+49 176 72756903

Best option to reach Magdeburg from India is via Berlin.

  • Magdeburg is well connected and it takes around 2 hours from Berlin to reach Magdeburg.
  • Magdeburg HBF , Magdeburg Neustadt are the train stations in Magdeburg.
  • Magdeburg ZOB is the bus station. All three are near to University.
  • Always Book flights which reach Berlin before 3 p.m. This is to avoid traveling at night as you are new to the city.
  • Website to book Train tickets:https://www.bahn.com/en#slc (you can change language to english )

Option 2 (Airport - Berlin zoologischer Garten - Magdeburg):
  • Berlin zoologischer garten has only four platforms for regional trains(RE trains) and mostly you do not need to switch platforms when you want transit to Magdeburg.
  • From the airport you can take RE7(Dessau, Hauptbahnhof) or RB14(Nauen, Bahnhof) to reach Berlin Zoologischer garten, you will either get down at platform 3 or 4.
  • From the zoologischer garten you can board RE1 Magdeburg Hbf . This train also arrives either on platform 3 or 4.

Train booking tips

  • Make sure you have atleast two hours time gap between train start time and flight landing time. You need to complete immigration and collect your baggage and after that you need to walk out to reach railway station.
  • Search for connections that have a transfer(if you have) time of at least 20 mins( we recommend it as you might need to change platforms with luggage).

Flight booking suggestions

Due to Corona , regular flights have not been in operation for the past one and half years. Only air bubble flights are in operation. Air Bubble agreements get renewed every month. Though airlines allow booking three plus future months there is always a possibility of cancellation based on the Corona situation and respective countries' decision to cancel the air bubble agreement.

  • To book direct flights to Germany from India/ your home country, if it's available. From India airindia , Lufthansa and Vistara operates direct flights to Germany from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.
  • Avoid transiting via third countries, for example : Middle East.as in the past direct flights were operational but transit flights were cancelled due to the restriction in the Middle East.
  • Book directly via airline website as it's easier to get refunds or reschedule in case of delay or cancellations.
  • In short make a travel plan with least impact incase of abnormal situations.

Health Related

  • It is better to do a master health checkup before you come here, if you have any minor health issues this will help you to get it sorted.
  • If you have any pre-existing health condition , please carry your recent medical reports related to the condition.
  • If you have any dental or eye or any specific issues please get it sorted , In Germany waiting times are longer.
  • If you wear specs get extra pairs, it’s very expensive in germany

Medicines:

  • If you are having any health condition and under medication get the medicines for 6 months or the duration required as per your doctor’s suggestion.
  • If needed, get medicines for general health conditions.
  • Get all the above medicines with a Doctor prescription in his letter pad and his seal. During Immigration or security check they might ask (though it is rare and random)
  • Keep the medicines well packed in Check-In bag
  • Any emergency medicines of limited quantity can be kept in cabin bag (i.e. you take with you in the flight)

Cooking stuff

  • Learn the basics of cooking from mom or youtube or from other sources before you come here.
  • Buy Cooking utensils (check Things to buy )
  • Pack Homemade Spices and Masalas (if buying in shop, buy the ones which has latest expiry date, i.e. it should last at least for 6 months), majority you will get here indian stores (online or in Magdeburg) but if you feel costly and have some space in luggage you can get this.
  • Home made masalas double pack it and label it.
  • Get some ready to make food or pastes for initial days, maybe for a week.
  • No need to bring rice or lentils.

