5 Reasons NOT to Study Abroad in Germany

I'm not going to sugar coat things. While the experience of studying abroad in Germany can be amazing, it is not for everyone. So, especially if you are considering pursuing your entire Bachelor's or Master's degree in Germany, maybe you should first consider these reasons for NOT studying abroad in Germany.

I studied abroad in Germany for one semester during my Bachelor's and then came back to Germany to complete my entire Master's degree. And while I write a lot about all the great things about studying abroad in Germany, I think it's important that I tell you the not-so-great things as well.

1. BUREAUCRACY
The stereotypes of the rule-abiding Germans and the redundancy of German bureaucracy are true. From registering with the city to registering for exams, you will probably spend a good amount of your time in Germany running around from office to office until you finally catch the right person during their unpredictable and infrequent office hours.

MFW I have to go to the Bürger-, Einwohnermelde-, Ausländerbehörde-, StandesAMT.

Tip: Save all of your emails (office workers tend to "forget" or "lose" things), triple-check your deadlines, keep a calendar with all of your important deadlines


2. NO STUDENT FACILITIES
Especially if you are going to a public university in Germany, you should not expect to have a variety of student resources available (for free) on campus. This means no high-tech computer lab, no super-modern student center, no team of personal counselors. Also, the resources that are available will likely cost you. For example, a student membership to the on-campus gym at my university costs about 20€ per month.

Tip: Join a student organization and enjoy your university campus for what it is - a place of learning and research.


3. LEARNING GERMAN
I don't care if your study program is in English - you need to learn German. Even if you are living in a big student city, getting through your day-to-day will come with a lot of uncertainty and confusion if you think you can get by on English alone. So, if you have absolutely no interest in taking a German course, stay home.

Now don't get me wrong - you do not need to be fluent in German before coming to Germany. Germans are incredibly accommodating, and most young people do speak English. However, if you are planning on staying for a while, enroll in a German course (which will often be provided for free by your university).

Tip: Don't be lazy! Just take a German course.


4. EXAMS
Depending on the system you are used to, the German grading/exam system can be quite confusing/aggravating. First of all, most classes base the grade for the entire course on the final exam/term paper. It's stressful, and it means that the final exam period at the end of each semester is a very intense time for all the students on campus.

Another big difference that I noticed between the U.S. and German university systems was registering for exams. If you are registered for a course in the U.S., then you are automatically registered for the required exams. Not in Germany! You need to enroll in a course, then half-way though the semester, you need to enroll for the exam. Being the only foreigner in my degree program, I, of course, forgot to enroll for an exam during my first semester...

Tip: Read the exam regulations (Prüfungsordnung) at the beginning of the semester, and take every word to heart. Trust me, you do not want to have to deal with the dreaded Prüfungsamt later.

5. COURSE STRUCTURE

If most of this list could be wrapped up in one sentence it would be this: Do not study in Germany if you are not independent and disciplined. This especially goes for the courses themselves, which are usually structured much differently than university courses in the U.S.

Compared to the U.S., Germans spend much less time in class and much more time doing independent study. This means that you will have to be independent in structuring your time efficiently and disciplined about doing the outside reading, studying, and research.

Tip: Keep up on your reading and studying throughout the semester! Otherwise, you will end up cramming hardcore at the end of the semester as you study for exams that make up 100% of your grade and that you know nothing about.

Do you have any other warnings for students wanting to study in Germany?

Top 5 Tips for Writing a Master's Thesis in Germany

81 pages. 23,937 words. 1 hour-long oral defense. Although I never thought I would be able to say this six months ago, now I can: I DID IT! I successfully completed my master's thesis (and my master's degree).

For other international students preparing for the final semester of their master's degree, here are my top tips for writing a master's thesis in Germany.

START EARLY
If you are doing a classic 4-semester Master's program, then I suggest you begin looking for a topic and supervisor at the start of your third semester. I chose my topic based on a term paper that I enjoyed writing and wanted to explore the material more deeply. You can also choose to write a master's thesis within a company - such positions can be found on job websites like Indeed and Stepstone.

I approached my professor in my third semester to ask him if he could supervise my master's thesis with my chosen topic. Since I had completed a term paper for one of his classes in the previous semester, he already knew me and my writing. So, he agreed to supervise me, but first requested a research proposal (Exposé). My proposal was about four pages long and included an introduction, research question(s), methods, and a short literature review.

After my first supervisor approved my proposal, he helped me choose and contact an external secondary supervisor. Then, after my secondary supervisor agreed and approved my proposal, my fourth semester was just about to begin, and I was ready to go!

STICK TO A SCHEDULE
The best part about writing a master's thesis? The freedom of doing your own research! The worst part about writing a master's thesis? The freedom of doing your own research.

Unless you are writing with a company, your schedule will be pretty flexible as you write your master's thesis. This means that it is up to you to create a daily schedule that includes plenty of time for research and writing. At the same time, however, you do not want to burn yourself out by sitting in front of a computer for 12 hours a day.

Before starting my thesis, I procrastinated by doing research into productivity. Two methods stuck out to me, both of which I used throughout the various phases of writing my thesis.

