<p>Im a university student from East Asia and Im thinking about continuing my undergraduate study in Europe or North America. I hope to study European History and Ancient Middle East. On the other hand, Id also like to attend some lectures of Geography or Philosophy.</p>
<p>However, my family cannot afford the costs of attending a university in the US, UK or Canada, which makes me quite sad. Professors in my university recommended that I should also consider France and Germany according to their academic impressions. And I have confirmed that I prefer Germany after several weeks of thinking and Im now learning German. I have read several German Universities websites and other academic websites in German and find that research in Germany is quite good in areas of my interest.</p>
<p>However, popular opinions among students in my country regard American and British top colleges highly and many of them think German Unis are somewhat inferior options. This makes me sometimes confused and wonder whether study Humanities in Germany is disadvantaged than in the USA or UK. I agree that American and British top colleges are better than German Unis on the whole. But do German Unis have their own advantages in Humanities over their American-British counterparts?</p>
<p>Do you think Germany is a good choice for students who want to study Humanities in their undergraduate period? And does studying Humanities in German Universities provide unique historical perspectives and special academic experiences, compare to other countries (like USA, UK and France)?</p>
<p>I will be very appreciated for your answers. Thank you!</p>
<p>I had previously written quite a lengthy reply comparing German universities to American universities. Then I got logged out and my reply was lost… I might be motivated to type it up again later but for the time being here’s the main points in a nutshell:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>German universities are set up to provide you an in-depth education in one or two closely-related fields. American universities are better for a general education that spans various disciplines.</p></li>
<li><p>German universities expect students to teach themselves and each other, while American universities spoon-feed their students everything that they are expected to know.</p></li>
<li><p>At the very end of your college career, German universities will make you take a comprehensive set of exams that test you on everything you were supposed to learn, whether or not it came up in one of your classes. American universities have nothing like that; once you are done with a course, you are no longer responsible for the material.</p></li>
<li><p>American professors are generally much more willing to interact with students than German professors.</p></li>
<li><p>There’s no difference in selectivity between German universities, as there is between American or British universities. Once German high school students earn a college entrance credential (~ the top 20% do in my state), they can freely choose which university to attend. No difference in selectivity translates to no differences in prestige either. A German university degree does not have the bragging rights that come along with a degree from Harvard or Cambridge.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>What you should really ask yourself is what you want to do with your humanities degree. Will a German college degree prepare you for that, or would you be better off with an Asian or American degree?</p>
<p>Why are you only considering France and Germany? Scandinavian universities do very well in international rankings (especially Uppsala, Lund, Copenhagen and Oslo), and are all either free or charge very little in the way of fees. You will have to put up with the frightfully high cost of living though.</p>
<p>This student forum (<a href=“http://www.the%5B/url%5D”>www.the</a> student room.co.uk) has an excellent international section where you could put your question directly to people who study at German/French/Swedish universities and hopefully receive a more thorough answer.</p>
<p>^■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ is a website for universities in the United Kingdom. Hence the .co.uk. However, I do agree you, Theopolis, will receive more in-depth and thorough answers on ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ as opposed to on here.</p>
<p>b@r!um, thank you very much for your detailed reply!</p>
<p>Haha, I’ve read your previous posts several weeks ago and find them quite helpful for students considering to study at German Unis.</p>
<p>After some rearching work, I realize some Unis in Germany really do a good job in Humanities, e.g. Heidelberg, Freiburg, Tuebingen etc. Yes, I’ve noticed that in terms of reputation, even this Unis cannot compete with top-notch universities in the US and UK.</p>
<p>Since I plan to apply PhD program in the US several years later, I would like to do my undergradute study outside the US if this means a broader vision both academically and socially. </p>
<p>My problem is that I’m quite unsure whether German Unis can bring me these experences which are quite beneficial in my opinion.</p>
<p>Thank you for your recommendation! I’ve found some related information on that forum. On the other hand, as I wish to apply PhD Program in the US in the future, I’m still looking forward to every suggestion here.</p>