Clothing

  • Some clothes are very cheap in India , I have listed a few below Mostly all this things would have been covered in Things to buy but just adding it here
    • ITEM QUANTITY
    Thermals (Jockey you might get for 500 or 600 rupees) 3 or 4
    Socks (winter socks , as well as normal ones) As per your need ( min 4 to 6 pairs)
    Slippers for home 1 or 2 pairs
    Jeans (it is very costly in germany compared to India) As per your need and as per your luggage space
    Winter Jacket (If you are coming for october Intake buy some cheaper ones for initial days as most of the costlier jackets in India also might not withstand peak winters), Initial days you can manage with Multi layered clothing and a jacket , then you can buy a good one in germany for 60 to 100 euros which can last for years. If you are coming during summer personally I say you can manage with multi layered clothing and sweaters (which we wear when we go to hill stations ), but if you feel you need one buy it 1
    Tshirts (T Shirts are cheaper here but personally from my experienceI felt in India you get better quality for the same price) 10 to 14 or as per your need
    Towels 2 or 3 or as per your need
    Traditional dress Bring one or two pair of traditional dress to wear during diwali night or other indian festival celebrations

Initial Expenses

Get 1200 to 1500 Euros in cash or cash/Forex. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to unblock your blocked account. When you come here you need to pay

  • University fee (~approx 130 €)
  • First month rent and rent deposit (mostly one or 1.5 months rent will be your deposit) 500 to 600 euros.
  • If it takes more than four weeks to unblock you may need to pay 2nd month rent from your hand
  • Initial expenses like buying some furniture, bed, mattress etc. - 200 € to 300 € if you buy new ones in IKEA or similar shops
  • Your food expenses - 150€ (assuming you cook most of the time)
  • Miscellaneous- 100€
  • Keep cash in multiple locations I.e. in different pockets and in cabin bag

General

  • Get 3 or 4 europe travel adapter (universal travel adapters might be loose for german sockets and as your going to use it for a long time I feel it is better to get specific ones) (Sample image amd amazon India link given below)
  • a. https://amzn.to/2k8DR6X
  • b. https://amzn.to/2llXJ6O
  • Get a couple of universal travel adaptors.
  • Get Pen,Pencils, Rubber and notebooks.
  • Get 15 or 20 copies of Biometric Passport size photos (German Standard, same as the one you submitted for visa)
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Baggage Packing

  • Know your baggage allowance( check your ticket and if not clear call customer care and confirm it. It varies based on the offer , route etc so never go by friends word or by hearing from someone in the group)
  • Check your luggage dimensions whether it adheres to the dimensions specified by the airline.
  • Check the restricted goods from the airline website and make sure you do not carry any.
  • As you know your baggage allowance and the split , create a checklist of items based on it.
  • In check in bag, If you have fragile or breakable things do not keep in the corner, bubble wrap or wrap it with clothes and keep in the center.
    • Image
  • Have a weighing scale and check the baggage weight, DO NOT exceed the weight limit (Normally whatever you weigh at home it will be at least 500 gms higher when weighed at the airport). Chances are very high that they might ask you to pay extra for every extra KG. If you are not willing to pay in the last minute you have to take something out (you don’t know which one is not important :P to be taken out) and it is unnecessary tension. Some may say that for students an extra two or three kgs they will allow but do not go by that it all depends upon the person who issues the boarding pass, if he is strict you have to pay for every extra kg, the call is yours :
  • In cabin bag (which you take with you)
    • a. Keep emergency medicines in small quantities , for example 2 or 3 tablets each.
    • b. Total volume of liquids (All liquids together) SHOULD NOT EXCEED 100 ml (i.e. hair oil, face wash etc), keep in small quantities
    • c. Keep your laptops (if there is no separate laptop bag allowance), power bank in it.
    • d. Keep all important documents (passport, educational certificates, admission letter, medical prescriptions and other documents if any)
    • e. DO NOT KEEP dangerous items like knives etc, it is not permitted
    • f.KEEP EXTRA pair of clothes, this will be helpful in below scenarios

    • (i) If your check in baggage is delayed (sometimes it will be missed during transit and it will take 3 or 4 days for them to send it to Magdeburg)
    • (ii) If You feel colder after landing in germany, you can take out and wear extra layers of clothes to feel warm

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  • Magdeburg Indians is a registered not for profit organisation in Germany and in university
  • We are named as role model association in 2017 by ISG
  • Facebook page Check this page for past events etc
  • https://www.facebook.com/magdeburgindians/

    1. After you reach Magdeburg, you can connect to:

  • a. a mentor you know from Magdeburg Indians eV
  • b. your mentor from RIA buddy programme Register for RIA buddy programme (you will get a mail from University)
  • c. anyone you know, who can pick you up.
  • Then you go to your friends place.
  • You either go to your temporary accommodation or the permanent one (?) Check with the contract date and feasibility.

