# I want to move to Germany before the end of the year. Any Advice?



## Shonna2743 (Jun 7, 2016)

Hello Everyone, i am new to this site. I am from New Jersey, us and I want to move to Germany by the winter of this year but it is proving to be more complicated then i originally thought. What first attracted me to Germany was that getting an education there is a lot cheaper then in the states. Also i always wanted to live in europe my whole life, when i found out that you can work in the country with a student visa it was a no brainer for me. However, the whole university application process is proven to be tough. I recently graduated last month from a two year community college with my associates degree, i'm not completely done, i have two more classes that i am finishing this summer and will receive my actual degree in september if i complete the classes. 
Yesterday i was doing an App. for Hamburg University and to my disappointment i saw that mostly all the courses for Bachelor's degree are all taught in German and that in order to get into the uni. i would have to take a German Proficiency test which sucks because i don't speak a lick of German. i assumed that i would do the App for international student and if i got it i would take two semesters of German before i was able to attend classes.if i take the test and then fail then what? Now i'm looking into maybe be an Au-pair which is something i really didn't want to do because of lack of freedom and i've heard horror stories about women getting kicked out with only a few hrs notice. Not sure if i am willing to take that chance. 
Right now there isn't anything that would make me happier than living and being able to work abroad. My previous relationship ended very badly and mostly all i've been doing is crying, I need to start a new life sooner than later. If anyone could give some advice and some pointers that would be great. Thanks.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Not to be blunt, but you shouldn't be overly surprised that universities in Germany teach primarily in German, and that foreign students need a high level of German language proficiency to study there.

There may be a few programs of interest to you taught in English, though admission could be very competitive.

One way to improve your German would be Studienkolleg, which is a one-year university preparatory program for international students. However, the fact that you have an associate's degree may work against you here; Studienkolleg is intended to upgrade a high school diploma to the standard of a German Abitur, and you may be ineligible by virtue of having two years' post-secondary study already. 

Further research required, basically. Most likely this is something you cannot do without first achieving the required standard of German.


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## Shonna2743 (Jun 7, 2016)

Ok. Do you know anything about being an au pair? Maybe I can do thaT while I get better with my German


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Shonna2743 said:


> Ok. Do you know anything about being an au pair? Maybe I can do thaT while I get better with my German


On that subject I know absolutely nothing, I'm afraid.

There's lots of information out there on studying in Germany, it's becoming more popular with Americans for economic reasons, but you do really need a solid grounding in German first (unless you've found a program in English of course). Furthermore, with the arrival of a million migrants last year, resources for teaching beginning German are going to be very stretched.

Another factor to consider is how well a German degree applies to your career plans - the qualifications for certain professions may be different in the US, a foreign school not recognized, and so on. I personally would try to spend some time living in the country, learning the language, and deciding whether you want to spend more time there, rather than committing up front to doing a university degree because it's ostensibly free.


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## Shonna2743 (Jun 7, 2016)

Then maybe being an au pair is a good idea because I'll be hosted by a family and take language courses while I'm there. I'll also have an opportunity explore the country. I really want to move there in the next few months but would need to be hosted by a family because there is no way I could support myself financial while I'm there


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The other little detail about English language programs is that many of them are in private schools, and usually those schools charge serious tuition fees.

Being an au pair is subject to some fairly strict rules in Germany - mostly for the protection of the au pairs involved. You'll do better if you go through an au pair agency, which can help you navigate the law and the rules, and can intervene if you have problems with the family with which you're placed.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Bevdeforges said:


> The other little detail about English language programs is that many of them are in private schools, and usually those schools charge serious tuition fees.


There's are more and more programs being taught in English at public universities, though generally at the masters rather than undergraduate level. I assume this is less for the convenience of Americans than for other Europeans who speak better English than German.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Shonna2743 said:


> Ok. Do you know anything about being an au pair? Maybe I can do thaT while I get better with my German


Go through a recognised Au Pair Agency, they will also help you with your au pair visa and such. Usually, western, English-speaking au pairs are very sought-after and affluent families in the big German cities should be fighting over you.

Regarding studying in Germany, as German state universities are mostly tax funded, there are only 5% of all places reserved for non-EEA students (unless you go private and pay horrendous tuition fees).

Courses can be found here:

https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/studiengang/en/

You can also search by language of instruction.


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## *Sunshine* (Mar 13, 2016)

Shonna2743 said:


> What first attracted me to Germany was that getting an education there is a lot cheaper then in the states. Also i always wanted to live in europe my whole life, when i found out that you can work in the country with a student visa it was a no brainer for me. However, the whole university application process is proven to be tough. I recently graduated last month from a two year community college with my associates degree


First of all, you won't be able to earn enough to cover all your expenses. You'll need to have either savings or other sources of funding. Job opportunities for students also vary by region.

More importantly, an AA is not necessarily sufficient for admission to a German university; it'll depend on whether you've taken the necessary courses in high school AND college. You can find the requirements under USA-BV09 on the anabin website.


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