Getting an education from Germany can be life changing thing in your educational career. Before starting the application process to a university in Germany, there are some preparations that you must do first. As the saying goes; preparation is the key to success, so you should prepare the following things first without wasting the time

Learn German as soon as possible:

At present normally undergraduate and postgraduate programs are offered Study in Germany and they are taught in the original language rather than English. In addition, German is also needed for daily interactions, and mastering German means you also get access to scientific books in German.

For your information, the number of scientific books that have been translated from German to English is still very small. Don’t worry, you can learn German, by taking a language course at any local institute of your country. Or if you want to learn German directly in the country, you can take a language course there as well additionally.

Select the desired university first:

Choosing a university sounds easy but it might take a lot of time for your preparation. Moreover, even though universities in Germany have started offering programs in English, the numbers are still limited. There are also several programs that offer bilingual, in English and German. Where the first two semesters of all courses will be delivered in English, and the rest in German.

To help you determine the university of choice, you can visit the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) website. On the site, DAAD has a database of nearly 2100 plus programs that you can take Study in Germany. Besides DAAD, Ehef has also released several articles containing tips on choosing a university that you can read here.

How to start Application Process for Study in Germany?

After you make the above preparations, the next step is to start the application process to the university you have chosen. How is the process? Read the steps below.

Determine the majors you are interested in. Determination of majors is the most important stage because the right majors will help you in achieving various life goals. Surely you don’t want to spend about 4 years learning things you don’t like? At this stage it’s time for you to get to know yourself better. Imagine being in the next 10 years, what kind of work you like or don’t like. Don’t spend time chasing things you don’t want. Explore the colleges which are related to you.

Know the requirements of course and universities

After determining majors and universities, it’s time for you to learn in detail what qualifications are needed. If you choose the program in German, then usually the required language level is equivalent to C2 certification. Or if your chosen program is in English, then you must also include evidence such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Interviews at university level:

In addition to language, also know other requirements which are needed, such as whether the study program can only be taken by students from certain educational backgrounds. Or do you need recommendation letters as well? Some universities even require interviews as part of the application process. Don’t forget to also pay attention to the deadline for the application, try to complete all the files before the deadline.

Do you know about Studienkolleg?

Especially for those of you who want to study in Germany, you should be familiar with the term studienkolleg. Studienkolleg is basically a special preparatory school for foreigners to have an adequate level of education and language skills to study at German universities.

So, you do not apply directly to the university, but you must first apply to studienkolleg after graduating from high school. Normally the study duration takes 1 year (2 semesters), and at the end of the period there is a qualification examination to enter college. If you pass this qualification exam, then you can get registered at a university in Germany.

How to prepare finances for study in Germany?

The next stage that is no less important is about your college funding or finance matter. The German Embassy will not issue a student visa if you cannot show proof that you are able to fund the contribution fees per semester (or tuition fees if any) and living expenses while you study in Germany.

The amount of funds needed for living costs is around € 8,500 per year. So you have to prove that you have that much financial access.

Scholarships in Germany – DAAD Scholarships

Now, if you are confused about college funding, don’t worry, because study in Germany has a lot of scholarships for foreign students. One of them you can check DAAD scholarships. From the site, you can access information on scholarship databases that are available and currently open. In addition, you can also ask directly from the university that you are going to apply for scholarships in Germany.

Some universities have scholarship programs for foreign students that you can apply. Study carefully the requirements needed for each scholarship.

How to Arrange Recommendation letter?

Almost all universities in Europe ask for offer or recommendation letters as one of the requirements. Offer letters must be able to describe who you are and your uniqueness compared to other applicants. And because the number of letters or characters is limited, writing offer letters can be very difficult. Show what makes you interested in the study program and the university in Germany? why the skills you have now are relevant to the study program, and how the study program or university can help you achieve your life goals. This will help the students to get the visa fast.

Enjoy your study in Germany.