POMODORO METHOD
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management technique that is based on 25-minute productive periods followed by five-minute breaks. If you want some group encouragement in using this method, follow the Shut Up and Write account on Twitter (or Shut Up & Write UK), which leads Pomodoro sessions for academic writers every Tuesday. And if you need to write on any other day of the week, just send them a message and request to join the private Shut Up & Write group that is active just about 24/7.

MARTINI METHOD
If you aren't in the mood for frequent breaks and would rather just power through your thesis, then the Martini Method is for you. Set a reasonable goal in the morning, work until you achieve this goal, then relax guilt-free for the rest of the day. Supposedly, this method was named after novelist Anthony Burgess's writing technique, which involved writing 1,000 words every day. As soon as this goal was reached (regardless of whether it took just 1 hour or 10) Burgess would stop working and relax with a dry martini.

CREATE DEADLINES
Your university will probably set a deadline for you to turn in your thesis (at my university, this is five months after registering your topic). However, unless you want to have a lot of sleepless nights at the end of the semester, you need to set incremental deadlines.

I created a spreadsheet with the final due date of my thesis and worked backwards from there. You can start by asking yourself the following questions:
How long will research/data collection take?
Do I need to conduct any time-sensitive empirical research?
How many days/weeks do I need to write each chapter?
How many weeks before the due date should I send a draft to my supervisor?

TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR
Your supervisor is there to help you. Sure, some supervisors may suck and not actually want to help you (or they "don't have the time"), but in general, you shouldn't be shy about going to supervisor for help or advice in the research and writing process. I know I could have saved myself a lot of headaches if I had just asked my professor for his professional opinion on certain research decisions early on instead of guessing and stressing about it for weeks on end.

KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
Yes, your master's thesis is important, and you should do you very best when writing it. However, it is just a master's thesis. You should never let academic work stress you out so much that it effects your mental health.

While writing my master's thesis, I got into a horrible cycle of sitting in front of my computer for over 10 hours each day. I constantly felt like my work wasn't good enough and that I should be working even harder. After about a month of this, I forced myself to get outside each day by beginning the C25K running program. Spending just 30 minutes a day running around outside and enjoying the nature really helped alleviate my anxiety and keep things in perspective.

And that's it! I turned in my master's thesis at the end of November 2016, and I successfully defended my thesis on December 9, 2016. Here is a picture of me leaving my professor's office on that day (with a face of pure joy):

What is your best tip for staying productive?

Job Search Visa for Foreign Graduates in Germany

Whether you are considering getting your degree in Germany, you are currently getting your degree in Germany, or you are just about to graduate, then you have probably wondered: What comes next?

Good news! Foreigners who receive a degree from a German university are allowed to stay in the country after graduation in order to to work. However, if you are not lucky enough to have a job lined up directly after graduation, and your student visa is running out at the end of the semester, then you are eligible for the job search visa (Aufenthaltserlaubnich zur Arbeitsplatzsuche).

To understand the rules regarding German residency permits, it is best to refer to the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz). The job search visa is covered in §16(4):

Nach erfolgreichem Abschluss des Studiums kann die Aufenthaltserlaubnis bis zu 18 Monaten zur Suche eines diesem Abschluss angemessenen Arbeitsplatzes, sofern er nach den Bestimmungen der §§ 18, 19, 19a und 21 von Ausländern besetzt werden darf, verlängert werden. Die Aufenthaltserlaubnis berechtigt während dieses Zeitraums zur Ausübung einer Erwerbstätigkeit. § 9 findet keine Anwendung.

In case you can't understand German law vocabulary, this says that foreign graduates can receive a residence permit for up to 18 months after graduation to look for a job. Not bad, huh? If this sounds like something for you, then take a look at the facts listed below.

A Month of German Bureaucracy

I had four appointments at the Bürgeramt in the month of September. Yes, you read that correctly: four appointments in four weeks.

Here's a review of each of those appointments, just to give you an idea of how amazingly thorough (and sometimes redundant) German bureaucracy is for us foreigners.

Appointment #1: Ausländerbehörde

My student visa was going to run out on September 30th. However, due to other bureaucratic circumstances, I had to enroll for another semester at my university. So, I needed to renew my student visa for at least 6 more months. When I made this appointment per email, I was told all I need is a new biometric photo, proof of enrollment, my passport, and 80€. However, when I got to the appointment, my case worker spontaneously decided that my Verpflichtungserklärung (which Marco signed 3 years ago saying he is financially responsible for me) is too old. So, I needed to get a new one.

Unfortunately, my case worker doesn't issue Verpflichtungserkläungen. Turns out, filling out these forms is a full time job for someone else on a different floor of the building. But I couldn't just go over to her office today. Come on, that would be too convenient! No, I needed to make an appointment, and the earliest available was in two weeks.

Beyonce understands how I felt (source).

Oh, to top things off, my case workers informed me at the end of the appointment that he was going on vacation for the next three weeks. So, my new appointment to renew my visa (that was going to expire on September 20th) was scheduled for September 21st. Perfect.

