anyone have experiences of going to/ moving to/ or going to school in germany? i'm wanting to go there to take advantage of the free tuition and possibly apply for an arbeit visa afterwards.
I'm interested as well; is it possible for an older American to go for (the equivalent of) a BSEE if I already have a bachelor's in CS? I desperately need to understand circuits.
German here!
Actually it really depends where you want to go, the school systems differs a lot here in germany
what exactly do you mean by "going to school" (I guess you want to go to university and not the equivalent of an american high school).
Do you have an EU-passport?
It is certainly possible for an older American to get a B.Sc in electrical engineering. Are you proficient in the German language ? (Bachelor degrees are almost always taught in german. Masters on the other hand can easily be found in english).
If you're really interested in studying in Germany this is a great site to start your research: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/en/
>>958882
>Are you proficient in the German language ?
Ja, eigentlich.
>great site to start your research
Thanks, very nice!
I'm doing an exchange year at KIT, ask away! (European though so I can't answer visa questions)
>>958928
>Ja, eigentlich.
classic american false friend. "eigentlich" is not the same as "actually".
>>959061
>Adverb
>eigentlich
>1. actually
Fuck off, Fritz
>>959065
well yeah, duh
but germans use it much less frequently than americans use "actually" which can be put in almost any sentence that needs some emphasis, whereas eigentlich almost exclusively means "contrary to popular belief or what you just said". it's much narrower is what i'm saying. come to think of it, >>958928
kind of works, although one would probably add "schon". but generally speaking, americans speaking german tend to overuse eigentlich because they aren't aware of the difference
>>959072
I agree,
cause I am German
>>958249
ever heard of Erasmus? Pretty good exchange student program. Btw. "free tuition" is an extandable word. We don't pay a tuition, but you still have to pay a small amount. (In NRW at least, and most other places)
>>959134
edit: "extandable expression"
>>959072
Well, scheisse! I'll stop using it so much then.
>>959134
OP here. i figured as much. but in the same hand i would rather pay for the admissions and other fees rather than $400+ a class on top of additional fees and admissions.
i guess to narrow down more what i'm asking would be other than having to obtain a visa, what kind of education would i need to be able to get into a german university? normally here in america, we go to high school, college, then university.
also if i can get any tips on which cities are good but not too expensive to live in. and which of those cities have average or above average universities, that would be helpful.
many thanks
>>959753
what you need to be able to get into a german university : https://www.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/voraussetzungen/en/6017-admission-requirements/
(the "daad" is a non profit backed by the goverment. For some general information about studying in Germany these are the people to ask but to make it short: if you're from the USA you need a bachelors degree OR your high school diploma has to meet certain requirements)
as a rule of thumb : cost of living is cheaper in the eastern parts of Germany and rural regions are cheaper than big cities.
Living in Germany isn't cheap. Not Sweden or Norway tier expensive but stuff in general will probably cost a little bit more than in the USA.
On the other hand you pay around 150-300€ per Semester (depending on university and in Sachsen you have to add 500 on top of that).
As a student you will need around 600-900€ per month. You may get by with as little as 400€ but that's really the absolute limit in my opinion.
As for the universities itself:
there aren't any big gaps between the major universities like in america but some have higher prestige than others. for example if you want to study something in the engineering field the RWTH AACHEN and the KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FOR TECHNOLOGY are regarded better than others but as I said before it's not like comparing the MIT or Harvard to some third grade university.
However, there is one important distinction. In Germany you basically have two types of universities : Hochschule and Fachhochschule (FH).
Fachhochschulen are smaller and teach more in a practical manner so that you already getting some practice working in the field you're studying.
Hochschulen teach more theory and a broader background and are considered by many as harder/better. It's your decision what you prefer.
>>959753
one last point:
It seems to me that you want to study in Germany because of financial reasons.
It don't see that as wrong in itself but without at least some interest in german/european culture/history/society you'll probably have a bad time/experience.
So before you make that very big step you should at least make a vacation in the region you're planning to live for the next years
>>960028
many thanks!
so if i go over with a BA in more the science are and go to a university for possibly either automation engineer or electrical engineer, how long do you think it will take me before i can finish school and start looking for a job? right now i'm planning on saving up $10,000 per year i plan to be in school in germany.
I'm currently working for a company that is based in germany and they are paying for my education while i'm here so i'm able to save up faster. i'm also wanting to go to school in germany not only for the education but also so i can be higher qualified to get a workers visa after i'm done with school.
anyone know the ins and outs of having a motorcycle in germany?
here in america it tends to differ from state to state. where i'm at i had to get my drivers liscence first then either take a motorcycle class or spend hundreds of hours driving next to someone then taking a test course. then you have to have insurance which is about $100-$200 a year.
>>960184
normal time period for a bachelor should be around 3-4 years. You may get credits for some classes you already done in your first bachelor which would speed up the process but this depends on the specific university.
>>958249
FUCK OFF MY FREE TUITION BITCHES!
>>960189
You will need a Führer-Schein :3
>>960475
i found the site "daad.de" and it looks like i can only do master degree programs as a foreign student?
