Starting the semester, I felt like a freshman again trying to navigate a new university. Only this time, it was in another language. Housing, classes, and credits are all completely different in Germany than in the U.S. and according to my European friends, different from their countries as well.
Most German university semesters run on a different schedule than the U.S. Their semesters operate in the winter and summer instead of the spring and fall. My classes started in late October and will go ’til early February and my summer semester will go from April until the end of July. Undergraduates also typically finish their studies in 3 years rather than 4. Another major difference from home is the credit system. In Germany they are called ECTS and are usually awarded based on how much work you do instead of passing the class. For example, in a history course I’m taking, I’m going to get 4 ECTS for doing a presentation and a research paper. Other students are opting out of paper and will only get 3 ECTS. A couple people aren’t doing the paper or the presentation. Grading is usually based on one or two major assignments instead of several smaller ones. Classes also usually meet once a week instead of multiple times throughout. The workload so far has been a lot less than classes in the U.S. Partly because of the classes I chose to take but also because German students are given a lot more independence with their studies than students in the U.S. Because we don’t get weekly assignments, we’re responsible for making sure we understand a lot of the material on our own. Many classes only meet once a week so a lot of learning is done outside of class and is self-paced. Signing up for classes was a confusing and stressful experience. In the U.S., we sign up for classes the semester before and everything is done online. The whole process takes 10 minutes once you’ve picked your classes. Here, classes were listed online but registration was different for every class. You signed up for some of them online but often you had to go in person on a certain day or sometimes you weren't required to sign up at all, just show up to the first class. The good thing was, the university seems to know what a confusing process it is and leaves a lot of leeway for exchange students. At the end of the semester, I’ll receive a graded “Schein” from each class. It’s a certificate that proves I passed the course which I’ll have to give to UMass to receive a grade back home. My grades will have to be converted to the U.S. letter grading system. In Germany, grades are on a scale from 1-5 with 1 being the best. A passing grade is a 4 or better. Housing is also very different in Germany. It is a lot cheaper than housing either on or off campus in Amherst. Everyone lives in single rooms too, something you have to pay extra for at UMass. In my apartment everyone also has their own bathroom. The downside is the kitchen. Although its really nice to have one and be able to cook for myself, I share it with 17 other people so its usually really dirty. There is a cleaning chart called the “putzplan” that divides responsibilities among all the housemates. Unfortunately, only a small group of us follow it. Winter semester ends in a couple weeks and then I’ll be starting my last semester of university. Navigating a German university has been an interesting experience. It’s been fun comparing all the differences and similarities to back home and It’s been a really unique way to finish my senior year.
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AuthorHi, I'm Michaela! This blog will follow my adventures in Germany for the next 11 months (September-July). Archives
January 2020
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