TH Köln-specific questions?

please have a look at the TH FAQs.

accommodation

how can i find accommodation?

the student organization of your city will probably provide the cheapest dorms (e.g. KSTW in Köln). (if applicable,) try to fill out their form ASAP and pray to god you end up high on the list of applicants.
if you don’t hear a response soon, try to contact them via email and phone and ask for a status.

regularly check online portals like wg-gesucht, immobilienscout24, etc and WhatsApp and Telegram groups if the Studentenwerk is unable to offer you a place.

beware of scammers!!

COL

monthly budget?

varies vastly on your lifestyle.

rough estimate (on the cheaper side of things):

  • rent: 500 (~250-400 if you get a student dorm)
  • health insurance: 125-150 (depends primarily on your age + other factors)
  • GEZ: 20
  • mobile phone: 20
  • misc.: 50
  • food: 300
    • groceries: 200-250
    • restaurants: ~25 per visit, 4x per month = 100

managing your budget will keep the prices under 1000 per month in big cities, and maybe under 700 in smaller ones.

education system & Uni life

which colleges should I apply to?

completely depends on the courses (and the modules) you are interested in!
have a look at the DAAD database to find a relevant program and check the program description on the university’s website to see if it aligns with your interests.

what is the criteria?

different programs have different criterion. NC-frei will guarantee you admission as long as you meet the admission requirements.

when should I start applying?

check out your program’s page or uni-assist for the deadline.

are the course outcomes worth the investment?

yes, it was well worth the investment for me.
10/10 would recommend 👍

German

Should we compulsorily do the German certification course to come there for studies?

compulsorily? depends on your course’s German requirement.
however, i would suggest you start learning German ASAP if you plan on coming here :)

where did you learn german?

at the TH.

any trusted platforms?

Goethe-Institut is probably the most famous international platform.
once you are in Germany, you can have a look at the courses offered by your Uni, or the VHS course finder (alternatively, just Google VHS + <your city> and you should be able to find something).

food

possibility of finding veg food?

with the mass adoption of veganism, you’ll have no problem finding veg/vegan food in most places in Germany.
most, if not all döner shops sell falafel, and finding a döner place here should be the least of your concerns ;P

part-time jobs + work

what about part-time jobs and internship opportunities?

i don’t have a lot of experience with part-time jobs, but finding one shouldn’t be difficult if you’re in a big city! as with most (all?) things in Germany, it gets easier if you speak German!
my friends have spoken very positively about Zenjob, and the Agentur für Arbeit also has a job search portal.

other than that, you can look for internships (and full-time roles) on LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and other job search portals.

what are the in-demand domains?

you can check LinkedIn jobs for this: just change the region to Germany and enter the role you’re looking for. skimming the job description will let you know what the most in-demand domains are.

how the job market is for international students?

pretty good if you speak German.

good if you speak German and have work ex.

so-so if neither of the above applies to you.

should i gain work ex. before coming to study in Germany?

employers prefer people with work experience for obvious reasons.
however, this doesn’t mean that people without work ex. are unable to find jobs: it’s just easier for skilled professionals to navigate through the job market.

follow your heart, you’ll be alright :)

general questions

what was your intent while applying to Unis in Germany?

during my exchange sem, i realized i wanted to be somewhere in Europe.
Germany didn’t seem like a bad choice, and i applied and got admitted to TU Berlin, TH Cologne, LMU Munich, and Uni Bamberg. unfortunately because of a delay in my undergrad results, i could not enrol at my first preference (TU Berlin).
i ended up enrolling at TH Köln and have no regrets now!