Facts to know before and after you have come to Germany for your studies by Cromwell Kebenei, Simon Muturi Mburu & Moses Githinji

Introduction

 

This document provides tips and tricks for successfully completing an engineering degree at a German university. It gives you the general information before you start your studies and guides you through until the end of your studies.

 

Step 1: Before you start anything, here is a small but very important check list for you before you come to

 

Germany:

 

Nr.			Comments					Check
1	German		To the highest level possible (B2 and above), a very good
	Language		language proficiency will help you during your studies.
			You  will  be able  to understand  things  and be able  to
			complete your studies on time
			Attention! There will be a German exam as an entry exam
			to the University (Preparation courses at student College
			that takes a period of 1-year equivalent to two semesters).
			http://www.studienkollegs.de/
			-German  classes  are  very  expensive  in  Germany.  You
			better do your language classes in Kenya for example at
			Goethe	Institute		in	Nairobi:
			https://www.goethe.de/ins/ke/de/index.html
2	Driving Licence		Driving licence in Germany is very expensive. It can cost
			up to 300.000,00 KES and more.
			Attention!  After  arriving,  please  register  your  licence
			before six months are over! Otherwise, your licence will
			expire and will not be valid forcing you to start everything
			from zero again.
3	Age		Start doing things earlier as possible. For example, FSJ
			(The voluntary social year) maximum age 26 years (BFD
			over 27 years)
			If you are under 30 years your studies will be much cheaper
			and you will have enough time.
			Attention! Your studies can take over 8 years to get a
			degree due to work and study life abroad.
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4	Studies   are   based   in	You should note that German Universities are hard and are
	German language	offered in German language and not in English. Only a few
		of them are in English. If you want to work in Germany,
		then do the German courses
5	Finance 1	Bring  with you  some pocket  money for  the  start.  Get
		yourself a student job as soon as you are admitted at the
		University.
		Attention! Your family and relatives should know you are
		coming to study first and not to work to send money home.
		Many students get stressed and frustrated by their families
		and relatives by requesting money all the time. This affects
		many  students  studying  abroad  and  they  end  up  not
		finishing their studies in time or even failing exams terrible
		and get disqualified at the University
6	Self-discipline and time	You will be alone, and you will be the one to decide about
	management	your future abroad. Germans work with time. You should
		inform yourself about applications datelines as early as
		possible.
		Attention! This comprises all paperwork e.g., contracts,
		letters,  payment  of  bills  and  appointments.  Missing
		speculated  datelines  might  cost  you terrible and  might
		affect your visa in Germany
7	Networking	Get  connections  with  friends  and  people  living  in
		Germany. This will help you prepare very well to start your
		life in Germany smoothly.
8	Financial requirement by	Since  January  2020,  the  anticipated  annual  standard
	the German government	requirement to be transferred to the blocked bank account
	to get a Visa with work	when applying for a visa was increased to about €10236.
	Permit  and  to  study  in	00 (Bank statement of over a million in Kenyan shillings).
	Germany	Your parents should be able to get you this amount or if
		you are very good enough you can apply for scholarships
		once you are here. Or safe a lot while doing your FSJ or
		Au-Pair.
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9	University pass mark	C + and above
		If  you  have  a  grade  lower  than  this  then  you  should
		consider  doing  vocational  training  (Berufsausbildung)
		first.
		Attention! Your grade will be added to the grade that you
		will get at your preparatory course (Studienkolleg) and it
		will be divided by two. If you will work hard you will
		definitely improve your KCSE grade. Make sure you work
		harder
		- A good grade can help you get a good scholarship.
10	Your documents	Make sure your names in all your documents are the same.
		Any slight difference might block your visa processes and
		paperwork

 

 

Step 2: Chose your best way to go to Germany. Here is a short check list for you:

 

Nr.

Comments

Check

1

Direct  application  to  a

Choose your field of studies and the University and contact

German University

Uni assist for the application process: https://www.uni-

assist.de/ .

You

may

choose

your

courses

here:

https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/intern

ational-programmes/en/.

We would recommend this step for  someone who has

completed his Bachelors in Kenya and intending to do his

or her master’s degree and above in Germany

Attention! This step requires a lot of paperwork and you

should adhere to the University datelines which are always

15. January and 15. Jun every year.

2

FSJ (The voluntary social

-Age- between 16 and not older than 26 years old

year)

-The application is always before march or September

every year

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-  The start of a voluntary service can be agreed individually with the responsible agency. As a rule, however, the voluntary service begins in September

 

-  FSJ is possible only once, for up to 18 months. It cannot be prolonged

 

-You will need to provide either the A1 certificate from the Goethe Institute, or a KCSE certificate from KNEC with minimum grade of B minus (B-). The certificate should not be older than 4 years and should be TestDAF recognized.

 

Attention! If you are intending to study in Germany, then ignore this and you should know you need a language proficiency of B2 and above

 

-You will pay for your own flight of about 50.000,00 KES and visa fees of about 10.000,00 KES.

 

-Although you do not receive a salary, the institution where you do your FSJ can pay you pocket money. Nationwide, the range is between 150 and 500 euros. In addition, allowances are often paid for meals and accommodation. -Importantly your pocket money and social security

 

contributions per month. (Pension insurance, unemployment insurance and your health insurance will be paid for). Note paying for your pension at your 20s will make you have enough money during your retirement period.

 

-  The following voluntary services are available:

 

•       in child and youth work institutions.

