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Showing posts from September, 2017

New to Germany | Things that you need to do in your first few days

There are lot of things, that you need to do when you first arrive in Germany and most of these steps will be entirely new to you, thus I have tried to compile it in a way that is as easy as possible. Since I am from Chemnitz, I have given some IMPORTANT links for Chemnitz which can be easily found in all other University webpages as well.  If you have not yet arrived in Germany, check out this CHECKLIST to see whether you have purchased all necessary things for your first travel to Germany Accommodation: If you have already applied to a dormitory in your desired University location, then you can contact the person responsible(care taker) to collect your keys for your room. Some times, you can ask some of your friends also to collect the keys, so that you can directly goto your room.  Related: 25 websites to search accommodation in Germany If you are unlucky to find a place to stay, there are many Youth hostels in every cities and you can book a room ...

Racism & Xenophobia in Germany | Should you be worried?

With the recent elections in Germany, the "Alternative für Deutschland" party has won a considerable amount of votes this time. This party is known for its right wing policies and the people are against foreigners, non-German people, etc., In the last election this party had just meagre 5% of the votes, but this time it has emerged as the major party from the Saxony(sachsen) region with Dresden as the main point.  Here is a video, by Deutsche Welle(DW) from the region called PIRNA, near Dresden.  Facebook group | Facebook page | SUBSCRIBE(top)

Things to buy for Men | Checklist for Germany

Here is a list of items that you might need for your travel to Germany. Please note that, we do not recommend any brand here, but the Amazon link is more of an suggestion. Also, there might be some other things that are specific and personal which are not mentioned in this list.  CHECKLIST FOR WOMEN - link Facebook group | Facebook page | SUBSCRIBE(top) CLOTHES: Gloves Amazon link Handkerchiefs Amazon link Belts Amazon link Woollen cap Amazon link Shirts (full formal) Amazon link Shirts (casual) Amazon link T-shirts Amazon link Jacket Amazon link Thermals Amazon link Towels Amazon link Trousers Amazon link Coat/blazers Amazon link Sport shoes Amazon link Slippers Amazon link Sandals Amazon link Socks-woollen Amazon link Formal shoes Amazon link Casual shoes Amazon link COOKING: Pans Amazon link Rice cooker Amazon link Rolling pin Amazon link knives , spoons, Amazon link Serving spoons Amazon link Tawa Amazon link PERSON...

How much will you spend in a month? | Living in Germany

The German student visa is granted only if you have 8500+ Euros in your blocked bank account. The German government believes that, this amount will be sufficient for a student to survive in Germany for a year. But, in reality how much does it cost for a student to live in Germany? Let's see the monthly & yearly expenditure of an average student living in Germany. RENT: Depending on the location of the university, this may vary from 220 - 400 euros per month. If you are going to live in a small city like Chemnitz, Magdeburg, etc., then the rent will be around 220 - 250 euros per month. But, if you are going to live in bigger cities like Berlin, Munich, etc., most of the times you will not get the rooms at Studentenwerk(University hostels); therefore you will be applying for some WG(shared appartment), which might cost you little more than 300 - 350 euros Average monthly expense: 300 EUROS Average annual expense: 3600 EUROS HEALTH INSURANCE: Health insurance is co...

How difficult is it going to be?

Moving to a new country, which has different kind of weather, different orientation of traffic, different cultural background, which is far away from HOME is going to be really difficult. I have been there, done that and this article is a summary of my experience in Germany. UNIVERSITY/COURSE: It is going to difficult for you to adapt to the method of teaching in German universities, where the lectures takes place with the help of presentations(PPT) by the Professor, which will be later passed on to you as NOTES. You will not be spoon-fed with the topics and the professors will not care for your grades. Their job is just to teach you the concepts and evaluate your understanding of the same. In most of the classes, there won't be any "attendance" taken and literally no one cares whether you attend the lectures or not. Also, the question paper will vary every semester; for example exam-1 will have total of 80 marks and the duration will be 2 hours, whereas exam-2 wi...

[UPDATED]Checklist for Women | Things to buy when you come to Germany

Here is a list of items that you might need for your travel to Germany. Please note that, we do not recommend any brand here, but the Amazon link is more of an suggestion. Also, there might be some other things that are specific and personal which are not mentioned in this list.  Wollen cap(For winter) - Amazon link Wollen sweater              - Amazon link Thermals (HAP brand)  - Amazon link Thermals (Jockey)         - Amazon link Towels                           - Amazon link Sports shoes                  - Amazon link Sports shoes(adidas)     - Amazon link Slipper(branded)           - Amazon link Socks (Jockey)              - Amazon link Socks (adidas)               - Amazon link Forma...