2. University Enrolment & City Registration.

  • Know the prerequisites of the university enrollment.
  • You might need to enroll using a "care-of" accommodation.
  • For enrollment, the copy of your admit letter sent through email to your personal email address is required.
  • For city registration you need to take an appointment from campus service center or goto buergerbuero. For registration you need your passport, university enrolment certificate and rental agreement/contract.
  • (It is important to have this document Wohnungsgeberbestätigung to do the city registration)

  • If you don't have contract you can use care of letter( there is some format ) and get the registration done. Once you get the contract you can goto buergerbuero office and update your new address.

  • City Registration officers would be there at the Campus Service Center for 2 or 3 weeks during the semester start.


3. Phone Number & Bank Account.

  • a. Bank Account needs to be opened next. Deutsche bank is recommended.
  • b. To open bank account you need city registration proof, your passport and univ registration.
  • c. There are some more formalities based on with whom you have blocked account.
  • d. You might need to goto bank to get appointment to open the account.
  • e. It takes around 2 to 4 weeks to open the account.

Unblocking blocked account for fintiba blocked account holders?

  • Open the bank account with a bank of your choice (check above answer).parallelly complete the legitimation process for fintiba. Legitimation is nothing but showing your city registration and passport to prove you are resident of Germany.
  • This can be done by taking your city registration paper and passport to DAK office which is 500 metres with a printed fintiba form and they will do the rest. Once legitmation done your account will be unblocked in a week, then provide the bank account IBAN via fintiba page online and map the bank account, every month money will be transferred to your bank account.

Unblocking blocked account for Kotak blocked account holders?

  • Open a blocked account with Deutsche Bank(DB). For opening the account, fill in the form to open the blocked account from the DB website. Submit the form to DB office in Magdeburg along with city registration, passport, immatrikulation and blocked account statement from Kotak Mahindra. The DB officers will take the required photocopies and return the originals back to you. It may take a week for you to receive the account details(IBAN,BIC etc).

  • Post receiving the account details, mail the account details to the officers at Kotak bank(India) with whom you have contact with while opening the account. Post verification, Kotak bank will transfer the entire amount to the DB blocked account. This may take another week.

  • The banks will levy charges towards blocking of the account. (DB charges a one time fee of 150EU towards blocking of the account)

  • https://www.deutsche-bank.de/pk/konto-und-karte/konten-im-ueberblick/internationale-studenten1.html#forms

Unblocking blocked account for Coracle blocked account holders?

  • a. Open a Zero Balance account with a bank here.
  • b. Mail coracle with the Bank account details,City registration and immatrikulation.
  • c. They’ll link the account and you’ll get the amount every month to the German bank account.

Unblocking blocked account for Deutsche bank blocked account holders?


4. Health Insurance


5. Doctors & Clinic

  • If you feel unwell right after coming to Magdeburg (because of travel, sadness, tendency to either commit suicide or murder people etc) ask AOK to write an authorisation letter.
  • If it is not emergency, then go to the Praxis-NordPark at 8 AM next Day. No other doctor around speaks English.
  • If it is emergency, then someone else needs to guide.
  • There are two kinds of doctors.
  • a. Hauzartz. [House Doctors]
  • b. Specialists.
  • The Specialists should be referred to by the Hausartz.
  • If not emergency, the first point of contact should always be the Hausartz.
  • And always listen to the doctor. Do not use your brain or intelligence.
  • If you do otherwise and it gets reported, AOK will no more pay for your expenses. #law.
  • For the girls, getting an appointment directly to gyno, is tough. Only a Hausartz can get you in easily with strong recommendations.
  • For the boys (who do not know German), before getting into randomly into a clinic, check if you fit in. The first time I tried, I ended up going to a Gynecologist. It was a comic situation after that. Also learn very basic German.