 

•       in health care(hospitals) and care for the elderly organisations.

 

•       in a sports club.

 

•       in a cultural institution or school.

 

•     in  environmental  and  nature       conservation

 

associations.

 

•       in landscape and monument conservation.

 

 

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-   One works a Max of 40 hours a week. One is given around 30 days off per year.

 

Attention! Only in very rare cases does an FSJ improve the KCSE (Final Exam) grade (In this case your average grade after Studienkolleg). In special cases, bonus points are awarded for the FSJ, which raise the grade point average by up to 0.2 points.

 

Finally, the voluntary social year offers you the chance to do something meaningful and practical for yourself and others. It enables you:

 

−      to test you with your abilities and skills in practice and to further develop your personality and competencies

 

−      To learn the German culture and to improve your personal orientation abroad. You will encounter with different people and will help you understand the German community very well. This is very important before you join your university

 

−      to know social occupational fields and professional orientation

 

−       -to get involved in society and help to shape it

 

−      To get experiences fun and joy together with others

 

−      To improve your language proficiency

 

You will also get a certificate after your volunteer which will help you get a job easily during your studies and after your studies.

 

3                                                                    Au-Pair -You will need to provide either the A1 certificate from the Goethe Institute, or a KCSE certificate from KNEC with minimum grade of B minus (B-). The certificate should not be older than 4 years and should be TestDAF recognized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attention! If you are intending to study in Germany, then ignore this and you should know you need a language proficiency of B2 and above

 

-You will pay for your own flight. Some families pay for you and deduct from your monthly pocket money in instalments. Maybe one can be lucky, and the families take up the flight cost and you mustn't pay back. -monthly allowance around 280 per month

 

-Babysitting, small housework like what we do back at home (vacuum cleaning, mopping, folding clothes, ironing) sometimes cooking. One works a Max of 20 hours a week. One is given an off day.

 

-Au- pair programme is 1 year. It cannot be prolonged (strictly as an au pair)

 

-Age- between 18 and not older than 26 years old

 

-If you and your intended host family are related, in principle no Au Pair visa could be issued.

 

-As an au pair your main goal is to learn the German culture and better the German language. Focus on that. The host families are also excited to learn from the au pair's country/culture. Do not be afraid to share about your background and esp. to avoid miscommunication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Information if you plan to Start Engineering Degree Program

 

•       Network with people who have experience in the field you wish to study. E.g., postgraduate students in your field

 

•       Undertake an internship programme in your field of study. Many courses require an internship before you start and after your studies. The minimum requirements do vary from course-to-course. Internships will also help you in:

 

•       Building a good foundation in your course of study and get more experiences.

 

•       To easily get a part-time job in your field of Study and after studies

 

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•       Awarded certificates strengthen your resume and opens many doors for your career in the future

 

•       Advice: If possible, start with an educational programme (Ausbildung) and pursue your engineering studies later

 

Study Location

 

•       Financial Security. Live in Big Cities or near them because you will be able to find yourself a student's job easily

 

•       Good transport connections to save time to work or to your university

 

•       Availability of student accommodation or affordable housing

 

•       Preferably apply for a dormitory room for at least one year before the start of your studies.

 

University vs. Hochschule

 

Success depends on your efforts.

 

In general, there are no major differences between University and Hochschule

 

University Characteristics			Hochschule Characteristics
•  Theoretical lectures in large groups			•  Practice-oriented lectures in small groups
•  A person must be good at time management			•  Good contact with professors
•	A person must be very disciplined		•	Good supervision
•	Prepares you for research		•	Prepares you for the world of work

 

 

 

Tips for International Students

 

Before starting your degree

 

•       Do NOT miss the orientation week

 

•       Look for a Mentor

 

•       Plan your semester at the beginning of the semester. this includes: o Plan your working days and Uni-Days properly

 

o Know what is going to be taught in that semester. Try and to figure the five W’s of (How, Where, Why, When, What, Who) going to be taught

 

o  Prepare all learning materials needed

 

o  Choose the number of subjects that can realistically be covered at that semester.

 

 

 

 

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During the semester

 

•       Preparation of the next lecture

 

•       Get all assignments done on time

 

•       Re-reading of the day’s lectures

 

•       Plan your learning period for the end-of-term exam as early as possible.

 

•       Especially for hard topics

 

•       Know the difficulty of the subject. Take more time for the difficult subjects.

 

•       Get involved in social and academic networks. For example, at AStA parties, symposium, festivals, Student Council, and social events

 

•       Do not wait for things to be done for you even during group works and projects. (Always do your part on time)

 

•       Be independent! Do it yourself!

 

•       Stop pushing or post ponding your exams to next semesters. Things might pile up and will make your studies harder or even get expelled from the university.

 

During Holiday

 

•       Preparation of the failed Exams. Do not wait and wait for many semesters in order to repeat them. Just do the exams sooner again

 

•       Working to finance the coming Semester. You need financial security during start of semester and during the exam period

 

•       Financial stability is very important

 

After Studies

 

^➢    Two Option

 

Master’s degree                                           _Job

 

•       Dual Master

 

•       Fulltime Master

 

•       Both of the has it’S Advantages and Disadvantages.

 

 

 

 

 

•       Not the End of Education

 

•       Search for further education in various engineering organisations such as VDI

 

•       Start in Trainee Programs

 

•       Participate in volunteer internships during the waiting periods

 

•       During the waiting periods, you enrol in another degree programme while you wait for your job to start.

 

 

 

 

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