Leaving the US for a German degree
Edgar Martinez knew that he wanted to study in Germany ever since he was in high school. The German language has inspired the 20-year-old American so much that he left Chicago, his home town, to study Business Administration in the rather small town of Marburg in central Germany. "This language stimulates me intellectually, and I want to make it part of my life," says Martinez. "Studying here has just been a perfect fit".
Allan Liversidge, on the other hand, was not very happy with his decision. After completing his Bachelor's degree in history, he left Wisconsin for Bonn to pursue a Master's degree. Though filled with hope at the start, studying Germany upset him. He was very disappointed at how little support he received from teachers outside of lectures and seminars."I felt left in the lurch, and I had to leave," Liversidge says. In 2014, the 23-year-old dropped out of Bonn University and is still finding a way out.
Martinez and Liversidge are two of a growing number of Americans who decide to study in Germany. The number of students coming from the US has hit a record high, increasing from 2,817 in the academic year 2003/04 to 4,359 a decade later, with a significant increase of 54.7 percent. The fact that American students come all the way to Germany despite the high-ranked universities in their own country speaks to the growing popularity of German institutions of higher education.
According to the new publication "Wissenschaft Weltoffen 2015," released by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Centre for Research on Higher Education and Science Studies (DZHW) on July 22 this year, Germany has become the third most popular host country for students to pursue their studies after the US and the UK. Why would the US students choose Germany when they can enjoy high-quality education at home, without going through the trouble of learning a new language and adapting to cultural differences?
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http://www.dw.com/en/leaving-the-us-for-a-german-degree/a-18599858
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- €200 fees per semester, but lots of rebates e.g. for public transit
- Studying in Germany is streamlined: You start out with a fixed major topic (there is a range of accepted minor topics for each major topic). You get a clear plan what you are supposed to do in which semester and what you absolutely must have completed until which semester. (You can fudge that plan within some limits.) You are free to hear some other lectures on the side, if you have spare time. Though you aren't allowed to take exams outside your topics.
- There is little personal tutoring by the professors. For that we have "Fachschaften" (there is no english translation, "departmental organization?"
. They are semi-official self-help- and self-government-organisations of students for students. They represent all students of a particular profession (mathematics, IT, physics, chemistry, biology, machine engineering, structural engineering, electrical engineering, architecture, economy, political sciences...). They are well-organized and ressourceful. If you have any problem, there are always some older students hanging out in their offices (and on their sofas) who can help you.
(Plus, they regularly organize parties...)
"Nobody will hold your hand. There is no guidance counseling or even real orientation," Martinez says.
I guess, nobody told Martinez that the Fachschaft even exists.
