Thursday 11 September 2014

Choosing the right University


According to the facts, there are more than 400 universities in 175 cities across the 3.5 million km2 widespread of Germany. In general, these universities vouch for excellent education, highly qualified professors and lecturers and good infrastructure. The Universities in Germany are federally managed. Each state has a governing body which regulates the education in these universities. Majority (over 240) of the universities are government funded and thus one does not need to pay a tuition fee.
One might also opt for a private university, which generally comes at a high tuition fee price. As of today there are about 100 private universities, majority of which offer applied sciences education. According to the fact stated at daad.de, only 5% of students in Germany study in private universities. However, this number is on the rise. One must be careful that the private university has state recognized, failing which the education from such a private university may not be recognized in international market.

Following steps are useful to narrow down the list of available universities of applications!
  • Create a list of subject areas of interest for study and accordingly find out the list of universities which offer them (daad.de)
  • Check the world wide university ranking, subject wise university ranking and tuition fees
  • Contact the course coordinators for further information about the subject, exam regulations, industry relations, etc.
  • Find social groups (on facebook, etc.) of students already studying there and get reviews
More info: 
- On the right side top column you will find the profile of some of the German universities
- Check the section for admissions (http://www.allaboutstudyingermany.blogspot.de/p/about-us.html)
- Check daad.de

(This post is an extension to the section 'Finding right University' on page Admissions: http://www.allaboutstudyingermany.blogspot.de/p/about-us.html)

Source of facts in this post: daad.de
Image Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/9433021/Foreign-universities-that-teach-in-English.html?image=5

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Buying a SIM!

The next next big thing after arriving in Germany is to get connected, aka. get a SIM! Then the questions start poruing out of one's mind...Which service provider? Postpaid or Prepaid? Is this the cheapest? etc... Here's a very short guide on buying a SIM.

Which Service provider? With several service providers available in market, the statistics suggests that O2 and Vodafone rule the market. In Aachen, one often ends up buying an O2 SIM, just because majority of their colleagues and freinds have O2 SIMs, and thus one can call them for free. Postpaid or Prepaid? It is advisable to buy a post paid card for a long term stay in a country. There are offers available while buying a SIM card. One can save on good deals and can also get a Smartphone on purchase of a SIM card! Although it sounds a little stretched, it is true (from my persanal experience!). So, one must explore all the available options before buying a SIM card. Following are the list of websites which may be helpful to do the same: mytopdeals.net, schnaeppchenfuchs.com, mydealz.de, idealo.de, cyberport.de, modeo.com.

















Image sources: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/07/21/sim-card-vulnerability-puts-one-quarter-of-all-phones-at-risk/

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Thesis your way...

Masters thesis is an integral and important part of Masters' studies. Often, the area of research of the thesis improve the chances of working in the same domain after the completion of masters. The normal duration of thesis is 6 months. One is expected to do literature reviews, read authentic journals and research papers, before planning the flow of master thesis. Thus, one should anticipate working round the clock and plenty of coffee! Generally, one has two options of pursuing their Master thesis - one in a company, second at an institute.

Master thesis in a company
The advantages of doing the thesis in a company is adding up experience, improving the chances of a job and earning. The tough part is to get one! If one is working part time in a company or doing an internship in a  company, it makes it easier by continuing in the same company for Master thesis. If this is not the case, then one must start planning at least 3 months in advance, for doing a thesis in company. The post for student jobs might be of great help: http://allaboutstudyingermany.blogspot.de/2013/11/getting-job-as-international-student.html. One also needs to find a mentor in an institute at the university who can monitor the thesis at regular intervals. Finally, thesis in a company will definitely bolster the chances of getting a job in the same company.

Master thesis in an institute
Getting master thesis at an institute is normally on the basis of first come first take basis! If one is late, one might take longer to find a topic of interest. The institute normally does not pay for the thesis. So one needs to plan the finances for next 6 months of survival (http://allaboutstudyingermany.blogspot.de/2014/01/living-costs-for-student-in-germany.html)! It is not uncommon to work part time in a company or in an institute during thesis. However, it requires sheer time management and at times 'no break' schedules!. There are also scholarships available for last 6 months of the masters (which is often Master thesis) without a job. This link might help: http://allaboutstudyingermany.blogspot.de/2014/01/studying-in-foreign-land-brings-with-it.html
Thesis at institute may infer close monitoring and constant updates, corrections and recommendations from your mentor. This helps you to stay on your track and manage to survive till your deadline! Eventually, if one plans to pursue PhD after Masters, then thesis at an institute of interest is a recommended choice.

Towards the end of thesis, one requires to write down the research work done, in a comprehensible and detailed technical language. The work must also be presented to enlighten the audience
with the original objective, the end result and the application of your thesis. The thesis requires consistency and working much more than you anticipate, to get good out it. The final grades of thesis are of vital importance especially if one plans to pursue a PhD ahead. To sum up, Master thesis is a commendable learning experience!

All the best, if one's coming your way!

Image sources: http://www.writingvalley.com/thesis/how-to-write-a-thesis-in-5-straightforward-steps/