We recommend you to take public health insurance as its hassle free if you need to visit doctor or any emergency. TK,AOK,DAK are some of the public health insurance providers and you will have almost same benefits if you go with any public insurance, personally we recommend AOK and apply via us (Magdeburg Indians) for below reasons
  • Premium is cheaper that Tk and other public insurances ( approx minimum 5 euros cheaper per month)
  • They are leaders in Saxony Anhalt, our regular sponsor(Magdeburg Indians) for Diwali night, etc and for Indian students, things are just easy if at any time if there is an emergency)
  • AOK headquarters is in Magdeburg and the office is just 200 metres away from the university.
  • With some insurances there is a 14 semester restriction of student premium. i.e. You are eligible for student premium which is the cheapest only till 14 semesters. 14 semesters is counted by including the Bachelors/Masters you have done in your home country.Post 14 semesters premium will be almost double. AOK does not have this restriction.
  • This whatsapp group is run by seniors who are part of Magdeburg Indians e.V. so you can 100% trust and apply via us. Though insurance companies pay money for referrals we(volunteers) do not make /earn any money.
  • No need to pay a single penny now, after you reach Germany you can open a bank account and provide your bank details to the insurance provider directly to deduct insurance premium on a monthly basis.
  • Based on problems from previous years Magdeburg Indians had a discussion with AOK and made the process hassle free (just need passport copy to get insurance) and If you have any issues during enrollment you can directly take our help to get it sorted.
  • Health insurance is completely different from Travel insurance or Travel plus health insurance and it is mandatory to have a health insurance to register for your course (Check your admission mail) Travel insurance is required for visa approval. You can take travel insurance for 1700 to 2500 rs from bajaj allianz or any approved insurance companies.
  • If you have not taken health insurance anywhere and willing to apply via us send your passport copy to "[email protected]". we forward it to AOK so After you arrive in Magdeburg you can get health insurance just by signing the filled form and get insurance in an hour(if it's working day) so you complete your course enrolment.
  • Insurance from AOK will be applicable from the date of signing of application or from Oct 1, 2021 whichever is later.
  • Below is premium comparison for people below 30 years of age. Above 30 premium will around 190€. When you join any insurance you have to stick with it for 18 months to make a switch and there is a advance notice period as well , check with respective insurance for more details.
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Providers

Studentenwerk
  • This is university-provided accommodation
  • Website: https://www.studentenwerk-magdeburg.de/
  • Chances of getting in are very low irrespective of how early you apply. They use some algorithm/logic which tries to provide accommodation for different nationalities in an equal ratio. We don't know exactly how it works but there are many people waiting for more than a year, some have got in 3 months,9 months and so on. We recommend you check for private accommodations. To further support this fact we want you to know that as per 2017 estimate around 13000 students study in OVGU and studentenwerk only have 1663 places )

Campus Tower and Campus House


Wobau

  • Website: http://www.wobau-magdeburg.de/
  • Wobau is one of the largest accommodation providers in Magdeburg. They have rental apartments /properties all around Magdeburg.
  • They will ask you for a visa copy and vaccination proof to offer you accommodation.
  • Note: Wobau might ask you to take Barmer health insurance while asking you to fill the form. This is not mandatory, it's your decision whether you want to go for it or not, it is not mandatory and not taking Barmer will not affect your chances of getting accommodation.

Lorenzquartier


Livus


MWG


Guericke


Others


Things to Know Before Signing contract

    Rental types :
  • a. Kaltmiete (cold rent)- Cold rent is the rent paid for the house and it does not include additional costs such as garbage disposal, street and house cleaning costs, heating and water costs.
  • b. Warmmiete (warm rent) - This rent mostly includes all costs (Except internet, electricity and radio bill). With some providers like Wobau, electricity is also covered as part of warmmiete.

