalism faculty is well known.
"It is quite difficult to sketch a plausible picture of a specific German university," says Stefan Bildhauer. "Higher education institutions differ in the level of teaching in certain faculties and in the subjects offered for study. The University of Cologne, one of the oldest in Germany, and the largest in the country in terms of student numbers, offers the widest range of fields. You can find almost all subjects here. Our university has a good reputation in disciplines such as economics, sociology, law, of course, natural sciences, mathematics, as well as philosophy, German studies, and musicology."
The range of subjects outlined by Mr. Bildhauer is mostly what foreign youth prefer. The largest number of students from abroad today study economics, computer science, instrument engineering, German studies, and music in Germany. In the near future, according to forecasts, the number of foreigners wishing to study engineering, natural science, and mathematics will increase significantly.
Foreign students, as a rule, complete their studies faster than Germans. In Germany, this is possible - to study faster or to stretch out the study time almost indefinitely. "Studying in Germany is different in that you are given the freedom to make your own schedule and choose subjects," says a representative of the University of Cologne. "But at the same time, a great responsibility is placed on you. How quickly and successfully you complete your education depends only on you. Study at almost all faculties is designed for 4-5 years. It is quite possible to fit into this period, but most students study longer - 12-13 semesters."