>>958249
Studied an MA in Germany and have been living here since 2010. AMA. Now working.
Also, it is not 'free', it is tax-funded. There are semester fees, which run about 200€ to 500€ per semester. As a foreigner, you get zero state-funding like many students do, and to get a student visa you need to prove (this is Germany, so it's got to be real proof) you have at least ~8500€ per year to fund yourself. However, it is vastly cheaper than the anglo world.
For Bachelor-level courses, you need German. At the Master and Doctorate levels, you can find more and more programs offered in English, but the majority are naturally in German. If you speak German, then you're set I guess.
>>958882
In English, "school" basically means any institution you learn in, from Grundschule through to a PhD in university.
>>959072
This. One thing it took me a while to stop doing though...
>>959134
Erasmus is only for Europeans in European universities (plus some bilateral agreements, like with Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, etc).
Here's a picture from the Bremen Rathaus.
>>960189
If you already have a license, you can get it transferred to a German Führer-Schein (not just an international license), IF you move here, and IF you do it within the first six months. Otherwise you will have to do a driving course all over again, and shit's expensive.
This is >>962280 again.
>>959753
>also if i can get any tips on which cities are good but not too expensive to live in.
This depends on too many factors, you need to do some research yourself. Munich is the most expensive city to live in, so much so I don't think it's worth it. It's technical university is well regarded though. Düsseldorf is also fairly expensive. Berlin is cheap, but it's also not really Germany (not because of hurr durr immigrants!, but because it just lives in its own little fart-smelling bubble -- You Germs know what I'm talking about). Look up the 'TU9', since it sounds like you're in the technical/engineering stream. Smaller university towns can have inflated rental prices just because of supply/demand problems (too little student housing), but are otherwise not expensive IME.
>>960028
>Living in Germany isn't cheap.
It's more affordable than most of the rest of Western Europe, all things considered. Food (in grocery stores) is fairly cheap, train travel is affordable (especially with a Semesterticket). Compared to the US, yea some things are more expensive, but I doubt OP is bringing along a Hummer or gas-guzzling SUV and buying fancy namebrand electronics every week. I'd agree that 600-900€ is a reasonable monthly estimate. As a student (where I tracked my spending pretty strictly), I spent usually between 500-700€. I don't think living off of 400€ is possible, unless you live like a complete poorfag and live in a rat's nest.
>>960184
4ish years at least. 3 years is the normal length for a Bachelor these days, 2 for a Master, but many do a victory lap or three and it's not unusual (or it used to be under the old system -- it's a shame it's gone tbh) to take as long as you want to finish. There's no real taboo in adding extra semesters to your studies 'just because'.
Do an internship if you can. $10k per year could work, but you will be living pretty frugally.
>>962245
DAAD.de is a scholarship (grant) organization, not a government policy website. They generally do not fund bachelor students, and have more money for Germans going OUT of Germany than for foreigners coming IN (just to keep in mind). Your chances of getting funding from them are pretty remote, in case you were thinking of it. (Still worth a try though).
You CAN study Bachelor programs in Germany. But, if you are an Auslander, you will need to prove your level of German with a TestDaF certificate or equivalent. Some universities may require a short interview with their DaF department as part of the entry requirements for Ausländer.
You may have to take some courses for a semester or two before to 'top up' your Deutsch skillz. B2 is the minimum, but you may want to be at C1. At the Bachelor level, there is not really any pandering to English.
>>962245
i study system science at a small university in bavaria, as a foreigner you can easily come to german universities, we have about 10% chinese students here (atleast at my faculty) cost estimation would be 200-600 for a room (yes, 200€ for a student appartment) and about 200-400 for living expenses imo BUT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK GERMAN! (most lectures are in german) EXCEPT FOR SOME MASTER DEGREES
>>962589
>200€ for a student appartment
the size of a submarine capsule toilet, with a hotplate, sure.
You can do 'German for preparing to study' intensive language courses for a semester or two, and there are special visas for that.
You still need to have decent grades and the money up front for a student visa, which is around €8500 per year. Or, 600-odd euros per month, depending on the Länder, but usually they won't do anything less than 12 months, unless maybe you were nearly done your studies and only needed 6 months or something. (Those are all 'rich' Chinese people's children, btw -- some could have scholarships though, I guess).
mfw none of you fools has ever been to germany
>>962715
adults are talking here. shoo.
op here
>>962287
i only plan on bringing the essentials with me in about two suitcases and a backpack worth of stuff. i already live pretty simple making it possible to save up over $1,000 a month.
right now i spend $500 a month for rent, elect, etc. then on a daily basis most of my meals i have are less than a dollar each. my daily diet mostly consisting of cereal, ramen, canned fruit, fresh produce and yogurt. and i don't plan on upgrading to a more luxurious living style when i move to germany. a room with enough space for a sink, hot plate, small fridge and single sized bed with a shared bathroom would do for me.
>>962974
i spend almost the same amount of money on beer as i do on food in an average week.
We dont want you in our Country filthy scum. stay where you are.
>>962979
but... i'm trying to get away from mexicans. if i'm filthy scum for trying to get residency legally, what does that make all the border hoppers?
