My Exchange at The University of Freiburg
I’ve studied German since 2014, and I knew that I wanted to study in Germany when I was in year eleven; 360 International offered me the perfect opportunity to achieve this whilst working towards finishing my engineering degree. Whilst backpacking in Australia in late 2022, I settled on Freiburg and did not compromise. Reading the BBC article below was one of the reasons.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200715-freiburg-germanys-futuristic-city-set-in-a-forest
The University of Freiburg guarantees exchange students accommodation. I chose a single apartment in Studentsiedlung Seepark in West Freiburg at a highly reasonable rate of 342 euros per month (roughly 150 NZD per week). It had a bathroom, a small kitchen, a fridge and central heating. I loved having my own space, cooking for myself and inviting people as I pleased. Living near a lake was lovely; it was perfect for running in the evenings and getting fresh air when I needed a break from studying.
I took three overseas courses:
- A master’s course on solar energy
- A bachelor’s course on numerical optimisation
- A bachelor’s course on hydrogeology (the first two taught in English, the last in German)
Solar and hydrogeology had a single two-hour lecture per week, whereas numerical optimisation had a flipped classroom style; lectures were pre-recorded, and in-person sessions were for Q&A and discussing problem sheets. For the first half of my exchange, I travelled a lot and was pretty slack with keeping on top of the material, which meant my last month was stressful.
I participated in many events organised by SWFR (Studierendenwerke Freiburg, the local student association). This included day excursions to Titisee and Kaiserstuhl and a weekend trip to Hamburg. Day trips are good value for money, but weekend trips to other cities can be overpriced, and I recommend organising your own. On these, I met two of my closest friends – Karl from Germany and Victor from Spain.
Freiburg is a beautiful, environmentally progressive city with charming old architecture and youthful energy (one in five residents is a student). It’s connected by a highly efficient public transport network consisting of five tram lines and many bus routes. I swapped my hour-long car/ train/ bike Auckland University commute for a two-minute walk plus a six-minute tram ride. For 96 euros, you can get unlimited public transport within the Freiburg city limits (the semester ticket).
If you are considering an exchange to Freiburg, I strongly recommend proceeding. It has a fabulous cultural scene, affordable music, orchestra and theatre. It’s a strategically positioned base for travelling around Europe, and I recommend that you do so, but remember to prioritise your courses. I travelled to France, England, Greece, Scandinavia, Belgium and the Netherlands and made some great memories, but all of this came at the expense of attention to my studies.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
One of the major draw cards for moving to Freiburg was its commitment to renewable energy, one of my major professional interests. The city is home to Fraunhofer ISE, the largest photovoltaics research institute in Europe and arguably the world. INATECH is a collaboration between Fraunhofer ISE and The University of Freiburg, and offers courses on sustainable systems engineering. I was fortunate to take a master’s course on solar modules, covering the relevant manufacturing, physics economics. The course included a visit to Fraunhofer ISE where we witnessed cutting-edge photovoltaic research.
I also took a bachelor course on numerical optimisation, as an equivalent for ENGSCI 311 (mathematical modelling 3 for engineering). This course was pure mathematics heavy, which provided a steep learning curve. However, my professor (Dr Moritz Diehl) was outstanding and motivated me to keep learning. He is the Director of ZEE (Zentrum Erneuerbare Energie, the Centre for Renewable Energy) and invited me to its flagship conference on the 4th of December. I learned about forms of renewable energy I had never heard of, including kite-based wind power and concentrated PV.
My third course was ‘hydrogeology’, taught in German. I was nervous about taking a course (let alone a highly technical course) in German, but having a solid understanding of the material from past geography and geotechnical engineering courses helped. My greatest academic achievement during the exchange was passing a course in a different language.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
- The Schauinslandbahn cable car. It takes 10 minutes and your elevation increases by about 700 metres. At the top, there’s a short hiking trail to a point where you can see the Swiss Alps. I recommend going twice, each time in a different season, and appreciating the differences in view.
- The Freiburg Christmas market is lovely.