    Length of the agreement :
  • a. Usually, there is no minimum contract period, but in some places, the minimum contract period is one or two years, so be cautious.

    Rent amount
  • Additional costs (heating, water, garbage disposal etc.)
  • Notice period, the standard notice period is three months
  • Deposit amount (normally one or two months rent)
  • An agreement on redecoration when you move in or move out (you only decorate once)
  • Conditions for an increase in rent (like once in a year or two and by how much)

    In the case of furnished rooms
  • a. Make an inventory of all items and check the state of these items in the presence of the landlord. If damaged, have this documented in writing, so that you don't have to pay for the damage when you move out. If it is not possible to check this in presence of the landlord then take pictures of the damages and send it via email (not Whatsapp).
  • The general house rules (which also define the repairs that the landlord is responsible for and those which you have to pay for).

    • Note: Once the contract is signed both parties are legally bound by it. Before signing, it is therefore essential to carefully read and understand the document even though they are usually long.


Tips for finding the right accommodation

  • Check how far the accommodation is from the university
  • Check whether it is walkable to the nearest tram or bus stop
  • Check how much time it takes to reach the university by tram or bus
  • You might not have continuous classes, for example: for a day if you have two classes one class might be in the morning at 9 a.m. and the other at evening 5 p.m., so it would be good to find accommodation reachable by any means within 15-20 minutes.
  • Google maps might not show the tram or bus route for Magdeburg. Alternative is
  • a. Zoom in the google map and find the nearest tram stop from your accommodation.
  • Use Insa:https://www.insa.de/

    • To search for the time taken from the nearest tram stop to reach the university (university tram stop names are: Magdeburg, Universität, Magdeburg, Universitätsbibliothek )


Tips for buying furniture


Buying Furniture from current tenants

Wherever you are trying to find a room, previous tenants might try to sell their furniture or it may be a mandatory requirement from them (this is done by some students who do contract transfer).

    Prices for used furniture

  • Bed (steel or wooden frame) And mattress - 60 to 100 €
  • Cupboard normal one - 10 - 20€
  • Washing machine- 60 to 80 €
  • Fridge - 20 to 45 €
  • Study Table - 10 - 30 €
  • Computer Chair - 10 to 30 €

keep the above prices in mind while negotiating, sometimes the items would be new(maybe older as well you never know) so they might try to sell it for a higher price, in this case, it is your call. The above-listed prices are approximations based on our experience, it may not be 100% right and certifiable NOTE: Check for bed bugs and other insects in the furniture before you buy them on a second-hand basis. Some of us faced bedbugs issue and we had sleepless nights.


Buying Furniture if unfurnished

It’s rare to find a fully furnished house unless it’s a campus house, tower, livus, current tenant willing to sell or some of studentenwerk accommodations. If unfurnished it's not an issue.


  • You can hire a van for 20€. Before purchasing, fix the timings to hire a van. You need to inform at least a day in advance
  • You can use it till you stay or complete the course and sell it for a cheap price or generously donate when you vacate the house

Contract Transfer

Although a common practice for accommodation hunters, accommodation by transfer of contract may be slightly tricky.

  • Usually, contract transfer happens between the current and new tenants when the current tenant wants to move out of the accommodation before his/ her notice period is served.
  • The current Tenant might be moving out to newer accommodation in Studentenwerk where the holdout period for an apartment is just two weeks and the notice period in his/her previous accommodation maybe three months
  • During this period he/ she can find another tenant who can replace him/her and thereby the contract is transferred to the replacement.
  • The tricky part here is the time between your arrival and the contract transfer. The current tenant by now could have moved out but the contract still remains in his name.
  • Until the actual contract is drawn and signed, you may be allowed to stay in the accommodation but pay the rent to the current Tenant who will, in turn, pay the same to the owner. Please note that you might be asked to pay the rent from the start of the month(even before your date of arrival) to the current tenant. In such cases, it is strictly advisable to do it only for a month before the start of the semester. For example, if the semester is to start from October then pay only for the month of September during which you arrive in Magdeburg. Don't freeze your accommodation for more than a month before your arrival. It is not worth it. In such a scenario, you should get an assurance from the owner of the accommodation and the current tenant about the contract transfer post your arrival.