Part-time jobs in Germany

When you arrive in Germany as a student, you would already have around 8500 euros in your account as per VISA regulations. But still with your VISA, you are allowed to work for 120 full days in a calendar year. Here comes the tough part, where you need to find a part-time job that suits your university schedule, the one that doesn't take a toll on your health and also provides you some extra money. I have seen and experienced many part-time jobs during my stay in Germany and here is a compilation, that might help you with your quest for searching the perfect Part-time job. When it comes to earning money on the side, I am categorizing the jobs into two divisions such as: Academics Non-academics Academics: After one or two semesters, when you have settled down with your studies and new place, you might want to start searching for some part-time job. The first place will be look at your university website, especially in your "Professorship" where you will find some o...

Is it a good idea to join the private universities in Germany?

Germany has lot of "public" universities which offer zillion courses in most of the engineering/science disciplines. But still, there are some students who like to apply for the "private" universities which has better acceptance rate on a comparative basis. The application process for these private universities are much simpler and doesn't take much effort. There are some universities which offer good course modules and practical exposure. On an average, most of the private universities ask for tution fees of around 18-20k EUROS for two years, where your living expenses are not included. Thus for two years you would need to spend around 40k EUROS on a whole. Though the private universities charge tution fees, they would not guarantee an job or Campus placement after your studies. Facebook group  | SUBSCRIBE(top of the page)  There are possibilities that you may not complete your studies in 2 years and what happens if you extend your studies for one m...

Embedded Systems - TU Chemnitz | Is the course very tough?

In the recent past, I have got a lot of messages from aspirants who have got admission in Masters in Embedded Systems at TU Chemnitz. Most of them have the same doubts, "Is the course very tough?", "Can we complete the course in 2 years?", "We heard that many students dropped out of the course, due to the difficulty!".  I hope that I am eligible to write this article, as I am studying in this particular course and thus I have a better understanding of the subjects, difficulty, modules, etc., But still, I would like to mention this before-hand, that the content of this article is purely based on my personal experience and opinions. Difficulty of the course: When you are applying for a Masters course, you definitely cannot expect it to be a CAKE WALK. It is definitely going to be tough and definitely you will go through some harsh times, which will be a learning lesson to you. Keeping aside the Phylosophical thoughts, if someone asks me about th...

4 things that you need to know before you come to Germany

This article is mainly for those students who have got their ADMIT in German universities After getting the ADMIT, most of you would have applied for opening Blocked account, Edu loan, VISA, etc., But still there are many things that you need to know before you leave for your studies. Here is a list of some important things: Rail&Fly tickets Before you book your flight ticket to Germany, I suggest you to check out for RAIL&FLY offers with the airlines. This will save you minimum 30-50euros during your first travel.  Most of the International airlines have the Rail&Fly offer in Germany and this offer entails you to travel across Germany till your Destination city for FREE of cost.  Extra Baggage allowance Similar to the Rail&Fly offer, most of the International airlines offer extra baggage allowance to the students, who fly abroad for the first time for studies. You can avail this offer by simply showing your ADMIT LETTER during ...

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Types of student jobs (academic) in Germany | HiWi - Praktikant - Werk Student

If you're planning to study or already studying in Germany then you need to know the different student positions that are available in Germany. Please note that these are not the usual part-time jobs that you do on the weekends for some extra cash, these are the positions were you be a part of some larger project and help the Professors or your superiors with their research or project. If you're one of those students, who do not have any work experience or the one who has changed his/her domain and needs to gain some hands-on experience then, these kind of student jobs will be a treasure for you. HiWi HiWi - HilfskraftWissenschaftler is a student position mostly at the University under your department. You will be given a small project from your Professor/Supervisor and you need to complete it within the given time. You will be paid for the work you do and most of the time, it would be around 30 hours per month at the rate of 10-13 euros per hour. To get a HiWi p...

Study abroad - Whatsapp group | Studying in Germany

There have been many requests from students to start a Whatsapp group for our community and thus we have created a Official Whatsapp group, in order to help students with their doubts and queries.  We will try our level best to clarify the doubts, also we request others also to have a 'healthy' conversation with others. Some guidelines and infos about our Group: This is an International group and thus, the common language to be used is ENGLISH After you join the group, if someone contacts you via Personal message regarding any offers or consultancy, then please report to the admin This group is only for those who wish to STUDY and we do not offer any 'special' ways to get into Germany If you send any irrelevant message(SPAM) in the group, then you would be immediately removed from the group without any questions.  Abusive language will not be tolerated  Advertisements of any sort, is prohibited Whatsapp group -> Click HERE ...

How to find Indian/Asian products inside German supermarket? | Tour inside a German supermarket

So, when you have just arrived in Germany and are mesmerized with everything around you; starting from the traffic, rules, dorms, universitiy, etc., Something that is much more important is food and groceries that you need for day-to-day life activities. The problem with the German supermarkets is that, most of the products or items in the supermarket will be in German language and most of the new comers find it difficult to locate many items inside the supermarket. The situation gets worse, if you are not well-versed in German because most of the supermarket staff will only know German language and it would be difficult for you to explain what you are searching for.  Why you need to learn German? Check it out  In this article, I have tried to show all the Indian/Asian products that you can buy from the German supermarkets. Before I show you the products, I would mention some of the biggest and most renowned supermarkets in Germany which can be found in all t...

