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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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What can happen in your first journey to Germany | A simulation | Best case scenario

Everyone likes to hear positive things and are least concerned about the negative things that can/may happen, until and unless it happens. This will be a two part article, in which I am trying to prepare you for what might happen when you arrive in Germany for the first time. There are two possibilites when you arrive in Germany, either you can get a warm welcome or get really pissed off. Let me simulate the best case scenario in this article, of what may happen during your first few days in Germany. My next article will simulate the worst case scenario (link), that can happen to anyone. LIKE our facebook page for the updates: Unofficial Studying in Germany DISCLAIMER: The following scenario is just a excerpt from my experiences and it doesn't mean that, the same will happen to you. But I suggest the reader to take it up as a possibility. BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Assumptions: Your semester intake: Winter | Your destination city in Germany : Dresden | Your landing airport: Frankfurt ...

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...

Studying Bachelors in Germany - Roadmap

In our previous article we had seen about the reasons for studying Bachelors in Germany. Now, we will see a short road map on your journey from your country to Germany.  In month of February/March, most of the high school students will be concentrating on their final exams to score good marks. But at the same time, most of the parents will be thinking of the next steps for their son/daughter in his/her career. It would be right time to start inquiring about the process to Study in Germany for Bachelors and also about the various procedures for the same.  Then one can start applying for “Studienkolleg” (Private or Public) also known as Foundation course/Freshman year and reach Germany as soon as they finish their high school (12th standard). The “Studienkolleg” is nothing but, a 2-3 semester preparatory program that every International student needs to take up, in order to study Bachelors in Germany. This is because, the German schooling system is for...

SOP for German universities | What to do and what not to do? | Advice from seniors | GermanyUnofficial

Over the past years, there have been many candidates whom we have helped with respect to studying in Germany. One common thing where most of the applicants go wrong is their application documents. This post is to emphasize on the importance of the application documents and especially why Statement of Purpose is the most important document in the application. Before we go into the article, could you please LIKE our Facebook page It is totally understandable that, since the application process for Germany is not similar to that of U.S or other countries, also it is relatively new to most of the candidates and therefore one can expect to make mistakes. But from German university point of view, it is not acceptable at any case. Amazing | Informative | FREE newsletter : SIGNUP   To start with, culturally German are "perfectionists" and they expect things to work as per the procedure/rules in their regular life. The candidate needs to understand this first. Mak...

Which country is better? Germany VS Singapore | Masters studies | MS course

Germany VS Singapore Deciding a path to choose, when you have lot of options in hand is very difficult. When you are applying for Masters studies, there would be a lot of confusion in terms of which country to apply for and there was a question in Quora regarding Germany VS Singapore. Trust me, even I was in the same dilemma when I wanted to pursue my Masters course. Let me throw some light on the analysis that I had done, based on my experience in Germany(Masters studies) and my observations from my friends who are studying in Singapore. Climate:   Are you a person who likes Winters to be cold(around 0 degree Celsius)? Are you a person who likes to just have 2 months of Summer? If you’re from a tropical country, then there is high possibility that you will not like Germany’s climate, but on the other hand Singapore has similar tropical conditions, which makes it easier to adapt.  Winner:  Singapore Course duration:  Most of the courses...

How to write a Statement of Purpose / Motivation Letter for German Universities | Sample SOP

How to write a SOP for German Universities Writing an excellent SOP is an art. Statement of Purpose or Motivation letter is one of the most important documents in your application to the Universities. It can ''make" or "break" your application. This is the document where you explain the admission committee about your motivation towards the course and the reason why you want to study this particular course in this particular university.  Related: How to get an ADMIT in German Universities? Let us go through a scenario from the Admission committee's point of view. When you application documents arrive at their table, they will open your application with all the supporting documents and start going through your application. First and foremost, any normal person will verify whether your profile matches all the admission requirements listed in the course website. After that, they will check your grades, experiences, etc., So till now, they know ...

Queries from applicants to German universities | Do you also have a question?

Warm welcome from Unofficial: Studying in Germany team. Since last month, we are getting a lot of enquiries with respect to admissions or applications to German universities. From this post, we have planned to document those enquiries along with our answers which will help lot of other students also. All these are for FREE and we do not cost you for answering the questions. Depending on the number of enquiries, these kind of posts will be posted once or twice a week. To get the latest posts, we request you to "SUBSCRIBE" to our portal  using the subscribe button on the top of this page. Also do not forget to LIKE our facebook page - Unofficial: Studying in Germany Here goes the Q&A that we have got till now:  Q: How much application fees per university? A: It depends on the University. Some universities have their own portal and ask the applicants to submit the application directly. Some universities ask the applicants to use "Uni-Assist" portal for...

The #1 rule to get an ADMIT in German Universities | Advice from Seniors | GermanyUnofficial

The #1 rule to get an ADMIT in German Universities Over the course of 3 years in GermanyUnofficial, we have seen a lot of candidates who have got an admit with even 65% of marks in his/her Bachelor" studies and also we have seen candidates who have above 90% of marks and get a rejection. On doing some basic research and analysis, we got to know the #1 rule to get an ADMIT in German univerisities.  Apply ASAP YES. The #1 rule to get an ADMIT is to apply as soon as the applications open. To apply ASAP, one needs to have all the documents, transcripts, etc., ready at least one week before the applications open. Before all this, one needs to have the list of universities and courses that he/she is going to apply. RELATED: List of Mechanical Engineering courses in Germany We have seen candidates, who are bit lethargic with their applications and think that the admission deadline is 3 months away and thus, he/she can apply with in that 3 months. This is a BIG NO, with resp...

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 ...

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...