CAUTION: Before the transfer of the amount please inform us about the person to whom the rent is being sent. If it is one of our colleagues, we might vouch for their credibility. Otherwise, it is a risk. Another important point to note is that the request for transfer of rent through Western Union / PayPal is generally not reliable and the person assuring your accommodation might be a scamster. Please confirm with us if you are doing any transaction.


Temporary Accommodation (Last Resort)

In case if you are not able to find accommodation before your arrival, you can check these websites to arrange for temporary accommodation.

Prior to Corona, we used to arrange temporary accommodation for incoming students either for free of cost or for a nominal price of ( max 7€ per day) and we arranged temporary accommodation for 65+ students for winter semester 2019. But due to restrictions and safety measures, it’s not possible anymore.

We wish you good luck in finding the right accommodation if you have any doubts feel free to ask us in the Whatsapp group

    How much money can we make out of part time jobs?

  • It depends on the student and the company.
  • For HiWi, a student gets 440 euros to 550 euros (40 hours of work/month).
  • For physical jobs they make around 450 around (40 hours of work/month).
  • There are instances when people skipped classes and went to another city to work in Amazon (physical job) and made 2000 euros around in one or two months of work. We recommend not to do this.
  • There is no one definite way for this. It entirely depends on the requirement of the company and what terms the student agrees to.

    Can studies and part time jobs be managed together?

  • Depends. There are people who fail in their subjects. And there are Indians who keep getting 1.3 or 1.7.(1 being the highest grade).One can easily manage time from studies.Students are free to choose their subjects. One might take 4 subjects (I took 4 subjects in first semester).If you have a job and you think you can not spend time to study, then you take lesser number of subjects.Now if money is not that big a priority, then you choose lesser number of working hours and take up more subjects to study.That's a trade-off
  • Could you please let me know if freelancing is allowed at the time of studies? For, example, I would like to work as a photographer in events, clubs or other places. Is it legal at the time of studies?
  • Ans: Freelancer comes under a different visa which you are not allowed.

    Why choose OVGU?

    Come to OVGU if,
  • You know what scientific work is && you are interested in scientific work.
  • You are willing to not-get-into pub culture (but there are pubs); alcohol is freely available, there's a discotheque inside the campus. If you want, there are resources.
  • You understand what you are getting into. You are masters students. The minimum the authorities expect is maturity.
  • You are mentally prepared to explore studies.
    Be informed:
  • If you want to just party, Magdeburg might not be the place for you.
  • If you want just a job, OVGU might not be for you.
    Come to Germany if:
  • You are self-motivated to study or to work or both.
  • You know what you want to do in life. Or at least some idea where you are headed to.
  • are mentally prepared to leave home. And not cry about it. && your family members are mentally prepared to let you go. [ we faced situations ]
  • Only if you are mature.
    Reasons to choose OVGU
  • There's a well-knit community.
  • Teachers are very very very friendly and cooperative. ( I can bet for DKE because I am in DKE )
  • There's Magdeburg Indians eV who makes sure you are well settled. But be aware of the fact that we are not paid for it. We do it because we like it. There have been instances where people demand and just order. Do not do that.
  • Till last year, on an average 3.8 papers were published per student in the university. And in DAAD ranking, the university had 10/11 score on international standards. We do not know the score now. But yes, people from this university are placed across the globe.
    How hard or easy is it to complete the masters in time?
  • Depends. Best case scenario - 2 years. Also people take upto 4 years. But mostly students complete in two and half to three years.

