<p>I am hoping to study abroad in Germany next spring and am busy investigating programs. First of all, do any of you know of any general college review web sites for Germany, maybe like the German version of this site? Also, I am mainly looking at the Berlin Constortium for German Studies, Brethern Colleges Abroad Program in Marburg, and Junior Year in Munich programs which fall under the Freie Universit</p>
<p>I could tell you a lot about German universities in general but not so much about your study-abroad programs. To what extend would you take classes at the universities and to what extend will you be taking classes with the program?</p>
<p>Out of the universities you have mentioned I have only visited Munich (LMU) so let me start with that one: LMU has a large history department (they have 8 different history major programs with several degree options in each!) but that comes with huge classes. I personally don't like LMU because it is too large and its buildings are scattered all over the city, making it somewhat of a hassle to get from class to class in different buildings. On the other hand LMU is one of the three "elite universities" in Germany if you care about rankings (the other two are the Technical University of Munich and Karlsruhe University), and Munich is a really nice place to live in (both for social life and cultural offerings), though expensive (the second most expensive city after Frankfurt). It is really easy to get around with public transportation.</p>
<p>Your living experience in Munich would probably be about the same as your living experience in Berlin, except that Munich has less poor districts that you should avoid. I cannot tell you anything about the universities in Berlin except that they are generally considered among the best, but they did not make the "elite university" cut. Check out maps of the universities to see if the university buildings are as scattered as those in Munich. </p>
<p>So let me come to Marburg... Marburg??? I know that it is a nice "university town" (1/4 of the population are college students!) but I have not heard anything about their university, neither good nor bad. Your experience in Marburg would be fundamentally different from that in Munich and Berlin because of the size of the city.</p>
<p>Here is a general website about studying in Germany: DAAD</a> - Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst - Study and research in Germany
It also allows you to create custom university rankings (DAAD</a> - University Ranking). In contrast to the US there is no general university ranking (like US News) for German universities.</p>
<p>What about International University Bremen? Do you know anything about its reputation, programs etc?</p>
<p>Well Barium I know University of Innsbruck isn't in Germany, but it is in Austria. Do you happen to know anything about it ?</p>
<p>International University Bremen
One the best universities in Europe. But you want find it listed among rankings if u are the one who chooses colleges by rank. The curriculum there is rigorous, It has two schools...school of sciences and school of arts....the engg curriculum is same as in RICE University, USA....the university has a little history but is becoming popular day by day....even considered a ivy college of europe....but u must be committed and dedicated if want to attend Jacobs....it has excellent faculty ratio with 90 to 600......</p>
<p>Hmm...I'm glad you brought up the scattered around point for LMU since that wouldn't be so good. I am hoping to take as many classes as possible with the university instead of program classes. I don't care so much for rankings, as long as the uni is pretty good and the students are motivated. I've heard that German uni classes are larger in general so do you have any hints for how to get into smaller classes? Also, I've heard that the Freie Uni is really outside Berlin and I'm not sure how easy it is to get into the city. Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Small classes... that's a tough one. There are only few small classes and there is usually a reason why those classes are small. Spontaneously I can think of three types of small classes:
- lectures that are not required for the major and delve into a very specific niche of a subject that only few people are interested in
- seminars (in particular Hauptseminare): They are not very popular among students but often required for the major. (Most seminars are taught by students, and most students rather listen to other people talking than prepare lectures themselves...)
- classes with limited enrollment (usually labs or TA sessions - I don't think history or German have either of those) </p>
<p>I am sure you have heard about the general mode of teaching at German universities: most classes are large lectures and you just take notes (classes rarely follow a textbook, so it is important that your notes are as comprehensive as possible), in most subjects there is no homework (exceptions are e.g. sciences and introductory language courses), and there is only one final exam at the end of the semester (Klausur) and/or one paper (Hausarbeit). (German students often have to take an oral exam too, but I don't think that applies to you.)</p>
<p>Many German universities (in particular the large/old ones), not just LMU, don't have a campus: the buildings are scattered throughout the city, "amenities" like dorms or a health center don't exist and don't expect the dining halls to be anywhere close to the academic buildings...
(Let me correct myself: some universities have a few student-run dorms but they only house a fraction of the actual student body)</p>
<p>If you are interested in why: Many of Germany's universities have not been built as universities but evolved naturally. There might have been a public library and a couple of scholars moved close to the library to pursue their studies. Those scholars attracted a few students each, who grew up to be a larger group of scholars who attracted even more students etc. As the group of students and scholars grew, they had to get more organized and needed space, and as scholars usually don't have too much money they were happy about every building they could get. Convenience was something that was not affordable back then and it is still not today as universities are grossly underfunded.</p>
<p>As I said, I have not visited the universities in Berlin but transportation should not be an issue. If the Freie Uni is outside the city, there are 35,000 other students, most of whom cannot afford to have a car, who need transportation from and into the city on a daily basis.</p>