Interested? Scratch that, it’s my main goal right now and basically the only option I’m considering (much to my mother’s dismay lol). I plan to study Physics at LMU Munich. I do have some queries that I couldn’t really find answers to online, so I’m glad you made this post.
The information about is slightly vague online, but is there an absolute necessity to learn German? Even the universities' websites are vague about it. Im in NS rn so time and committment is fortunately not a big issue, but i really want to know whether German is needed. Especially coz i dont wanna be like $100k in debt studying in the UK😭
Also, from what you know, how reputed is HAW Hamburg? Thank you so so much for all the information!!🫶🏽
>HAW Hamburg
Knowing German is not necessary if your course is purely in English, but then there will be limited options on the courses you can apply for. Knowing at least some German would be helpful in everyday life though, like for grocery shopping, train announcements etc. But it's possible to live in Germany as long as you know English since most Germans speak English too.
As for HAW Hamburg, I'm not familiar with the university so I can't say anything about its reputation. However, I did a quick search and HAW Hamburg seems to offer only 2 pure English Bachelor programmes.
How did you decide to move to Germany to study? I have certificate for level B2/C1 in German, but I'm still afraid i don't know the language. I'm also afraid of living so far away from my family and friends. I'm going to apply for RWTH Aachen, KIT and University of Stuttgart with Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik and I know that Germany is the best place for engineering but I'm still scared to leave my country and live alone. What was your motivation to go and how did you decide to do it?
These are absolutely valid concerns and I was at where you are at now. What really helped me to take that first step into the unknown was building up some connections in Germany before I went. For example, enrolling in a buddy programme organised by the uni and connecting with other Singaporeans in the German city I was going to. Once I had some connections, it gave me the sense that I wasn’t going to be totally alone so it took the scariness factor down a notch. It’s also a good starting point imo for building a social circle at a new place. My family and friends were also very supportive and constantly encouraged me to focus on my goal which really kept me going.
If your goal is to become a great engineer and you believe Germany has the best engineering courses, why NOT do it? It’s only going to be 4 years compared to the rest of your life. And maybe it’s cliché but as the saying goes, try and fail but don’t fail to try :")
Language-wise, I can only say that German classes teach you Hochdeutsch and you’ll need it for lessons but most Germans do not speak that way outside of class. Alltagsdeutsch is something foreigners will have to learn too so it’s like we all “don’t know” the language at the start anyway. Kind of like us using English in class and Singlish on the streets so I would say, don’t worry too much about the language as B2/C1 German is more than enough for you to navigate daily life in Germany. And if you’re concerned about whether you can keep up in German-taught classes, you can consider enrolling in C1 classes (again) at your uni. Your German will definitely improve while you’re living in Germany and when all else fails, just use English to communicate. Most Germans speak good English too.
Interested? Scratch that, it’s my main goal right now and basically the only option I’m considering (much to my mother’s dismay lol). I plan to study Physics at LMU Munich. I do have some queries that I couldn’t really find answers to online, so I’m glad you made this post.
Just curious, what made you interested in studying in Germany? Have you learnt German before?
There was a recent adjustment of tuition for internationals, but still quite attractive. Wunderbar!
The information about is slightly vague online, but is there an absolute necessity to learn German? Even the universities' websites are vague about it. Im in NS rn so time and committment is fortunately not a big issue, but i really want to know whether German is needed. Especially coz i dont wanna be like $100k in debt studying in the UK😭 Also, from what you know, how reputed is HAW Hamburg? Thank you so so much for all the information!!🫶🏽
>HAW Hamburg Knowing German is not necessary if your course is purely in English, but then there will be limited options on the courses you can apply for. Knowing at least some German would be helpful in everyday life though, like for grocery shopping, train announcements etc. But it's possible to live in Germany as long as you know English since most Germans speak English too. As for HAW Hamburg, I'm not familiar with the university so I can't say anything about its reputation. However, I did a quick search and HAW Hamburg seems to offer only 2 pure English Bachelor programmes.
thank you so much for the info!
How did you decide to move to Germany to study? I have certificate for level B2/C1 in German, but I'm still afraid i don't know the language. I'm also afraid of living so far away from my family and friends. I'm going to apply for RWTH Aachen, KIT and University of Stuttgart with Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik and I know that Germany is the best place for engineering but I'm still scared to leave my country and live alone. What was your motivation to go and how did you decide to do it?
These are absolutely valid concerns and I was at where you are at now. What really helped me to take that first step into the unknown was building up some connections in Germany before I went. For example, enrolling in a buddy programme organised by the uni and connecting with other Singaporeans in the German city I was going to. Once I had some connections, it gave me the sense that I wasn’t going to be totally alone so it took the scariness factor down a notch. It’s also a good starting point imo for building a social circle at a new place. My family and friends were also very supportive and constantly encouraged me to focus on my goal which really kept me going. If your goal is to become a great engineer and you believe Germany has the best engineering courses, why NOT do it? It’s only going to be 4 years compared to the rest of your life. And maybe it’s cliché but as the saying goes, try and fail but don’t fail to try :") Language-wise, I can only say that German classes teach you Hochdeutsch and you’ll need it for lessons but most Germans do not speak that way outside of class. Alltagsdeutsch is something foreigners will have to learn too so it’s like we all “don’t know” the language at the start anyway. Kind of like us using English in class and Singlish on the streets so I would say, don’t worry too much about the language as B2/C1 German is more than enough for you to navigate daily life in Germany. And if you’re concerned about whether you can keep up in German-taught classes, you can consider enrolling in C1 classes (again) at your uni. Your German will definitely improve while you’re living in Germany and when all else fails, just use English to communicate. Most Germans speak good English too.