- Stadttheater has frequent shows with fairly cheap student tickets. I saw a drama performance of Hansel & Gretel with a full orchestra. Fun fact: The orchestra director, Andre de Ridder, conducts sometimes for the NZSO.
- In northwest Freiburg, there is a large lake called Fluckigersee. The lake itself and the surrounding area are called Seepark. There’s a viewing tower on the north side of the lake, climb it and watch the sunset.
- Probably the best thing about Freiburg is how international the city is. I met people from all of the countries you would expect, plus Iceland, Tunisia, Ghana, Nepal, Uruguay, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Colombia, Egypt and many more. Make the most of this! On the Friday evening of orientation week, there will be a party, go to this. Karaoke night on Thursdays at Seepark is another good way to meet people.
- The best doner kebab in Freiburg is Green City Doner. It is slightly expensive but worth it. Get the jumbo doner with honey mustard (honig senf) and garlic aioli (knoblauch ol).
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- I strongly recommend obtaining a Deutsche Bahn Bahncard. Plan the travel you want to do in an excel spreadsheet and sum costs without Bahncard, and then with Bahncard 25 or 50. Train travel in Germany is outstanding in terms of value for money (as long as you are willing to put up with some delays). You can travel across the country for about 40 NZD. Within Freiburg, you should get the SemesterTicket (96 euros for unlimited public transport. Total no-brainer).
- Your host university will set up an appointment for you to open an account with a local bank (probably Sparkasse). I chose the non-standard approach to open one with a different bank (Deutsche Bank). This was a bad decision! Make things easy for yourself and just use the bank recommended by the university.
- Reach out to friends and family (even if they are very distant relations) and go to stay with them. I especially recommend spending Christmas with some European family that you have (i.e. you will get a white christmas).
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?
I budgeted around $15,000 and this was enough, but only just. You need to have high quality travel insurance. Do not underestimate the amount you will spend. You want to be able to travel and enjoy yourself. My recommendation is to do a ground-up reasonable budget, then increase this by at least 25%. I increased mine by 50%.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
I had a wonderful tight-knit group of friends, which is not something I have really experienced during my time at UoA – before Freiburg, I had singular friendships and spent time with friends individually. But my group of friends in Freiburg was like my second family. I would have parties at my apartment, no two attendees from the same country – we would discuss politics and joke for hours. I learned that it is totally possible to change and diversify your social circle.
More generally, I learned that when I expose myself to constant stimulation and change of scenery, my physical and mental health improves. In this state, I enjoy socialising more and I improve at it. I recommend knocking on peoples’ doors in your apartment building. This is how I became great friends with my neighbour, Parredah.
I learned that I require more discipline in terms of study – I travelled too much and ended up failing my numerical optimisation exam. Do not do this. It is a total pain. I narrowly avoided needing to extend my degree for a year (I was able to resit the exam). I also learned that I need to get better at returning library books. Germans don’t forget about fines.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
- I spent two weeks in Vietnam on the way to Germany. This was one of the biggest highlights of the whole trip. It’s incredibly cheap (think 10 NZD per night for hostels in Saigon), the people are friendly. I recommend spending time in a country very different from the one where you’re doing your exchange; this creates a contrast and you’ll appreciate it more when you get to your new home.
- Use Deutsche Bahn for travel in and neighbouring Germany, and Flixbus outside of this. In general, use the train and bus as much as you can – but if you fly somewhere, RyanAir is excellent. Just don’t exceed baggage weight limits or you will get fined.
- I don’t need to state the obvious Berlin, Hamburg and Munich (do not miss Oktoberfest) – but some hidden gems of Germany are Rostock/ Warnemunde (go winter swimming with the Seehunde) and the island of Sylt.
Final Comments
- You are likely very nervous about embarking on this trip. But it will most likely be the greatest experience of your life. To that end, I simply say feel everything. Soak in every flavour, sound, sight and opportunity. ‘Engage by only surplus’.
- I found myself thinking and creating more. I encourage you to write about your thoughts and dreams. Also, take lots of photos.
