Report October - Anastasia Gustova
Why have you chosen FHWS?
I chose FHWS for many reasons. Firstly, I paid special attention to the content of the education programme. My study programme encompasses the necessary basic subjects in the field of business administration and computer science that will help me gain the necessary knowledge and skills to work in this area. Secondly, there is a significant practical focus at FHWS. There are many companies in Bavaria where you can get valuable experience and applied knowledge. The third reason is the all-round support from the university. If you have any queries, the International Office is always in touch and is happy to answer all your questions. Of course, the beautiful nature and architecture of Würzburg must not be forgotten. Germans consider Würzburg to be one of the most picturesque cities in Germany. Now I understand why and completely agree with them.
Why have you chosen your study programme?
I chose the bachelor study programme Business Information Systems because it is a relatively new area that covers two fields of work at once - economics and informatics. Experts in business information systems are well-versed in both areas: they understand IT systems and methods and can design and implement them in an economic environment. Computer information systems are now intensively used in all areas of a company (accounting, management of material resources, human resource management, sales, etc.) and in all economic sectors. When did you start to prepare your application to FHWS? I started preparing for studying in Germany two years ago, and it all started with learning the German language. The language learning requires daily training. This was one of the main principles that was following. Only 15-30 minutes of practice, but every day. At first, I studied the language by myself, but I later realized that it definitely wasn’t enough, so I found a tutor on Skype. I was very lucky with my tutor, she invested time in me, didn't let me be lazy and only communicated with me in German. In order to study in Germany, you need to obtain a German language certificate that confirms your language proficiency and is a guarantee that you will be able to understand the lectures. Usually applicants take the TestDaf, DSH, telc or obtain the Goethe-Zertifikat. The structure of the exams is different. Everyone chooses the exam that seems the best fit for them. I chose TestDaf. The sooner you pass the exam the better, since you will have the opportunity to either lodge an appeal or retake it, because, of course, you're nervous and you may not always get the desired result at first try. You should also check beforehand on the university website which certificate and result the university accepts. However, it is also possible to submit a certificate attesting a lower level of language proficiency and sending a certificate with the required level later on before a certain date. But I don't advise doing it like this, because if the degree programme has restricted admission and the admission committee takes into account the knowledge of German language during the selection process, then points can be lost. And in general, you yourself feel calmer when you already have a complete set of documents. In addition to language learning, at the same time, I got acquainted with the education system in Germany, read how to submit documents and application deadlines, wrote emails to the people on social networks who had already enrolled and received additional "first-hand" information. I recommend groups in vk.ru for Russian speakers - “ProStudium e.V. | All German students are here! " and “We passed Test DaF (Deutsch als Fremdsprache)”.
How was your experience applying to FHWS?
University admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge. I realized that admission itself is a long and painstaking process. It is necessary to check the information on the university websites and the admission conditions to your programme. Even within the same university, the admission conditions may be different for different study programmes. If you have any questions that can’t be answered via information on the website, ask them directly to a representative of the university. There have been cases where the information on the website was outdated (very rarely, but it happens). But back to my admission. It was difficult only due to the fact that the information was constantly changing and not all universities had time to adapt to the new admission format. Here I want to thank FHWS for the communication speed and the quick response in making a decision. You could wait a whole week for a response from some universities, and this is in their disfavour. The admission procedure at FHWS was online. I had to upload all documents to the online portal, which was very easy. A week after the deadline ended, I received the cherished admission letter, which I signed and sent by post. Then the enrolment process began. An important prerequisite for studying in Germany is the proof of public health insurance, which can usually be obtained directly in Germany, but there are some insurance companies where you can get this proof online. When opening a blocked account, I immediately took the "+ package", which included the DAK public health insurance, so as not to worry about this in the future. I paid the semester fee, sent a signed declaration of acceptance, ID-photo, waited a couple of days and received the dearest letter of enrolment!
How was your visa application process?