Appointment #2: Standesamt

This is the only appointment I had during this month that wasn't at the foreigner's office. Instead, it was across the hall at the registry office.

After paying the court fees for our marriage, we had to go back to the registry office one last time (this was time #3) to sign some official-looking papers. Unfortunately, our regular case worker called in sick that morning, so everyone was scrambling to find someone we could meet with. 

Suddenly, we were asked to come upstairs. Until then, we had always gone to an office across the hall from the foreigner's office - an area of the Bürgeramt (citizen's office) that I have become quite familiar with. In fact, sitting in the waiting room with its dirty white walls and crying babies has started to feel like home. After ascending the staircase and opening the big metal door to the third floor, however, I gasped in awe of what we had been missing out on.

The walls were painted a happy yellow. There were large wooden chairs in the hallway that looked more fit for a throne room than a waiting room. We went into the office of our fill-in case worker, and she had a full wall covered in photos and letters of happy German couples that she had married over the years.

I basically felt like confused John Travolta in the TARDIS (source).

"This is the VIP floor for German couples!" I remarked to Marco. I had never realized that until then, my non-Germanness had gotten us shafted to the foreigner's floor.

The rest of the appointment really wasn't all that eventful. The woman said that all of our documents were in order, we signed some papers, and we set another appointment to plan to the ceremony in early December.

Appointment #3: Verflichtungserklärung

Back to the Ausländerbehörde for Marco to take financial responsibility for me. It sounds dramatic, but it's really not (unless I smash a bunch of car windows with a baseball bat just before jumping on a plane to the U.S.). 

To fill out the Verpflichtungserklärung, Marco had to show his pay stubs from the last three months, his work contract, and our lease for the apartment. The woman then subtracted the rent from his monthly salary to figure out if he has enough money to "support" me.

After some arithmetic, we both signed a few forms, and I got to take a copy of my brand new Verpflichtungserklärung with me for my fourth and final appointment the following week.

Appointment #4: Ausländerbehörde (Again)

This was it: the last appointment. I went alone, and seeing as it was only one week before my residence permit expired, I was a little nervous. Luckily, everything went as it should. I handed my case worker all the necessary documents, and he made a lot of copies and fattened up the file they are keeping on me. 

The interesting part came when he asked me how long I need a visa for. Technically, I am only enrolled for one more semester at my university, which is 6 months. After that, I will probably just switch to a spouse visa, since I am getting married in December. I told him this, and he told me the best news I had gotten all month:

If I take a visa for just six months, I only have to pay 30€ instead of the standard 80€. Not bad! I also just get a sticker in my passport instead of a plastic ID card, which is nice. Now I just have to make sure I have all my documents together by the beginning of March to get my fifth (and final?) type of residence permit...

Torschlusspanik & Permit Problems

I am graduating. Soon. So, I am panicking. Now.

In German, the panic as something is coming to an end is known as Torschlusspanik, which translates literally to gate-closing panic. The castle's gates are closing, the enemies are encroaching, and you need to get through those gates ASAP. But you still have to herd your sheep, pack up your belongings, gather your wife and children. There's not enough time. AHHH!!!

I have been writing my thesis since about mid-May, and it is just about done. Still, I am terrified to turn it in. Even more terrified to get feedback on it. And most terrified to defend it.

Then there is also the bureaucratic side of graduating as a foreign student. Luckily, Germany allows foreigners that graduate from German universities to get a job-search permit for up to 18 months. This is what I was hoping to get when my student visa becomes invalid on September 30th.

Just one problem: I won't be turning in my thesis and other term papers until the end of September.

For "normal" students, you can already move on to the next stage of your life (job search, phD, whatever) as you wait for your official diploma. I distinctly remember going through the official graduation ceremony for my bachelor's degree in the U.S. and not getting my official diploma until over a month later. Unfortunately, foreign students don't receive this luxury. Through recent correspondence with my local foreigners' office, they told me that I will not be able to get my job-search permit until I have my official diploma in my hand.

Until then, I need to enroll in the next semester (that's 350€ in fees) and extend my student visa (~80€). A waste of my money and my time.

So, that's where I'm at. Wrapping up my studies yet extending my student visa as I long for the day that I can move on with my life.

How to Save Money as a Student in Germany

As a foreign student, many people seem to have this expectation that I can take trips to amazing European cities and attractions every weekend. While I'd love to, the truth is that I can't afford it. But for what my blog lacks in sexy travel photos, I hope it can make up for in practical tips for living abroad.

One of the main reasons I chose to further my education in Germany was because of the free tuition. However, free tuition doesn't mean free living.

I still have student loans from my bachelor's degree. I am not financially supported by my parents. I don't have very much savings. I'm not qualified for many student jobs. I can't get BAföG (German student loans that students only have to pay back half of after graduating).

So, I have had to work student jobs to support myself and learn to live frugally as a student in Germany. Here are the best tips I have learned during my past two years of studying in Germany:


Shop at a Discount(er)
Discount grocery stores are a German tradition (better known in German as "discounters"). Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto - no matter where you are in Germany, there is bound to be one nearby. Luckily, I live about 500 meters from a Penny, and it is where I do all of my grocery shopping.

