My First Week at a German University
Some personal thoughts
Week.00: Welcome Week :
Two weeks ago, my German university organized a welcome week for international students. Arriving in a foreign country for studies can induce culture shock and homesickness, so the initiative to integrate new international students was a thoughtful gesture. The week was filled with fun activities, including city walks, campus tours, trips to nearby attractions like Autostadt, and engaging workshops to familiarize us with the university system. Everything seemed pleasant and relaxed during this introductory period.
Infos I gathered from the workshops :
Get Ready for an Unusual Education System:
One of the striking aspects of the German university system is its independence-oriented approach. Unlike some other educational systems, there’s little hand-holding here. It’s more of a “sink or swim” scenario in terms of organization and studying. No one closely monitors your attendance, and there’s minimal nurturing compared to Frensch or American universities. Each student is seen as a potential researcher, which might not suit everyone. Consequently, dropout rates in certain departments can be alarmingly high.
The Burden of Learning Falls on the Student:
With a low ratio of professors and lecturers to students, the responsibility for organizing studies falls on the students’ shoulders. There’s no guidance throughout the study course, and students must navigate their academic journey independently. You get to choose which subjects to do first how to distribute them in your semesters, how many semesters you gonna do, and Which exam you gonna pass first…
Course Duration May Exceed Expectations:
For Bachelor’s or Master’s studies, it’s common for students to take longer than anticipated to complete their coursework. Theoretically, a bachelor’s program is designed to span 6 semesters, but in reality, many students require up to 9 semesters to graduate. Similarly, while a master’s program is typically structured to last 4 semesters, it’s not unusual for students to extend their studies to 6 semesters. This discrepancy between advertised durations and actual timelines can be problematic, particularly for those with limited funding.
Students always want to be more than just students:
Students participate in lots of extracurricular activities, such as student clubs, organizations, and research projects(universities offer numerous opportunities for students to collaborate with faculty members either through formal research programs or independent projects). Additionally, most students take on part-time jobs to finance themselves. Every day there are plenty of activities you can take part in, being active is nice but could be also very distracting so you better learn time management!
The grading system refers to only one final:
Unlike some other educational systems where grades are distributed across multiple assignments, quizzes, and exams throughout the semester, here you have only one final exam that covers all the material studied throughout the semester and serves as the primary determinant of a student’s grade for the course. You can relax and it’s up to you whether you start studying for it one week before the exam or you study hard during the semester. Most students chose the relax + study one week before option. I think that’s why they have so high failure rates XD
Week.01: Overwhelming Amounts of Abstract Information
Let's talk about the amount:
Entering my first lecture of the semester, on algebra, I initially felt confident. Although there were many unfamiliar German terms, the concepts seemed familiar from my previous semester at an engineering university in my home country. However, my confidence waned within the first 60 minutes of the lecture. The pace was astonishing — what we covered in one entire semester back home was condensed into a single hour. The realization left me shocked, pondering what awaited me in subsequent lectures?!
How abstract is it ?
Since I am studying at a technical university, there is a significant emphasis on theory. In the algebra lecture, the content was highly abstract and presented with insufficient examples(in total there were 3 examples), resulting in a poor dry learning experience. Additionally, we only have one exercise every two weeks, which provided insufficient practice for applying the formulas and theories learned in class.
How would I rate the experience?
Classes in Germany are pretty crowded, and that's why students don’t like to contribute to the classes in general. If you have a question you will literally have to scream to the front row. So just listen and try to understand the topics. If they don’t understand things, they research it by themselves. I find the lack of interactive dialogue in class may detract from the overall learning experience as it limits the opportunity for dynamic exchange of ideas and clarification of concepts. Additionally, most courses are first come first serve if you don’t enroll as soon as possible or you will wait till the next semester which adds further frustration.
How will week.02 be like?
I will hope for the best but all i can say it that despite the hurdles, the atmosphere is incredibly inviting — filled with the warmth of fellow international students and the charm of a serene city. The university exudes a sense of comfort, fostering a cozy, all backgrounds friendly ambiance that makes learning feel both engaging and comforting.
I am excited to tackle the challenges ahead, push my boundaries to new heights, and see how will i be doing.