FREE Online courses for IELTS and TOEFL | Save your money and take this up

Are you applying for higher studies to study abroad? Then you might definitely need to write IELTS or TOEFL in order to satisfy the admission requirements. There are many coaching centres, that ask for huge amount for money for training the students to take up these tests. But, here is a list of FREE online courses that you can take to prepare for IELTS/TOEFL. #1. IELTS Academic Test Preparation | edX  This online course is offered by The University of Australia - Queensland.  What you'll learn: Learn about the IELTS test procedure and format Learn useful test-taking strategies and skills for the IELTS Academic tests Practise and develop skills and strategies by completing IELTS-style practice tests in reading, listening, speaking and writing Develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking English skills Link: IELTS | edX  || IELTS | British Council IELTS learning materials: LINK #2. TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide |...

5 MAJOR RISKS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHILE APPLYING FOR GERMANY

Germany has become one of the most sought out destination for higher education, due to its low-cost education combined with top quality teaching. Indian and Chinese students are the top aspirants for higher education, let it be US or Germany. A huge chunk of the students comprise of aspirants for engineering discipline and for pursuing Masters in particular. ~Let me know your thoughts and topics that I need to cover in the comments section below and please do SHARE this article, if you find it useful~ What are the things at stake here? 5 major things you need to know while applying for Germany. These are the first 5 topics that will pop into your mind and you need to know the reality, which inturn will help you answer your parents, ultimately from whom you may get the money to support your living. Though this article may point to the Indian audience, it has the equal potential to cater the needs of all the international students. 1. Financial risk How much does it cost to st...

How difficult is it going to be?

Moving to a new country, which has different kind of weather, different orientation of traffic, different cultural background, which is far away from HOME is going to be really difficult. I have been there, done that and this article is a summary of my experience in Germany. UNIVERSITY/COURSE: It is going to difficult for you to adapt to the method of teaching in German universities, where the lectures takes place with the help of presentations(PPT) by the Professor, which will be later passed on to you as NOTES. You will not be spoon-fed with the topics and the professors will not care for your grades. Their job is just to teach you the concepts and evaluate your understanding of the same. In most of the classes, there won't be any "attendance" taken and literally no one cares whether you attend the lectures or not. Also, the question paper will vary every semester; for example exam-1 will have total of 80 marks and the duration will be 2 hours, whereas exam-2 wi...

My PhD experience in Germany | Geosciences | Anusha Sunkisala

*This is a Guest post - I am happy to collaborate with Ms. Anusha for this opportunity* I am a PhD student in the University of Hamburg since June 2016. I am working on the project titled "Coupling concepts based on Domain Decomposition methods". The final goal of my PhD is to couple  models (for example, ocean and ice) through domain decomposition methods. I did my Master's in IIT Bhubaneswar, India in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences. But now my PhD is in the Department of Numerical methods in Geosciences. Its  all about Application of Mathematics to the Geoscience problems. How I applied for PhD in Germany: If you are interested, there is a youtube video of mine which was done by Bharath Choudary. I think it would be useful to watch this increased volume as I spoke softly. I didnt realize it until I listened to the video myself. So here is the link -  YouTube Funding for my research: This is most important. I have a employme...

How to get an ADMIT in German Universities? | Step by Step procedure

In the recent years, Germany has become one of the most sought-out destinations for higher studies. With many International programmes being offered in Germany, there are many students who would like to pursue their studies. Unlike U.S or Canada, the application process in Germany is not the same. There are some difficulties that the aspirants/applicants face, when applying to German courses. This post is aimed at helping those aspirants with a step-by-step procedure on how to get an admit in German universities.  Here is a Infographic explaining the step-by-step procedure on how to get an ADMIT in German Universities: START WITH THE INTERNET: In this Information age, everything is available in the Internet; it just takes some time to look out for the correct information that you need. The first step in your study-abroad in Germany plan is to visit DAAD website and check out for the courses, scholarships and various other information about studying in Ger...

English course VS German course | Studying in Germany

If you are planning to study in Germany, then you need to know that there are three types of courses available: German course, English course & Combined course(English + German). These categories are mainly for those who wants to pursue Masters in Germany. Let us see the pros and cons of studying in each of these courses. German course: Admission requirements - Minimum B2/C1 Some courses need the applicants to clear TestDAF exams.  You need to well-versed in German language, so that you can understand the scientific terms in your subjects.  All your exams, practicals, discussions will be held in German. If in case, you have a Oral exam(Mundliche Prüfung) then you need to able to understand what the examiner asks and need to answer them properly - which is difficult if you do not have enough proficiency in the language You cannot ask for exemption, just because you cannot speak the language. You will be competing with the native-German speakers. ...

Quora: How is student life in Chemnitz (Germany)?

Read Aravind Sindhey 's answer to How is the student life in Chemnitz? What is the cost of living? How is chemnitz for international students? on Quora