A trip to a native land
My grandfather was German. My mother’s maiden name is Weis, originating from the German «Weiß» meaning «white». Grandpa’s family now lives in a German city called Aachen. I had been learning German since school (turned out not particularly well) and sometimes visited my relatives in Germany. Then I decided to live and study for a while in the land of my ancestors. So I applied for the international mobility programme to spend a semester in Germany, somewhere far from my relatives by the way (if I wanted true independence, I should have been on my own).
Waiting for the visa
I chose Karlshochschule International University due to several reasons. First, it offered an interesting syllabus for media management and that was exactly the aspect of journalism I wanted to learn more about. Second, the course was in English and I wasn’t confident in my level of German. Third, the international university promised many useful contacts.
It was quite easy to collect the documents for my invitation application, and staff members of the Curricula Support Office (CRO) were always ready to help. Do not ask them to provide a recommendation letter for you though, they are always very busy.
Useful tip №1: if you need the letter, choose a professor who knows you best from an academic perspective, for example your scientific supervisor.
My problems started already after my invitation was ready. Therefore,
useful tip №2: apply for a visa minimum 3 months prior to your departure date and if you’re planning a spring semester – before New Year holidays. Usually German visa is supposed to be ready within 4 weeks but we are all people, Germans too. They can simply fall ill and leave your application unassessed for several weeks. Eventually I was a week late for my semester, but at least managed to complete several subjects of the 3rd module at HSE.
First weeks or ‘what to do’?
You can’t book an accommodation online when going to Germany. So there I was, a week late, dragging my two bags behind me on the way to a hostel. Then I rushed to the university to get my student card and all other required documents. First, I needed to obtain health insurance. They gave me an address, I signed a contract at another place (it’s possible to pay later) and then I returned to the university with the insurance. Overall it took me an hour, that is very fast, but as I had classes the following day I didn’t even think of relaxing.
Then I needed to arrange a sim-card (got a pre-paid one), a bank account (opening a bank account is compulsory, but the conditions were too cumbersome for me so I didn’t do that), a transport card (issued after you obtain a receipt at the university) and of course an apartment.
I actively started contacting home owners from WG-gezucht.de website where it’s possible to find a room in a shared apartment. I needed a room for 4 months but they were all available minimum for 6, that is till October, the start of the next semester. So I received only about 20% of replies and mostly refusals. Then I was offered to rent a room for the rest of the month so as not to live in a hostel. In the end I found a newly built unfurnished student house that had 15 rooms. Over there they agreed to give me a room for the remaining 3 months. Some of the furniture I got from my aunt living in Western Germany, and I bought chairs and clothes rails in the nearby shop.
After moving in you have to get registration and inform your university and insurance company about your residential address. I booked an appointment for registration through the city website. Then you show up at a certain date and time to a specified address and the whole process takes 10 minutes. The university also provided a city guide and 50€ coupons for almost any types of purchases. As I was explained later students pay a 70€ semester contribution and the city returns part of that money.
Settled down, time for study
I had to concentrate on my studies as I had 16 subjects: 6 at Karlshochschule, 6 online at HSE and 4 at a teacher-training Institute where I was doing my second degree in a distance-learning format. I completed all 3 courses with the highest marks therefore, be sure it’s possible.
Useful tip №3: attend all classes, be active, do your homework properly and in time, do not engage in altercations with professors and learn diplomacy in communication.
Many professors at Karlshochschule are practicing professionals. Consequently, we could have three 8-hour days full of classes in a row and then one month break. Yet, the benefit is that you are taught by a person who really works in a certain area and knows work-specific details. It’s so cool!
There is almost no consistent homework other than for a German language subject. Other subjects are assessed on the basis of the final tasks: presentations, essays, case studies and other formats.
The university also works with various companies and holds IPRO (Introductory Company Project) and APRO (Advanced Company Project) courses where students receive a task from a real company (we, for instance, worked with Karlsruhe Tourism – a municipal tourism marketing organization ), develop it during the semester and then present their business proposal. So any education is aimed to be practical and oriented on potential employers.
Entertainment is not all about beer
I can’t deny there’s lots of delicious beer in Germany and people drink it like lemonade. However, there are other ways of having fun.
Firstly, the university itself always organizes concerts, language exchange clubs and outdoor barbecues. Secondly, the city has numerous night clubs. Thirdly, you can travel! The cheapest option is by bus (Flixbus). We went to Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart (like spring Oktoberfest) and some other festivals close by. We also visited Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Meinheim and Baden-Baden. All the cities have many beautiful old castles. Bavaria, Italy and France are pretty close (two hours by bus to Strasbourg and a night to Paris). Having a car makes travelling even easier!
In Karlsruhe there are several museums, galleries, music halls, theatres, a park popular among students, and a castle. You can climb the castle and enjoy the city’s panoramic views. During the warm season you can visit several swimming pools, including open-air ones. There’s entertainment for any taste. I went to the castle museum, to a musical once, and regularly to the gym (expensive but I still did).
Moreover, Karlsruhe can boast with a wonderful zoo. I definitely recommend you go and see animal feeding (schedule available at the entrance). Students can get tickets at a discount rate. And quite close to the city you will find Europabad theme park with entertainment zones devoted to different European countries. The tickets are crazy expensive but the attractions can compete with those in Disneyland.
Is that all?
Of course not!
It’s simply impossible to remember and describe everything. A semester abroad is not just an opportunity to live in a new place but a chance to learn more about yourself, see a different way of life, put yourself in an unusual setting and develop your own international contact base.
The only drawback is financial expenses. At the same time, money is earned to be spent and the international semester is a very promising investment in your future.