Sure, you don't have the huge selection of products like you do at bigger grocery stores like Edeka or Kaufland, but there's still plenty of choose from. I also find that the lack of overwhelming variety means I am more likely to stick to the staples and not waste money on specialty items or unneeded snacks.


Read Digital & Borrowed
In my experience, professors at German universities will do everything in their power to ensure that students do not have to spend (much) money on books and other materials for class. In fact, I have only bought one book (10€) during my entire Master's program. Most professors would upload all the relevant articles and book chapters online for the students to download.

If your professor doesn't upload the necessary materials, try asking them for their copy of the book (either to read or quickly scan) or check to see if there is a copy available in the library. I have had luck with both of these methods. So before spending a lot of money on books you'll likely only read once, I highly suggest trying them out.


Use Your Student ID
From free local transportation to reduced ticket prices, student IDs (better known as "student tickets" in Germany) bring a lot of financial benefits for students. These benefits will depend on your particular Bundesland and university, so make sure to check your university website to see what benefits yours offers.


Join Rewards Programs
If you are willing to sell your personal data, then there are some rewards programs you can join to gain points or money back towards future purchases. The most popular include PayBack, a rewards card for many of Germany's most popular stores (e.g. Rewe, dm, Real), and ShopKick, an app where you get points for entering and scanning products.


Get Free Stuff
I haven't bought shampoo or conditioner in over a year. How? I participate in product trials with trnd. All you have to do is create a profile, answer a few questionnaires, and they will email you whenever you qualify for a product trial. In the past, I have tested Ritter Sport chocolate, paper towels, dish soap, shampoo and conditioner, and hair styling products. In return, you just have to fill out some questionnaires about the products. (By the way, I'm not getting paid for this. I just like the program.)


Check Sales Flyers
I feel like I'm about 100 years old when I check the sales flyers every week in the paper, but it's worth it! Discount grocery stores (see #1) carry specialty products each week, and it is impossible to find a better deal on things like bed sheets, towels, furniture, and kitchen equipment than during these sales.

So, be smart, and find the sale. But be warned - the Germans love a sale, and if the sale on bed sheets starts on Monday, they will be mostly sold out by Monday afternoon. If you don't get sales flyers, you can also check out your local sales ads with the app kaufDA.


Book Early
If you are going to take a train journey inside Germany, book your train tickets at least 2 months ahead of time. Booking early will almost guarantee that you will find a train to your desired location for a maximum 29€ each way.


Graduate On Time
German students don't like graduating on time. The pressure that weighs so heavily on students in the U.S. just doesn't seem to exist in Germany, and it is very normal for Germans to take one (or two...) extra semesters to finish their degrees. In fact, I do not know anyone that started at the same time as me who is graduating on time from my program (besides me).

The problem with this is that taking extra semesters to finish doesn't just cost you in semester fees. You will likely have to extend your visa (there goes 100€), and you will be entering the job market later. While I'm not suggesting you stress yourself out and rush your studies, be proactive from the beginning on, and try your best to stay in the Regelstudienzeit. You can do it! (But if you don't, don't worry. Only 40% of German university students graduate on time.)


Hope these tips help! Let me know if you have any more in the comments below!

Studying in Germany FAQ

Last month marked this blog's 3 year anniversary. YAY! In that time, I have moved to Germany, passed the TestDaF, applied to German master's programs, enrolled in a German master's program, and am now writing my master's thesis with the plan of finishing my master's degree in September. Whew!

Over the past three years, I have also received countless comments and messages from prospective students looking to study in Germany. So, in an effort to help these curious minds, here are some of the most frequently asked questions I have received about studying in Germany.

Student Visa/Residence Permits

I want to move to Germany, but I haven't applied/been accepted to a degree program yet. What can I do?
If you want to move to Germany BEFORE applying to degree programs, there are two options for you: the language course visa (Sprachkursvisum) and the student application visa (Studienbewerbervisum).
You can also read my post about all three types of German student visas. Just remember that my personal experiences with applying for these various visas are from a US-American perspective. There are, of course, different rules for people from different countries.

Can you convert a language course visa/student application visa to a student visa?
This a question I get a lot, although I don't really understand why. Once you enroll at a German university as a full-time student, you are eligible for a student visa. Just bring your documents to the foreigner's office, and they will invalidate your current visa (whether it be a language course visa or student application visa) and issue you a student visa.
Make sure to check out my posts about the process of getting a German student visa and renewing my German student visa.

The people at the Ausländerbehörde are mean and don't want to give me a language course visa/student application visa/student visa. What can I do?
Sometimes, the people at the foreigner's office don't even know which visa options are available. So, if you get someone that doesn't want to give you the visa you need (when I asked for a student application visa, the German man told me to leave the country), then you need to pull out the big guns: the German law. All of the student-related residence permits are explained in §16. So, print it out, highlight the article that pertains to you, and show German bureaucracy what you're made of.


