German words. Well. Foto: Olha Kuzmyn
…especially (NOT) in Erlangen.
1. German language
In my country we have one humorous saying: “If it wasn’t for “Der, Die, Das”, we would be Germans”. Of course, it’s just a joke, but each joke has a grain of truth in it. These three little words can turn your life into a nightmare. Moreover, there are 4 cases in German, which means you have to modify these words every time you want to say something. How can you understand a word that begins on the 1st page and ends on almost the last page of the book? Moreover, there are so many prefixes that change the meaning of a single word completely! And how about these frightening videos which compare many words in different languages with German being the worst one? Is it really true?
Of course, not. It’s only a matter of perception and right intonation. If you use a wrong one, even French can sound scary. Speaking of which… have you ever tried to learn French? They don’t pronounce half of a written word! So how are you supposed to understand them?! All I want to say is that each language is difficult and beautiful in its own way. Once you start learning German and speaking it, you will definitely like it. And how can you hate a language that has such a cute song about a little crocodile, Schnappi, that likes to bite and bites everything he sees?
2. German people
German advertisements can be real masterpieces.
Foto: Olha Kuzmyn
There are a lot of stereotypes about Germans, for example: German people are very reserved and unsociable; they have little sense of humor; it’s very difficult to make friends with them and so on. Imagine a typical party at a typical dormitory: some music playing in the background; a lot of beer and cocktails at the bar and not so many people who, nevertheless, gather in small groups of three or four, chatting with one another and paying almost no attention to others. As if they came only to talk with their friends with whom they talk every day anyway. A disaster, right?
But what if we take a closer look? So you may be lucky to come with a friend who will introduce you to this group of people or you would get to know at least one or two of them and the whole situation would be totally different. They would literally knock you down with questions about yourself, being surprisingly patient to your poor German or accent. Then, on every other occasion they would stop on their way somewhere for a small chat, or even invite you to bake home-made cookies together at a shared kitchen in your dormitory. Okay, but what about the sense of humor? Well, it is British people, actually, who are well-known for a strange sense of humor. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at some advertisements that you may see once in a while.
3. German regulations
It’s a real nightmare! If you want to get some certificate paper, you have to fill in a dozen of other papers and prove why you need this particular one. If you even want to simply to move to another city, you have to terminate almost a half of your previous registrations at local authorities (like city hall) and to inform the rest of the authorities. Each establishment (including shops) has its own schedule and working hours, and you should check it in advance (at least all of them have websites!) …cross the street on the green light; during the meal hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand; write with your right hand and scratch your head with your left hand…
Of course, I’m exaggerating (especially in the first sentence) Yes, in Germany you’ll face much bureaucracy, but it will haunt you in almost every European country. Filling in papers is actually not that stressful, as you can always ask anyone for help and usually these papers have to be filled out only once in a while. Moreover, once you gather the necessary documents, your request will be satisfied in full asap. Finally, when you buy a new mobile phone, is it always the best way to figure out how it works simply by pressing all the buttons? I think you will need some sort of manual to get things right as well. So just think of these regulations as a ‘life manual’ to a comfortable life here.
4. German culture
Christmas dreams come true. Foto: Olha Kuzmyn
What do you know about German culture? Beer, beer and even more beer? You can add here also two sausages, a pretzel and another glass of beer. Have you heard about drinking water? Germans can drink tap water, even (sorry for such a detail) poured in a bottle in a toilet! You obviously have also read some Brothers Grimm’s tales. They are terrifying; they cut people’s legs and hands. And how about music? I have tried listening to Rammstein many times and each time couldn’t get further than “Du hast”. It’s too ‘German’ for me. And…
…my reasons are over here. Because only in this country all your dreams about holidays, decorations and sweets come true. Especially in Bavaria one can fully enjoy the long-lasting traditions of Christmas, Karneval, Easter, and what not. Toilet water? I drink it, too, and absolutely safely, because water here is extremely clear. Beer? Have you ever tried this beer? If yes, you will never ask this question again. If no, you should try it and such questions will never enter your head (because it’s really tasty, as well as sausages or pretzels). Literature? Did you know that only thanks to Brothers Grimm we actually have this happy ending in the Red Riding Hood? Our ‘beloved’ Charles Perrault let her die in the wolf’s stomach. And you’ve probably read The Neverending Story and enjoyed the movies… well, again thanks to the German author, Michael Ende. Music? Well, first of all not only Rammstein represents German music. There are such famous bands as Tokio Hotel, Lacrimosa, Oomph!, Klee, Die Prinzen and FAU Academic and Jazz-Pop-Rock choirs)
5. You have to study
At any university, and especially at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg you have to study hard… study a lot… study whole days and nights, 24/7… read dozens of books and write hundreds of pages… using extremely modern libraries that provide you with computers, all the necessary literature, cafeteria and all possible kinds of rooms and furniture to make your studies more pleasant. Along with it you get access to most of the recent researches/ papers/ books, as well as guest lectures and talks with prominent scientists. Moreover, the university is so big (more than 40.000 students) that it had to be divided between two beautiful cities, with almost every building in Erlangen being occupied by the Uni. So moving between faculties requires time and patience (to admire all the cityscapes), though all rooms necessary for a certain degree program are usually situated near one another. You also have to make much effort to handle all the opportunities of spending a semester abroad, taking part in competitions, conducting interesting and important experiments and research. What do you get in return after all these tortures? As expected, not much. Just a grand university balls twice a year, a huge choice of possible activities (like sports, dancing, hiking, travels around the country or abroad), dozens of friends from almost all over the world, support after graduation (both in finding a job and having a nice chat) and what not…
So you should think twice whether this game is worth the candle.
Daria Vorobyeva: „This country has a lot of hidden surprises, which are definitely worth discovering“. Foto: Olha Kuzmyn
P. S. If you don’t trust me, here is what other students think of life in Germany. Daria Vorobyeva, a student from Russia, shares her impressions: “There are many things that amazed me in Germany. The students make their timetables by themselves and can choose an appropriate time for their classes. In this case there is more freedom of choice here than in my home university. The system of notes is different from the Russian one. In Germany: 1 is the best, 5 is the worst mark, in Russia it’s vice versa. You have to deal with a variety of different internet-platforms offered by the university (access to the materials, registration for the courses). Germany is a very multinational country, there are much more bilinguals/ trilinguals here than in Russia. You will hear a lot of foreign languages on the streets or at the university. Of course we shouldn’t forget about the beauty of autumn here (the leaves on the trees do not fall until the middle of November) and town decorations for Christmas start very early. People also care much about their health. There are many vegetarians and almost everyone rides a bicycle. There are even special parking places for dogs called „Hundeparkplatz“. Even though there are strict regulations about ‘not making noise’, the bells of the churches are ringing every 15 minutes during 24 hours. So yes, this country has a lot of hidden surprises, which are definitely worth discovering”.