How to plan my first semester? [This a personal advise as so many ask us this question]

    First some details about credit based system
  • Majority of master programs have 120 credit points (90 for courses(subjects) and 30 for thesis ) . If we take the duration as 4 semesters then it is 30 credits per semester.
  • There is no rule like one needs to complete the course in four semesters. You can take more or less semesters to complete the course but there is an upper limit also after eight semesters your semester fee is higher.
  • What does “credit points” mean to a student apart from the fact that it is a passing criteria?
  • The expectation is - for every credit point, you devote 30 working hours into the course.
  • 1 credit = 30 working hours.
    Example Scenario
  • Let’s say you are taking 30 credits per semester then 30 credits = 900 working hours in maximum 10 weeks for this semester. [Mid-April to End of June (best case scenario)]
  • Roughly around 90 hours per week or 12.5 hours of study PER DAY( if we take Sunday as Rest day)
    Keeping the above mentioned in mind. This is our recommendation.
  • *First Semester and also mostly online learning * - Due to Corona unfortunately you won't be able to attend classes physically and also you need to get used to German education system , so do not rush just take fewer courses/subjects or courses equivalent to 15 to 24 credits.(based on your confidence)
  • For some master programs like Medical systems, CEE you might have some mandatory subjects(courses) which might need to be taken in Semester 1 so take those and don't enroll anything extra if it crosses 22 to 24 credits limit ].
  • In the past we have seen people enrolling for 6 or 7 courses(or 40+ credits ) , attending classes , doing assignments , etc the whole semester but finally during exams they have dropped some courses and ended up just giving exams just 3 or 4. So it is a wasted effort on the courses you dropped.
  • So register 5 or 6 courses based on your area of interest, attend lectures for initial two weeks and based on how comfortable you are choose 4 and focus on learning it.
  • From Second Semester onwards - As you are settled here and also know the German education system relatively better , probably you might be in a position to decide what you want to pursue. You can take courses and pace it as per your caliber and confidence (it can be 4 or 5 or 6 etc per semester ).
  • This will be based on your area of interest and your background knowledge in that area, for example if you already have prior knowledge in that area you spend relatively less time to learn so you can take an additional course in that semester.
  • Develop a habit of reading literature and text books. DON'T do last minute preparation ( which is useless you don't gain anything out of it and high chances of flunking), try to study from beginning and phase your studies by putting good effort and hard work then completing Masters will be easy like Rohit Sharma's effortless Six (Practice makes a (hu)man perfect)

    What to fill in the Visa form for the Intended Place of Stay column ?
  • If a student doesn’t have an accommodation yet, s/he can fill the university address mentioned in the admit letter in the Intended Place of Stay column of the Visa application form.
  • If in case during the interview they ask about the Place of Stay, you can mention that you have applied for Studentenwerk and also actively looking for private accommodations
    • How much visa extension do we get after we arrive? I.e. How visa extension works in Magdeburg?
  • After you arrive you will get around a year when you go for the first extension. Depends on individuals and allegedly their way of conduct. But majorly this is what happens
  • In your home country You get a 6 months visa.
  • At the 5th month, you get an extension upto 12 months. (Number of months = bank balance divided by monthly withdrawal amount for your blocked amount set by the university). You need to have balance for at least 8 or 9 months.
  • Also Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners office) will ask for your transcript as they check whether you are progressing with your studies to grant a visa extension.
    • How Long does it take to get the visa decision post the visa interview/document submission process?
  • Normally it takes 3 -5 weeks to know the decision. Processing time is based on the workload/number of visas to be processed at the given time.Once documents submitted it will be processed in germany, i.e. verification of documents/ Univ admission etc.

    Is it important ?
  • YES, it is. All official processes outside the university ( of course ) happen in German.
    Can we learn here in Magdeburg ?
  • Yes, At the university (at a price which is dirt when compared to other sources)
  • Outside university as well at about 300-350 euros for each level.
    Does it affect your everyday life ?
  • To some extent. The student is required to balance the time accordingly so that s/he learns the language.
  • Certain places the officials / working people speak only in German and not in English. So we advise the student to learn German to a decent extent so that s/he manages what the official conveys.
    Jobs Offers?
  • There are certain jobs in certain areas which require good German knowledge. Hence we recommend a student to learn German so that he finds it easy.