Applying to German Universities

This is an area where I usually get very specific questions regarding various programs nationwide. For program-specific questions, you should obviously read over the program's website or contact someone at the university. However, many German universities do not handle applications from foreign students by themselves. Instead, they use the third-party company uni-assist. If the program you want to apply to requires you to apply through uni-assist, I am sorry in advance. However, I managed to live through the experience of applying to German master's programs, and you will too.

Do I need to send my high school diploma to uni-assist? Does it need to be certified? 
Even if you are applying for a master's program, they need your high school diploma. Personally, I just send my transcripts - they were not certified - and they were still accepted.

Why didn't I receive a confirmation from my university? Did they get my application? 
You will get a confirmation from uni-assist when they receive your application by mail. They will not, however, send you a confirmation that your application was sent to the university (assume that no news is good news). Basically, they thrive off of foreign students' constant panic and worry.

Do real human beings even work at uni-assist?
This is a mystery that nobody actually knows the answer to. All we do know is that uni-assist sometimes answers phone calls, rarely answers emails, and never actually answers any questions. I am sorry if you find yourself in a situation where you need to contact them.
On the bright side, if you need a laugh, just try googling "Probleme mit uni-assist." You will find plenty of forums of people that are just as annoyed with this bureaucratic middle-man as you.


TestDaF/DSH

Should I take the TestDaF or the DSH?
Both the TestDaF and the DSH are German proficiency tests, and both are accepted by Geramn universities. Which you should take depends on your personal circumstance. I took the TestDaF because I needed to take a language course to qualify for the language course visa, and the best course available was the TestDaF-prep course at the local VHS. If you are already enrolled at a university, then I would recommend taking the DSH, as they are created and graded by the university faculty themselves.

How can I pass the TestDaF?
It's not easy, but you can do it! I practiced by taking as many practice tests as possible, always timing myself to make sure that I would be ready on test day. I also wrote multiple blog posts with tips and tricks for each of the sections of the test here:

• Leseverstehen
• Hörverstehen
• Schriftlicher Ausdruck
• Mündlicher Ausdruck

I am also keeping a list of free TestDaF online resources.

How can I improve my vocabulary for the TestDaF?

If you need to improve your vocabulary because you aren't understanding enough of the words on the practice tests, then you need to start immersing yourself in the German language. The best way to do this is to use German entertainment everyday: watch German TV shows, watch German YouTubers, and read German books.

Studying in Germany

How much time do you spend in classes?

In comparison to an American university curriculum, the German curriculum is much more free. This means less time in classes, but more expectations that you are reading and studying outside of class. 

For my particular program, I have to take 6 classes per semester, and each class is 2 SWS (Semesterwochenstunden = hours per week in the semester). That means I am physically in class for 12 hours per week.

How does the grading system in Germany work?
This is also an important question for those applying to German programs, because Americans will need to convert their GPA to determine if they are eligible for German programs. To do this, check out my American to German grade conversion post.
Here is my quick explanation of the German grading system: a 1.0 is the best grade in Germany, a 5.0 is a failing grade, and a 4.0 is the lowest passing grade.

I hope prospective students will find this helpful! Let me know if you have any more questions in the comments below, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Writing My Master's Thesis

Since I know a lot of fellow international students (or soon-to-be-international-students) read this blog, I figured I would write a little update on my current studies, namely: writing my master's thesis.

I am now in my fourth semester of my master's program, which runs from April 1 to September 30. During this semester, I am writing my master's thesis - a scientific work of approximately 80 pages that proves I can analyze a topic, conduct research, formulate an argument, and write a long-ass paper.

Knowing my fourth semester was getting nearer, I started to think about possible topics back in November. I had one class in my second semester that was particular interesting and inspiring for me. In fact, I used the methods I learned in that class to create a research project with two of my fellow students, which piqued the curiosity of my professor.

Since that relationship was already there, I went to that professor to ask about writing my thesis with him. He was immediately on board and suggested some ideas for developing a thesis topic in the same field as my research project.

It took about two months for me to finally settle on a concrete topic and develop my research questions. I wrote up my research proposal in the first week of the new semester and nervously sent it to my supervisor.

Celebratory shots because I just sent my Master's thesis proposal to my advisor! #gradschool #gradschoollife #gradschoolproblems

A photo posted by Courtney (@courtneydmartin) on Apr 12, 2016 at 11:57am PDT

The very next day, I already received a reply from my professor: "Ihr Exposé gefällt mir sehr gut..." He really liked it! I was thrilled. To top it all off, he suggested that I ask a highly influential researcher (who basically created the field I am working in and I had cited multiple times in my proposal) to be my secondary supervisor.

Yesterday I took a shot after submitting my master's thesis proposal. Today I'm drinking wine because my supervisor already read it and said he "really likes it" (es hat ihm "sehr gut gefallen"). Woohoo! #gradschoollife #gradschoolproblems #gradschool

A photo posted by Courtney (@courtneydmartin) on Apr 13, 2016 at 10:55am PDT

Well, I sent him an email that very same day, and the next morning, I already had a reply: "Klar mache ich das! Dein Exposé sieht ja schon prima aus..." He said yes, and said that my proposal is great! Unfortunately, he is located at a different university in Germany, so I probably won't be able to meet him in person anytime soon, but he offered to send me comments and feedback by email.

