Freie Universität Berlin (FU BERLIN)

The courses are so many, so you have to do a list in before and check out your interests, then after the first or second week (but not later!) decide what you are going to do that term. My interaction with other international students was so bad because history is a subject mostly German students study. I saw only five (from a few thousand overall students) international students at the Institute of History. If you want to get in touch with students at all, do not go at too many lectures. You get to know students if you go to seminars and have to cooperate with them.

I had a lot of work only to make appointments with lecturers for a test at the end of the term. That happens when you take a lot of lectures. If you take seminars you have to write 10-15 pages long papers, which is a very good training in writing papers. There are not many exams at the end of the term. All in all that gives you the opportunity to get a lot of practice in academic writing, which is very positive but also very time-consuming.

Guide yourself not just by the title, try to get some deep info about the course and if it belongs to the first years (basic theory contents) or to the upper years (more practical interactive courses). Try to participate, and always talk with the teachers to "negociate" about works, exams and how they can help you (main problem is mostly the language!).

Yes, more recognition and use of the european ECTS (study credits): the teachers don't really know how to work with them or how many they should give out depending of the tasks a course involves, and -in psychology- they give out less credits than what they should. The problem happens simply because Germany does not use this ECTS system.

My courses were predetermined and lasted only 6 weeks. They included an economic history of Germany, Unification Issues, Life in Cold War East Berlin and introductory German language classes. It is best to try and immerse yourself in the host language as quickly as possible. I found it hard to talk with locals becuase they wanted to speak in English as soon as they heard my American accent. All courses on German history during the Cold War are fascinating. Berlin provides the best possible "city as classroom" opportunity I can think of. Locals can still tell you first hand stories of life during and after the Cold War.

none

Exploit the freedom of hand picking individual courses as opposed to having set criteria for study

Very different from UK - experience can only be good. Annoyed by inadequacy of this website though. I studied in Berlin as part of my undergraduate degree in Edinburgh (MA German). I have since completed a postgraduate degree in European Politics at University College London (MA Politics, Security and Integration), but the iagora site's overly structured designed doesn't seem to allow me to show this.

The German classes were quite easy. I think that we could have been given more advice about choosing courses as the German University can seem confusing to an outsider.

I think there could be more done to pair up German students with international students.

studying politics in german proved to be much more difficult. any specialist course such as politics, law has its specific terminology - it takes time to get to know it and use it actively

none