Report November - Anastasia Guskova

How was your first month of at FHWS?

The first month of studying at FHWS went by so fast. The study programme is quite labour-intensive, lectures are every day, so you can only relax on the weekends. At the beginning, you get very tired of constantly having to speak in German. You start to panic because you don’t understand everything, but as soon as you begin to sort through and translate the study material, it gets easier. I don't have much free time, but when I do I go for a walk in the city with my new friends, exercise, watch movies or find an interesting recipe and experiment in the kitchen. I can find all the ingredients I need in the supermarket. For those who really miss Russian products, there is also a Russian supermarket, although prices there are twice as high as in Russia. Also, sometimes I go to the university cafeteria with my friends. It's very convenient that they have an Instagram account where they post the latest news every day. It is especially nice to visit the cafeteria on "special" days, for example, we had a week of American food with fries and burgers or one time everyone could buy a bowl with ingredients prepared according to Asian recipes.

Have you already made friends with German and international students?

Unfortunately, due to the fact that all lectures are online now, it is a little difficult to get to know classmates, but we have a WhatsApp group and a Discord channel where everyone communicates with each other, since there are also a lot of Germans who came to Würzburg for the first time and they are also alone here without parents and friends. Therefore, almost everyone is ready to make friends and is up for a walk in the city. Obviously, it has been difficult to meet up with classmates and international students in person when the restrictive COVID measures were in place. Nevertheless, I got the chance to meet a couple of people. Mostly I communicate with Germans because I want to practice speaking in German and I’m also interested in their culture, but there are also a lot of international students in the city, especially in the dorms. During the pandemic me and my friends couldn’t meet up, so we met on Discord and spent time together online, chatting and playing computer games. I'm not a fan of online games, so usually I just take part in the conversation and then leave.

What are the differences between the education system in Germany and in your home country?

Undoubtedly, the German education system is different from the Russian one. There is a list of subjects that are obligatory, but there are also subjects that you can choose freely, which I really like. When you start your studies, you don’t have a lot of freedom choosing your subjects, since the educational foundation is being built, but in the higher semesters that’s different. Here, all students register for exams on their own and decide which exams they want to take in the current semester and which ones they want to postpone until the next semester. Of course, there is no need to delay everything for too long and it is preferable to pass everything on time, but there are different situations in life, so this possibility is very useful. Moreover, professors don’t check attendance of lectures, unlike at Russian universities. You yourself should be interested in your education and attending lectures, since that is where you gain the necessary knowledge for your future profession and prepare for your exams. I would also like to mention how easy it was to use the online portal. All slides and files from lectures are available online. Before the lecture, you can look at the material and translate unfamiliar words, so that during the lecture itself, you can focus on absorbing the study material. But, of course, presentations are not enough, so the professors always give a list of additional study materials and books. The library catalogue is large and varied. Some books are available online, some can be borrowed and taken home, or you can go to the library, borrow books and work at the study hall. Thus, the most important thing that I would mention about the German education system is independence and autonomy.

How well do you understand the professors and the university staff? Do you have any difficulties with the German/English language at university or in your free time? What is your level of German right now?

I passed the TestDaf exam with 17 points out of 20, which I was very happy about. I therefore thought that I had a sufficient level of language proficiency to study in Germany. But in the first lectures, I felt as if I had never studied the language before. There are a lot of economic terms, professors have different accents and some talk faster than others and all of this kind of triggered a little depression, but everyone goes through it and then it gets easier. A month later, there are still many new words in the lectures, but I understand more of the study materials which motivates me to study even more. Some professors record their lectures and publish them on the online portal, so if I don’t quite understand one topic, I can always refer to the materials online. Additionally, professors always answer emails from a student email account and can personally make a Zoom appointment if the answer to the question is quite comprehensive and requires discussion. Speaking the language is certainly easier, the main thing is to practice it as much and as often as possible and not to be afraid of making mistakes. The Germans correct you and explain the word if you don't know it. Or at the very least, they switch to English.

Is there any organizational problem that still needs to be solved? If yes, what is it?

All accommodation issues can really be solved in the first month. This includes registering your place of residence, opening a bank account, getting health insurance, concluding a contract with a mobile operator and buying household items. Upon arrival, I sent my negative COVID test to the local Health Department to be released from quarantine. Then I've made an appointment for the town hall online (https://www.wuerzburg.de/buerger/index.html) to register at the Registration Office (Meldewesen). You have to bring your passport or ID card and a confirmation of residence from your landlord proving where you currently live. All letters will be sent to the registered address and there will be a lot of mail with important information. The registration process itself lasts 15-20 minutes. Then you need to open a bank account. There are many banks. Usually, the bank account is free of charge for students, but it depends on the bank. There are many ATMs and Sparkasse (a German bank) branches in Würzburg, but to open an account there you need a German Tax Identification Number. I suppose it's like TIN in Russia. You usually get it two weeks after registration. I didn't want to wait, so I opened a bank account online at Commerzbank and came to the branch for verification on the same day. A week later, I received letters with a pin code for my personal account, a pin code for a card, the card itself and a welcome letter. Each bank also has its own referral programme. You can take an invitation code from your friends and everyone will receive a present from the bank. It can be some kind of free subscription or some money. I made a couple of card transactions to make sure everything was working and went to the insurance company to fill out the SEPA document and activate the health insurance. By signing the SEPA document you authorize the company, whether it is health insurance or a mobile operator, to deduct monthly payments for their services from your bank account. A week later, I received a card from the public health insurance company. As a mobile operator I chose WinSim because I liked the good value for money. I ordered a SIM card online, also filled out a SEPA and three days later I received a SIM card by post. As for household items (pots, pans, plates, blanket, etc.), everything can be bought at IKEA, OBI or Woolworth.

What is your first general impression about life in Germany?

I’ve been to Germany several times before as a tourist, and I have acquaintances here, so I can’t say I had a culture shock. On the contrary, I am very drawn to the style of thinking and the way of life of the German people. Among the advantages, I would like to note the high priority given to the environment, excellent health care and good salaries, lovely cosy homes, many parks and outdoor sports activities. Perhaps what really surprised me in a good way is that in Würzburg there are so many people running despite the hilly terrain. Among the disadvantages, this is undoubtedly the bureaucracy, which everyone has heard about and, generally, is mentally prepared for, and the high cost of accommodation and food, compared to prices in Russia.

What was your first impression of life in Würzburg?

The first impression of Würzburg was very mixed. On the one hand, I was very glad that my dream had finally come true and I was now in Germany. On the other hand, it was already autumn when I arrived and everything seemed so small and quiet that I had some concerns “Am I now in a village?". But just take one walk around the city and your heart will melt instantly when you see the cosy houses with brickwork and the hilly terrain covered with vineyards, as Würzburg is the capital of Franconian winemaking. Life here doesn’t stand still. There are large shopping malls, world-famous shops where you can buy fashionable clothes, weekend markets with farm products and household items, many cafés that currently only offer takeaway and a street full of bars for future student parties. The city is loved by Germans and there are a lot of people who want to live here. Many people say that I don't yet know the real Würzburg because I arrived during the lockdown period. Most people in Würzburg are students, so I am looking forward to the days that people talk about so passionately, but for now I enjoy the fresh air and nature because in the big cities of Russia we don’t have that, and of course I focus on my studies.