Everyday life at university in Germany

Everyday life at a university or college in Germany differs to some extent from other countries. At the same time, there are many similarities with which students from abroad will already be familiar.

Your everyday life as a student takes place mainly on campus. You attend classes, prepare for events and exams in the library, and have lunch or snacks in your university's cafeteria.

At German universities, the academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester officially lasts six months and is divided into the lecture period and the non-lecture period. The lecture period usually lasts about four months, but variations are possible.

The winter semester officially runs from the beginning of October to the end of March, the summer semester from the beginning of April to the end of September.

Examinations take place during the lecture-free period. In addition, some students write term papers, the deadline for which is usually during the lecture-free period. So many students have vacations during this time, but not all of them.

Before your first semester at a German university, you have to apply. You apply several months in advance, either directly to the university or via portals such as Uni-Assist.

When you receive an acceptance letter from your university, you have to pay the semester fee by bank transfer. At some universities, this fee includes the price of a Semesterticket (for public transport). At other universities, it is up to you to decide whether you want to buy an additional Semesterticket.

During the lecture period, your weeks usually have a similar schedule, as your courses usually take place in a weekly cycle. However, there are also block courses or larger intervals between specific courses.

How many courses you have per week depends on your program of study. There are also differences in the choices you can make. At university, you can often put together your own schedule, at least in part. You will have more options to choose from.

If you study at a more practically oriented university, your schedule is usually fixed from the beginning. You don't have to take care of course selection yourself. You will also have the courses with the same fellow students, with organization somewhat reminiscent of everyday school life.

At German universities, there are different types of classes. There are lectures, supporting seminars, main seminars, tutorials, (lab) practicals, and others. However, these classes may have different names at your university.

Depending on your study program, you may have one or more classes per day. In some study programs, your classes take place five days a week, in others a few days less. But even if you have a few days off per week, you still need this time for your studies.

 A full-time degree program is designed to require about 40 hours of work per week. If you have fewer courses, that usually means you need more time for self-study. In humanities courses, for example, you need a lot of time for reading.

Most students have a part-time job, also called a "mini-job". You can find out what you need to know here.

You should also make sure you have health insurance in Germany before you start. We explain what you need to know about this.