So, now I am busy writing my master's thesis, knowing that I have two respected researchers supporting me - which is a great, but also nerve-wracking, feeling. The funny thing is that both of my supervisors have their PhDs in mathematics and/or physics. Meanwhile I am getting a Master of Arts in digital media and haven't taken a math course since senior year of high school...

Let me know if you have any tips for writing a thesis! Any help is appreciated :)

Day in the Life of an American Student in Germany

I know, I know. I haven't been around in a while. First it was Easter, then it was the start of a new semester, and this blog got put on the back-burner. But I am back!

Since this is my last semester of grad school, I figured I would make a "day in the life" post to give you all a glimpse into my current "student life." This particular day (Wednesday, April 11th ) didn't turn out quite as expected, but I still took pictures all along the way. I also want to apologize in advance for the potato-quality pictures (my cell phone camera isn't the best).

Here we go!

8:00 AM

My alarm went off at 7:45, and my wonderful German fiancé got up first to make me a cup of green tea. I drank this while making some breakfast, checking emails, and planing out my day.

9:00 AM

After breakfast I got myself ready for the day. Here is my before and after, where surprisingly little has changed (except for the fact that my shirt changed color and I put on jeans).

 10:00 AM

I had two hours before I had somewhere to be, so I got on my computer to try and get some work done. I turned in the proposal for my Master's thesis to my supervisor the day before, so I didn't currently have any work to do for my thesis. However, I did have to plan a short lesson for my English tutoring later in the day, and I still have a term paper to write for last semester (oops).

12:00 PM

Next, it was time for my Master forum, which is where all the Master's students from my field (there's 10 of us) sit in a room together for two hours and talk. Turns out, I am the only person in the forum with a set topic, but when I try to explain what I am doing, nobody understands me. 

I really need to practice how to explain my thesis topic in two sentences. I think the best scientists are those that can explain their topic (no matter how complex) to anyone, and still have them understand what it is they do.

2:00 PM

After a less-than-great Master forum, I go back to my apartment to grab something to eat. I check my emails, and see that my supervisor emailed me back. Marco was also at home, so I threw my phone to him and said, "read it for me!" 

The email started:

"Dein Expose gefällt mir sehr gut..." 

He said he really liked my proposal! And he read it the day after I sent it to him, which is pretty incredible. This picture shows how I was feeling in that moment. 

3:00 PM

I was only at home for 30 minutes before having to leave again. I recently began tutoring two teenage girls in English, which can be challenging (they aren't always so thrilled to see me) but also can be a lot of fun. I tutor them at one of the girls' houses, which is about a 25 minute walk from my apartment. I could drive the car or ride my bike, but this is what the walk looks like (see above picture), so I don't mind.

4:00 PM

We met for one hour, where we discussed irregular verbs. I had them create a story using at least one irregular verb in every sentence, and things got a little crazy. There was a man named James whose girlfriend got bit by an alligator, so James killed all the alligators and made his girlfriend a purse with their skin. Yikes.

5:00 PM

I leave tutoring around 4:30 to walk back over the Ilmenau (the river that runs through my city) and head home.

6:00 PM

Before going home, I figured I would pick up some groceries at Penny (a discount grocery store near our apartment). As you can see in the picture, they still have some products leftover from "America week," including cheese squeeze, jarred hot dogs, and "cup 'o noodles" in macaroni & cheese flavor.

After checking out, I reached in my pocket and realized I forgot my keys when I left the apartment after lunch. Luckily, Marco works at the university (also near our apartment and the grocery store). When I got to his office, however, he's wasn't there. I tried walking around his institute a little bit, but there are a lot of laboratories (he's a chemist), and I didn't want to start opening doors to the labs to ask people where he is. Instead, I just sat outside of his office... for over an hour.

Here's to never forgetting my keys ever again.

7:00 PM

 I started making dinner around 7:00 pm: Parmesan-crusted zander with potato wedges and salad. After my roller coaster of a day, I also decided to have a glass of wine.

8:00 PM

By 8:00 pm, I was done. I poured myself another glass of wine, lit a candle, turned on Netflix (I'm currently watching Mr. Selfridge), and put my feet up until it was time to go to bed.

As I am writing this the next day, I realize that I forgot to mention that I slammed my finger in the gate as I was leaving the girl's house that I tutor. It hurt pretty bad, but I didn't realize just how bad it was until this morning. It's quite purple, and I can't bend it all the way.

What a day!

My Third Semester of Grad School in Germany

I did it! I made it through my third semester of graduate school in Germany! Yay!

Best of all, this means that I have made it through (almost) all of my coursework! My fourth and final semester will largely just consist of me sitting at a desk by myself as I write my 80-page Master's thesis. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Before I start thinking about the coming semester too much though (the new semester starts on April 4th), let's take a look back at everything I accomplished in my third semester of grad school in Germany:

5 grad school courses
In order to graduate in 2 years, my program requires students to take 6 courses per semester. For my second semester of grad school, I signed up for 7 courses last semester so that I would only had to take 5 this year. 