I wish I could tell you “and this is how you get your visa”, but I can’t. I recommend getting the necessary study documents whilst already starting the process of applying for a visa and getting an appointment at the embassy. There are a lot of applicants, but only a few time slots for the submission of documents. Of course, I again have to mention the restrictive measures during the pandemic, which affected the work of the embassy. There were available appointments, but very few. In Moscow, they were always published on the website on the night of Monday to Tuesday and from Thursday to Friday. Registration for an appointment took place a month (or a month and a half) before the date of the appointment. I had an appointment at the embassy for mid-September and the registration was in early August. The processing time of the visa application depends on the German foreign representation in the Federal State where you are going to study. Documents can be processed anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Among my friends, the process of processing a visa application took about a month. I also got my visa within a month. The difficulty was only getting the documents and their correct notarization, as well as accurately completing the visa form.
How did you travel from your home country to the FHWS campus?
On the day I received my visa, I bought plane tickets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many flights were cancelled and there were not many options to get to Germany. The flights were also very expensive, as companies tried to make up for lost profits. But thanks to the groups on vk.ru and the chats between applicants and students in Germany on Telegram, I heard from some people that Lufthansa has export flights that can only be purchased by phone. Despite all these cunning schemes, the price was still very high, about 260€ one way. In comparison, under normal circumstances, I flew to Germany as a tourist for 120€ for two tickets. I arrived at Frankfurt airport at 6 am and travelled to Würzburg by train. I bought tickets a week before on the website for 15 €, but if you buy it on the day, the price is twice as high. Würzburg is 1,5 hours away from Frankfurt Airport which is quite close if you ask me. Frankfurt Airport itself is large and well-equipped. You can easily find trains, there are always elevators and escalators, so there is no need for carrying suitcases.
How did you find your accommodation? Where do you live now?
I started looking for accommodation when I received the admission letter. First of all, I sent an application to the dorms from Studentenwerk Würzburg. Students are offered different accommodation options: Einzelappartement (one-room flat) and Einzelzimmer in 2/3/4er-WG (room in a shared flat with 2/3/4 residents). The first option is the most attractive, since you have your own mini apartment with a small kitchen and a private bathroom. In the second option, you have your own room, but you share the kitchen and bathroom with your flat mates. The good thing about a shared flat is that you already know people in the city and most often everyone is very friendly and will help you settle in. But Würzburg is a student city, so a place in a dorm has a wait of one to two semesters. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a place in the dorms from Studentenwerk Würzburg, but I also applied to private dorms. Furthermore, there is a website wg-gesucht.de and a Facebook group «WG&Wohnung Würzburg», where fellow students regularly look for flat mates. But the difficulty was that some would like to meet in person, get to know each other, chat, and it is very easy running into problems. Unfortunately, many require transferring the deposit and then disappear. The departure date was already nearing, and I still didn’t have a place to live. I thought I would have to look for it when I arrived, but fortune had smiled upon me and I got a room in a private dormitory Green Living Inn in a two-person flat share for 355 € per month. The dormitory is new, there are grocery stores within a 5-minute walk, the room has the necessary furniture, internet is included in the price, but you need to bring your own router. There are also washing machines and dryers (a 35-minute wash costs 50 cents), and a room where your ordered parcels are delivered to and stored.
What was especially interesting or useful to you during the orientation programme?
The orientation programme provided important support. The tutors are very sociable and cheerful students, they have always been and continue to be in touch. When you have not arrived yet, it is very difficult to understand the education system and in general how the city works, where you can go, what sights to see, how to use the transport system, which trains and cities are covered by the semester ticket (student card), how to use the online library catalogue and take books home, how and where to look for the necessary subjects to study and how to register for them. In addition to organizational issues, the Zoom-meetings always discussed the current restrictive COVID measures in the city, so that we could protect ourselves and not receive a fine, because, as they say, ignorance of law excuses no one. I would gladly have taken part in online sessions such as cooking traditional dishes, baking goodies and group games, but unfortunately, I was gathering documents and preparing for departure. But I think this is a great opportunity, organized by the tutors to get to know each other, have a good time and practice German / English.