Why to Choose Germany for Higher Studies - Motivation.

Turbo Charged Economy

As said earlier, Germany is the first country among the developed nations to recover from the global economic crisis of which many including the USA and UK are still suffering. On the contrary the German economy not only recovered quickly but is sky-rocketing with no signs of slowing down! A visible testimony to the theory is the numerous job openings announced almost everywhere within the past few weeks. The labour shortage is so high that it had to go out of the way and  relax its border to the east European citizens to work here without any legal barrier.

Why is it important? Simply, because you want to study at a country whose economic and political conditions are stable. Bigger economy means bigger spending on universities and research schools. And a strong economy guarantees a 'non-profit' education system. I think by now you know the consequences of universities becoming money making industries rather than true educational institutions. 

Another plus point is the availability of plenty of 'student-jobs' during study period. In short it is financially more secured and convenient.

Excellent Universities and Educational Institutions 

The German universities are famous for pioneering cutting edge technologies. Just wikipedia some major inventions/technologies and most of the time the roots will be related to Germany. All the major universities have a long tradition of excellence in research and development. The government and state expenditure are quite high on education. Usually the universities have a major influence on the city they are located in. The average classes are small but resource heavy, with plenty access to state of the art facilities. The libraries are huge, well resourced and one never has to wait for access to a computer terminal or desk irrespective to the number of students or time of the day/semester. My university has over 37 000 students, till date I never had to wait for one. The best part, almost everything is free of cost for students.

Why is it important? For an ideal studying environment, the educational institutions need to be strong and free from socio-political influences. Fortunately universities in Germany enjoys a full autonomy from the state mechanism. This provides an ideal ground for disturbance free education, research and student life.

Its Fun! 

German universities and colleges are not only about studying, they are pretty much fun as well! Here a university is not complete without a dozen of cafe/restaurants and bars! Each offering a different selection of snacks and cuisines, all of course discounted for students. In addition, there are numerous parties, cultural shows, road shows and night life all arranged by different student offices of the universities. In addition each student hostel has its own party place and bar.

Accomodation.

Every student finds an accommodation usually with one of the university subsidiary run hostels. The living conditions are nice. The locations are near to the university, public transport systems and shopping malls. (Detailed info soon to be uploaded).

Transport. 

In most of the states/cities the student identity card doubles as the public transport card valid for travel in trains, trams, subways, water taxi and overhead cars. The cost is included in the social fees for the semester which is about two hundred euro. 

Extracurricular activities.

Should you decide not to be a couch potato, the universities' sport faculties offer a extensive range of sports to choose for in the semester. Activities range from windsurfing, scuba diving, football to karate, techno dance, yoga etc. Again most of them are free for students!

Lifestyle.

Europeans prefer a non extravagant lifestyle. In cities the buildings, malls and the like blend in smoothly to the surrounding nature. However, it has all the modern social attractions but muted under a layer of simplicity so that it doesn't interfere with people who want quite and peace. Germany is strongly racism free and the laws are very strong against it. It is also very friendly to people with special needs. All the government, semi-government and private establishments have special provisions for disabled persons. The public transport systems and buildings are equipped to cater to people with special needs. 

Why are all these important? Because student life is not only about studies. Life, like everything else must be well balanced. And in Germany it is pretty much balanced. In Germany students literally enjoy a VIP status, a far cry even for many developed nations.

Types of Higher Education Institutions in Germany

Basically there are three types of higher educational institutions in Germany.

1. Universities/Universities of Technology (Universitäten/Technische Universitäten)
These are 'full' universities focusing strongly on research and development. Most of them offer courses in practically all subject areas. The universities of technology mainly focus on engineering oriented subjects. These universities can be further categorized (in an unofficial sense) into specialist subject areas, e.g. some universities are leading in structural engineering while others in medicine or nanotechnology. Since there is no official ratings available, one can only rely on information from popular culture. However, all universities must maintain a certain minimum standard to stay in business - which fortunately is quite high! If you are a foreign student, it is advisable to choose a university from the western part of Germany due to its greater economical and political stability. (This is strictly a personal point of view and should not be considered as legitimate data).

2. Universities of Applied Science (Fachhochschulen - FH)
These universities primary target is to prepare students for career prospects in companies and firms. They don't indulge into research in a scope compared to the general/traditional universities. Equally the chances of entering the professional world after attending such an institution is higher than their traditional counterpart. On the down side the opportunities of continuing studies into doctorate and post doctorate level is low. In many cities the universities of applied science usually branch out from the traditional 'parent' university. The courses are more practical oriented with strong focus on application of the respective skills rather than research. One can expect extensive use of Computer aided programs (in engineering field), field training and the like.

3. Colleges of Art, Film and Music (Kunst-, Film- und Musikhochschulen)
The third and smallest group is the art and music colleges. These colleges offers courses in creative arts, design, fine arts, fashion design, photography, media broadcast, professional film making, etc. These are comparatively less popular among the international students specially those coming from Asia and Asia Pacific. However there is a growing number of students coming from Europe and North America, many under the Erasmus Mundus program.

Recently all the three category of universities (specially the first two) started offering international degree programs at bachelor and master level. The language of instruction at such courses are either in English or a mixture of English/German. When the language of instruction is a mix of both, then a student must take German language courses upto the intermediate level prior to attending subjects that are taught in German. The language courses are usually arranged by the respective universities and are free of cost. Please note: some international programs may be offered in other languages (e.g. Spanish or French) as well.

If you are the type who enjoys reading everything in excruciating details :), you can always find the fine prints at the original sources.
www.daad.de
www.bmbf.de
www.hrk.de
www.bologna2009benelux.org

Learning German - Motivation

Except international degree programs that are taught in English, German is the language of instruction at all levels at universities/colleges and Studienkollegs. Therefore you are expected to have sufficient German language skills to meet the language requirements of the degree program you plan to attend, if it isn't an international one. This means you must be able to follow and understand a lecture, read and work on an academic text and also write similar texts (all in German). You must also be able to take part in academic discussions and hence sufficient proficiency in spoken German is also necessary. 

Germans expect you to speak in German!

Another very important aspect about living in Germany is that you need to know the language in order to interact with people, unless you heavily depend upon internet (read facebook) for socializing! Even if your coursework and lectures are in English you will need a good level of German for practical reasons. Bear in mind, Germans expect you to speak German!

Better Job Opportunities

Unlike the 'typical west' which we have come to so closely familiarize ourselves with - thanks to Hollywood - English isn't an official language in Germany. Except academic purposes any documents in English must be translated to German in order to gain legal status. Likewise your resume and application letters intended for a job application must be written in German (see jobs section for more details) and so will be the language of the interview. Trust us when we say its not smart to stammer during your interviews. So learn German as much as you can, your can start right right now from your home country (see German language courses in foreign countries).

Financing yourself
Learning German will also help you to find part time jobs during your study periods in Germany should you want to earn some extra cash. Admittedly all part time jobs don't require a good knowledge of German, e.g. if you study at an international degree program and get a student job at your department, but the chances are relatively low

(see part time jobs).

Social Integration
Social integration is a part and parcel of student life. A good command over German language would enable you to communicate better with the local people. Be it at a seminar, party or tour, you will need the language to interact with people around you. Remember the more people you know the easier it will be for you to integrate with the society during your stay in Germany.