Half way through the semester, I found out that one of my 7 seven classes won't count towards my degree. So, I will have to make up for it by taking one class next semester, while I am writing my Master's thesis. It is doable, but annoying. I took a class and wrote a full, 20-page term paper for nothing (except knowledge, of course)!

5 term papers
Once again, I didn't have to take any exams this semester, but I did have to write 5 term papers. Man, am I getting sick of writing! Hopefully I find a second wind when it comes to writing my thesis...

50 pages written*
*This is a projected figure, as I still have one paper left to write. Oops.

5 presentations
Only 3 of my 5 classes required a presentation! That's another step up from the 5 last semester.

1 class next semester
As I said earlier, I only have to take one class in my final semester (not counting the Master's colloquium).

Wish me luck as I head into my final semester, and let me know in the comments if you have any tips (or encouragement) for writing a thesis!

The Process of Writing a Term Paper in Grad School

I have four term papers (Hausarbeiten in German) due in March. Instead of just writing them now, however, I have decided to procrastinate by sharing my process for writing a term paper.

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If getting my Master's has taught me nothing, at least it has made me a master in writing 18-page papers in exactly one week. I don't even flinch anymore when every single one of my professors assign a Hausarbeit each semester, usually requiring somewhere between 15 to 20 pages of well-researched thought. Heck, last semester I managed to whip out six Hausarbeiten on vastly different topics within in two months!

As I head into this phase of my third semester, I figured I would share my process of writing a Hausarbeit with all of you.

Phase 1: Learning is great!

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Sure, writing a term paper is never fun, but it can be enjoyable when the topic interests you. I try my hardest to pick topics that I find interesting and where I think the knowledge gained will help me in the future.

Phase 2: I can do this.

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It's still the early stages, but I am feeling determined. I am a smart person. Who says I can't crank this thing out in one week? Or even less!

Phase 3: Can I do this?

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It's a few days later, and I am still reading books and articles relating to this horrible topic. When does it end? What is the point? Why am I doing this?!

Phase 4: So. Much. Information.

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I now have a source list two pages long with over six pages of notes and ideas. Am I going too far?

Phase 5: Tippity, tappity

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Okay, let's just start writing. Tippity tappity goes the keyboard, and before I know it, I've got a solid 50% of the paper written. Woohoo!


Phase 6: Tap... tap... tap...

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Progress is slowing, and I still have several pages to go. I am now writing over 75% fewer words per day than before, and I am running low on ideas.

Phase 7: Just two more pages...

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I'm in the home stretch now, and I will not sleep until I finish. Although I am starting to feel a bit delusional...

Phase 9: Add a comma, delete comma, add comma back in

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Also known as proofreading, this is the stage where I am on my last nerve and want absolutely nothing to do with this topic anymore.

Phase 10: Good enough!

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Has anyone ever finished writing a term paper and thought to themselves, "Wow, that is a great paper. I feel so accomplished."? I certainly haven't. After a lame attempt at editing my paper, I reach a point where all I can think is, "Yeah, that's good enough." Then I print it out, slap my signature on it, and throw it into my professor's mailbox.

And, of course, I then move on to the unofficial 11th phase:

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The Total Cost of My Master's Degree Program in Germany

Yesterday, I made the final payment for my Master's degree program! And since I never had to take out any loans for this degree, that means that the whole program is paid off over 8 months before I will graduate!

Now that the last payment has been made, let's take a look at how much getting my Master's degree in Germany cost in total.

First, let me answer some questions you may have regarding tuition in Germany.

Didn't you once write that Germany doesn't charge tuition?
Yes, I did. Public universities in Germany do not charge tuition (to foreigner students or anybody else). However, there are "semester fees," which students have to pay each semester. These vary from university to university, but are generally between 100 and 350 Euro. When you consider the prices of American public universities (I actually went to a private university for my Bachelor's degree because it was cheaper than the in-state public universities), this is a bargain.

But wait, if a semester fee isn't considered tuition, then what is it? 
Tuition is payment for teaching or instruction. Semester fees do not go towards those things. Instead, (at least at my university) they go to the student union (~30%), administration (~20%), and a transportation ticket for the entire state of Niedersachsen (~50%).

Didn't German universities use to charge tuition?
German states did enforce a tuition at public universities for a time, but this resulted in protests throughout the country. Lucky for me, the tuition fee (which was 500€ per semester) for was abolished in the state of Niedersachsen exactly when I began studying. That's 2,000 Euro saved!

Well, how much did you pay for your Master's degree program?
Take a look at the chart below to see how much I paid in fees for each of my four semesters.

Semester	Fee
Winter 2014/15	331.16€
Summer 2015	334.38€
Winter 2015/16	329.15€
Summer 2016	331.70€
TOTAL	1,326.39€

That's right, the total amount I paid for my Master's program is 1,326.39 Euro. Not too shabby, if you ask me (and my university actually has one of the highest semester fees in the country). Now I just have to hope I find a job after graduation in order to pay off my Bachelor's degree.

