Studying in Germany

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Studying in Germany
A Presentation by Volker Hellemanns on 15th
October 2004 at BME Xian Jiaotong University
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• Part 1
• Education System in Germany
• Part 2
• My University FH Lübeck
• Part 3
• Typical Living Conditions

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Part 1The Education System in Germany
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Overview - School
Kindergarden Age 16
Elementary School Age 10
Middle Secondary School Age 16
Low Major School Age 15
High High School Age 19
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Kindergarden

• Age of 3, sometimes at 1
• Costs 50350 Euro per month
• From 7am6pm, help for working parents
• There is no right to get a place there
• They learn
• Socializing (cooking...)
• Nature experience (trees, plants ,animals)
• Technical experience (working with tools...)
• Business experience (counting apples...)

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Elementary School

• Age of 610
• Costs Free
• From 811am
• Every Child MUST go
• They learn
• Reading, Writing
• Simple Mathematics
• Nature experience (plants ,animals)
• Working with wood, wool

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Selection through Evaluation

• After Elementary School
• Teacher gives Recommendation
• Major School (5 years)
• Secondary School (6 years)
• High School (9 years)

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Major School

• Finished after 9th class, free,
  school duty ends
• add 1 year school Secondary School Certificate
• only possible with good marks
• OR
• Learning a Job in a Company (3.5 years)
• Going to School (Technical, Art or Business)
• OR
• after 3 years of fulltime school
• Advanced College Certificate Academy

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Secondary School

• Finished after 10th class, free
• Add 3 year school High School Certificate
• only possible with good marks
• OR
• Learning a Job in a Company (23 years)
• Going to School (Technical, Art or
  Business)
• OR
• After 2 years of fulltime school
• Advanced College Certificate Academy

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High School

• Finished after 13th class, free
• High School Certificate (Abitur)
• Permission for Academy or University
• Some choose instead learning a Job for (23
  years)
• BUT they have again go to school
  (specialized)
• Example Learn banking business in a bank
• Then study business at
  university

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Military Service

• Men only, age 1830
• Mostly after job training, before university
• For 9 months
• Alternative Social Service (longer)
• Woman voluntary social year
• Past everyone
• Present 50
• Future none, professional army

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The Way to University
Middle Secondary School
Low Major School
High High School
Advanced College (3 years)

• Low
• Academy
• Master
• FH-Diplom

• High
• University
• Master
• Diplom
• Promotion (Dr.)

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Academy vs. University

• University
• 56 years
• More theoretical, deeper knowledge
• Less laboratory work
• 4- 5 examinations in the semester holidays
• Big classes (50200 students)
• Professors do not care about understanding
• Promotion (Dr.) possible

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• Academy
• 4 years
• More practicals
• becoming more popular in industry, but less
  salary
• 12 week internship, practical semester
• Much laboratory work
• 810 exams in two weeks
• Small classes (120 students)
• Professors care about understanding

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Part 2My University FH Lübeck
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Is that really Lübeck ?
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University of Applied Sciences

• Lübeck has 230.000 citizens
• FHL has 2000 Students (all 6000)
• FH-Diplom certificate
• In a few years there will only be masters

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View from above
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Map of open Campus
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One Canteen for all
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Nature is near (now)
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Time Schedule

• September - January
• March - July
• Most classes 8am 1pm
• sometimes
  until 5/7 pm
• Never at the weekend (Saturday ?)
• Otherwise nobody would attend ?

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Personal Time Schedule

• Timetable allows to finish in given time
• (8 Semesters)
• almost impossible
• fast bad marks
• slow good marks
• Every student can make his personal time table
  and can decide if he goes to a class or not.
• Caution with small classes !

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Subjects

• Applied Sciences
• Medical Engineering
• Biomedical E. (BMT)
• Quality and Security E. (QST)
• Construction of Medical Devices (EMG)
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Microsystem E.
• Enviromental E.
• Electrical E.
• Business/Mechanical E.
• Civil E.

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Study Plan for Biomed. E.

• before 12 Weeks in a company
• for internship
• 1st Half
• 3 Semester
• Basic subject groups
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Electronics
• Engineering
• Basics (Medicine)
• Non technical subjects (English, Business)
• Classes 272526 h/week
• Practical laboratory work 542 h/week

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• 2nd Half
• 3 Semester Classes
• 1 Practical semester in a company
• 1 Semester for Thesis
• Deepening the Knowledge
• Chose - Specialization (BMT, QST,
  EMG)
• - extra classes out of
  32
• Classes 272121 h/week
• Practical laboratory work 277 h/week

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Summary

• 26 Exams (unlimited Tries)
• 21 Exams (3 Tries)
• 9 Laboratory Classes
• Each about 6 experiments a 10 pages
• Total over 500 pages of reports
• VERY time consuming, correction

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Student Organisations

• Rewarded for joining (Honor, Bafög)
• Student Parliament
• Elected every year, 19 students, sets in AStA
• AStA (common student committee)
• Representation of needs of Students in
  university, political oranisation/work,
• social and financial matters
• Fachschaft
• Concrete work like
• Organizing Parties
• Excursions to companies
• Fighting unfair treatment

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Failure Rates

• Biomed. E. at FHL
• 100 fail in at least one exam
• 90 fail staying in given study time
• 50 do not finish
• Academy, University together
• 3050 will get no degree at all

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Part 3 Typical Living Conditions
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Financial Stuff

• Semester Fee to AStA (100 euro/semester)
• Bus ticket included !
• 500 euro/month (just enough)
• 200 Apartment, outside more expensive
• 150 simple food, no restaurant
• 150 books, clothes, recreational activities

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Apartment

• Most difficult to find
• No right to live in universitys dormitories
• Place for 10 of students
• 150300 euro/month
• Typical
• 2 room apartment in official student
  dormitories, two single rooms, kitchen, bathroom

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High Living Costs

• Train Ticket to Hamburg (70km)
• One way 10 euro Subwayticket 7 euro
• 0,3l Beer in a bar 36 euro
• Restaurant, one person 15 euro
• A pair of jeans, shos 35 euro
• Study books 20100 euro

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Is a Student Job nessecary ?

• No Bafög, up to 500 euro/month goverment credit
  for less wealthy students, must be paid back for
  50 when working later, everyone can study (it
  will change)
• But one must stay in the given time schedule,
  otherwise no more money
• Long time students or those who enjoy life very
  much (parties, car) always work

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• Thank you for listening !
• Any Questions ?