My Exchange at The University of Heidelberg
As a conjoint student who had learnt German, an exchange to Germany was always on my mind. Although the pandemic changed plans, I had the chance to experience Heidelberg University in my final semester. Now, I’m more convinced than ever that a second exchange would have been a fantastic choice.
Arriving in Heidelberg, the cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and the presence of Heidelberg Castle were simply breathtaking. My accommodation in the heart of the Altstadt, a street away from the Neckar River, felt like a dream.
Whilst the location of my accommodation made me think that I could sleep in till 8:55 for my 9 am classes, I quickly realized it was close to only some university buildings. Like the University of Auckland, Heidelberg University’s buildings are spread throughout the city. Most of my classes were a bit outside the city center, but with Heidelberg being small, the farthest class was only a 20-minute bus ride away.
Heidelberg University, being the oldest in Germany, had systems that were also old. There were no lecture recordings, or even course enrollments (this varied by department). In the Economics department, we only enrolled for the final exam. There was no central university system like the UoA SSO for academic records – there were like 5 different systems. That has been a recurring theme in Germany. There’s never a centralized system, with tons of bureaucracy for everything. But thankfully the university was aware of this and always guided us through the maze of paperwork needed.
In terms of cost of living, the rent of the student accommodation was much cheaper than anything we’d pay in the Auckland CBD. It cost me only 260 euros a month to live in the Altstadt! Groceries (when bought at the right supermarket) can be much cheaper than our duopoly laden land, and I’d usually pay about $7 for a beer at the pub(s) – somewhat cheaper than Auckland. What was more expensive was eating out, with prices often being the same as Auckland, but in euros.
The sense of community among exchange students in Heidelberg was reassuring. There were many students from across the world doing their ‘Erasmus Semester’ in Heidelberg.
Beyond studies, exploring other German cities was easy with Flixbus and the Deutschland Ticket. At the time of writing, I’ve been to Hannover, Berlin, Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart, Freiburg, Konstanz, Munich, Ulm, Mannheim, and Basel. With a month to go before I head back home, let’s see where I end up…
My time in Heidelberg was exceptional. From making friends across Europe to improving my German, it was a blast concluding my university journey there!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Two of the things that stood out to me were:
– The flexibility of picking courses: Unlike the University of Auckland, you could realistically pick up a course anytime in the Semester and then sit the exam in the end (unless there were capacity or attendance constraints). It was very easy for an individual to decide how much load to take on.
– The old school way of doing things: One of the remnants of the old way of doing things is that there was no centralised system of grades or courses. In order to obtain a transcript, I had to ask each of my professors to generate a certficate for the exchange co-ordinator and then the exchange co-ordinator made a transcript. But this lack of structure also meant that for some courses we didn’t know exactly what was going on and when/what would exactly be covered.
Otherwise the teaching experience was fairly similar to what I have had at the University of Auckland.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
If you are coming to Heidelberg in the Winter Semester, these are a few celebrations to look out for:
– Heidelberger Herbst
– Canstatter Wasen, Stuttgart (Oktoberfest but closer)
– Fireworks from the Castle and the Alte Brücke
– Christmas Markets
– Faschingsfest (Karneval, but one night in Heidelberg)
– A few days of Snow.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
1. Don’t be afraid to make friends and talk to Germans. The fact that you come all the way from New Zealand is always enough to get their interest. Even if your German is still in the works, people are usually just astounded to know that people learn German in New Zealand.
2. Learn a bit of German if you haven’t already. Take up the intense language course if it’s on offer. This applies especially if you’re going to a smaller city, it will be much easier to navigate daily life. You will quickly realise the average level of English is much lower than you may have expected.
3. Always start anew. There will be things that go wrong in your Semester – whether that be personal things, differences between expectations, or just negative interactions. Make sure to try and make the most of being at your host university and not let some acute things drag you down. Feel free to use all the support available when necessary, they are there to be used!
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
The university fact sheet suggested about 860 euro a month, and I had budgeted 1000 per month. However, I ended up spending roughly 1500 euro a month. This was because the kitchen in my accommodation was smaller than expected, and I ate out a lot more. Additionally, every month included a trip out of station, which added to the expenses. Regardless, I would still say that 1000 euros/month is on the lower end of budgets, with a fairly conservative spending habit and would recommend budgeting about 1200 a month.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
The world is always bigger than you think. With all the excess information available at our fingertips (and maybe also because of living in New Zealand), we are prone to misjudge just how much diversity of thought and experience exists out there in the world. Meeting countless new people and hearing their stories has really helped me practice questioning myself and anticipating more uncertainty in all situations. I am grateful to have had this wonderful opportunity.