Ukrainian refugees

How I study in Germany: Sofia’s story from the European University Viadrina 

Sofia, a second-year student at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt am Oder, shared her experience studying in Germany. 

Sofia is currently studying the specialty “Culturology”. Her path to a German diploma began at school with an in-depth study of the German language.  There, thanks to her efforts, she got the opportunity to pass the DSD C1 exam for free and later enter her dream university.

Admission to a German university involved the creation of a resume, motivation letter and collection of the necessary documents. According to Sofia, the most difficult stage was taking the TestAs – a German entrance test that lasts 3 hours and tests your IQ level, knowledge of German and specialized subject.

Studying at the European University Viadrina is free. However, students cover other costs independently. In particular, accommodation in a hostel and meals cost about 500 euros per month. The semester fee, which also includes transportation, costs 400 euros, insurance – 100 euros. Additional expenses are for personal needs, clothing, entertainment, etc. (about 300 euros).

How I study in Germany: Sofia's story from the European University Viadrina 
Infographics/AI “FACT”

Sophia’s school day starts at 9:00 a.m. with a couple that lasts until 12:45 p.m. After lunch in the dining room, she has free time, which she uses for visiting the gym, independent study, hobbies or work. 

Short-term work is available to students in Germany. It is not difficult to find it, but it requires a high level of knowledge of the German language. Hourly wages range from 14 to 20 euros.

Sofia singles out the flexibility of the training system as its main advantage. Students independently choose subjects and form their own schedule.

See also  Ukrainian pensioners who are abroad can apply for pensions remotely

According to the girl, adaptation to the new environment was not difficult. She quickly found friends among Ukrainian and Kazakh students, but communicating with Germans turned out to be more difficult.

How I study in Germany: Sofia's story from the European University Viadrina 
Photo/IA “FACT”/ Elizaveta Semenyuk

Sofia also shared her observations about the attitude of German students towards foreigners, noting that sometimes there is a feeling of superiority, probably due to the difference in values ​​and mentality.

The girl advises Ukrainian students who plan to study in Germany not to doubt their abilities, study the language hard and practice spoken German, because it is significantly different from academic German.

Studying in Germany opens up many opportunities for Ukrainian students: free education, available work options and an interesting student life. However, one should not forget about the difficulties of adapting to a new environment and language barriers.

Elizaveta Semenyuk

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Back to top button