Help choosing a German university?

callian
Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:09:03 +0000

If you’re not super into learning about Bavarian culture, I would go with either Dortmund or Hannover. Both are great cities, and Dortmund is a fairly large city that’s close to many other famous cities in Germany (which will be perfect for weekend trips, etc.!). Depending on what you want to do with your trip (make new friends and travel a lot, or really immerse yourself in one city, etc.) I would say that some things to consider are:

How much culture/history do you want to have accessible to you close to where you are?
How much time do you want to travel to other places?
Do you want a university in the quiet suburbs or in the bustling center?
What kind of experience are you looking for: the big-city modern day culture with incredible history mixed in, or the quaint and peaceful small town where everyone knows each other and you’re all family?
How much do you have to/are you willing to spend for living costs?

Basically, what do you want to do (make a list of your top 3 goals) and see which university would satisfy those three goals the most.

For example, to me studying abroad is more about experiencing a new place and new people more than academics (even though that’s very important), so I chose Berlin for my study abroad program and it’s absolutely amazing! My university is in the center of the city so I can go visit a museum after class, have a picnic out on the lawn by Berliner Dom or snack on a Currywurst by the Brandenburger Tor for lunch, or explore any of the old palaces and opera houses across the street during break.

Don’t underestimate your language skills - I took 5 semesters of German before I came and all the courses I’m taking are taught in German! I can understand about 80-90% of the lectures, and the professors are very accommodating and nice about making my experience better.