Universität Dortmund

The university halls on campus have student run bars which are open on particular nights of the week, these are good places to meet other foreign students and also German students with whom u can practice your language skills. I found the atmosphere to be relaxed and friendly. There are many cafe's, bars and nightclubs in the city centre, these are easily accessible by train which runs directly from and to the university campus into the centre. The university itself holds many events, to suit everyones needs and not to be missed is the Weihnachtsmarkt in Dortmund which houses the largest christmas tree in Europe.

I was allocated a place in a shared flat, this was a good way to meet other students and have the opportunity to practice my language more. All housing on campus is near to public transportation and shopping facilities. Most university accomodation on campus is shared accomodation although there are a few single flats available.

By opening a bank account in the host country, u save the cash withdrawel costs when using cash maschines that would be applicable were your home account was used.

The one downfall is that other students are very eager to gain english practice by talking to you in English, and this can be a negative experience if it means that you dont gain the German language practice, this can be made into a positive experience if it is a two way learning experience. If looking for an extra source of income, there is always opportunity to give paid English lessons either privately or at institutions in the city. You must make sure that your health insurance is organised before leaving your native country otherwise this can cause problems on arrival as you need it to be able to register at the university.

At first i was slightly apprehensive in conversing in German but in no time my confidence picked up and through plenty of practice i improved a great deal.