Do you agree with Germany's higher education system? Should public universities should be subsidized by taxpayers so students can graduate without debt?

The Costs of Studying in Germany (and how I afford it)

Public universities in Germany are (almost) free. Just about everyone knows that by now. Even foreigners are eligible to study for free in Germany. Even if you only have to pay a couple hundred Euro per semester for school, however, there are still other costs to consider before applying to German universities.

To help people figure out just how much studying in Germany costs, here is a look at my finances and how I afford to live in Germany while getting my Master's degree.

The BBC published an article in June 2015 about how American students finance their studies in Germany. Here is the their breakdown of 3 students' monthly expenses:

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32821678

Rent

As you can immediately see from the first row, rent varies A LOT from city to city. So, you should always research rent prices for any city you are considering. Beware: many of the post popular cities for studying (e.g. Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Heidelberg) also boast the highest rent prices in the country. 

In general, both smaller cities and cities in Eastern Germany will have lower rent prices. So, if you choose to study in a small city in Eastern Germany like Cottbus, then you can get away with paying only €200 for rent. If you choose to study and live in Munich, a city boasting the highest rent prices in Germany, then expect to pay at least €500 per month (read about Alex Butts costs of living in Munich). The average monthly rent for a student living in a shared apartment, however, is about €300.

Health Insurance

German public health insurance for students is about €80, which is actually a great deal. If you are American, it may take awhile to get used to regularly visiting the doctor and not paying a dime in co-pays and whatnot.

Semester Fee

Although public universities do not charge tuition, they do still charge a semester fee. The amount varies according to university, but it is generally between €100 and €400 per semester, including a transportation ticket. Although the table above says the amounts include transportation, I highly doubt that. Divide €250 (the average semester fee with transportation ticket) by 6 (a semester lasts 6 months), then you would have about €40 per month. 

How far the transportation ticket will get you also depends on your university. However, it will at least be good for taking the local buses and trains. Since my university is in Niedersachsen, for example, I can take any public transit within the state of Niedersachsen with my student ticket.

Groceries

Obviously this amount varies according to the person, but €150 per month is about average.

Misc.

Obviously, a lot of things are missing on this list (i.e. phone bill, books, gym, etc.). For people that already live on their own, however, you should already be able to roughly estimate these miscellaneous costs. Just remember to take everything into account.

My Monthly Finances

Rent: €300

I live in a smaller city (pop. 100,000), where rent prices are a little bit lower than average. €300 is the average monthly rent for a shared apartment here.

Health Insurance: €80

Not getting around that.

Semester Fee: €55

The semester fee is relatively expensive at my university (€330 per semester). But like I said before, it does include the transportation ticket.

Groceries: €150

Note that I generally only shop at discount grocery stores, so that helps keep this number down.

Phone: €5 + €11

I pay €5 for my landline, which includes a free international calling. I also pay €11/month for my 2-year cell phone conttract. This contract included my phone (Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini), 200 MB data, 100 minutes, and 100 text messages.

Total: ~€600

My total cost of living per month comes out to about €600. If you read my post about working as a foreign student in Germany, you will know that this is also about how much I make per month by working 15 hours/week at the university. There are obviously miscellaneous costs that come up each month as well, but this is why I worked and saved in the U.S. before making the choice to study in a foreign country. 

Although it's not easy, it is possible to work alongside your studies to finance your education in Germany. However, a student job is not always easy to find, and you cannot rely on finding one. Therefore, I highly suggest doing your research and making sure that you can afford to live and study in Germany (even without a job) before committing to a program. 

Remember, Germany will subsidize your education, but they won't pay your rent. Do your research and be prepared.

My Second Semester of Grad School in Germany

My third semester of grad school starts today (which is also my final semester of classes! YAY!). Unfortunately, I still have one more term paper to write from last semester (oops), but it will get done within the next two weeks (hopefully), so I figured I will write this post anyways.

Here is a review of my second semester of graduate school in Germany.

7 grad school courses
In order to graduate in 2 years, my program requires students to take 6 courses per semester. Why did I take 7? Masochism, basically. But I survived!

6 term papers
The good news: I didn't have to take any exams this semester! The bad news: I had to write 6 term papers! And actually, I still haven't turned in 3 of them... ugh.

80 pages written
I was curious, so I just checked all of my term papers to see how many pages I wrote in total. 80. Yep. That's a lot for one semester, especially when you have to do research on so many different topics.

5 presentations
This semester, 5 of my 7 courses required a presentation (4 of those were in German). I don't particularly enjoy giving presentations. I always have to remember to wear a high-necked shirt because my chest becomes all splotchy.

5 classes next semester
In the review of my first semster of grad school in Germany, I naively write that I was planning on taking 7 classes for the next semester. While I don't regret that decision, it did not make my life easy. But maybe I should be thanking past Courtney, because now I only have to take 5 classes this coming semester (and none of them sound particularly easy)!

Here's to my last semester of grad school classes!

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