AMD 6 - I took an extra day.

For this last AMD I wanted to do a little research about what it would be like to be a college student in Germany, and how college life is different over there.

First, I came upon some information that made me pretty neidisch. In Germany, universities are funded mostly by taxes and by the government, and almost all are free of tuition (Studiengebühren). No tuition to pay! Wunderbar! However, there is one minor tradeoff. Because the education system is designed and managed by the state, the curriculum is pretty much the same through all of Germany and it is very rigidly imposed.

Next, just like was mentioned in the book, most students do not live in dormitories when attending a university. Instead, many will find their own apartments within the city that their university is located. Their living expenses, including food, are their major expense along with books.

And going along with that last point, since universities in Germany typically consist of buildings within the center of a town, and none really have a designated campus area, there is little sense of community within a German university. Students don't live together, their academics take up most of their personal time, and German universities are said to be "all-business". The schools are strictly their to teach students. An American student in Germany won't be able to find yearbooks from the university, ceremonies, or clubs to join, or sports teams made up of students to watch with your friends. Instead, school life and private life are entirely separate. Personally, I can see the practicality of the university providing only what it needs to because it runs off taxes, but I also think that a German student would be so impressed by American college life and, more importantly, how much fun we have at Michigan.

Despite the sense of community through the university, some sources that I found state that German students love to get involved with each other. Kaffee und Kuchen would be a typical gathering for friends or classmates who want to study or spend some time together. Dinner parties are also fairly common, but are typically organized between groups of established friends. From what I have read, meeting new people at a German university may prove to be a challenge, unlike what you would find at an American university, where people are seemingly forced to meet each other and given the chance to join clubs and groups.

One aspect of a German university town that I find intriguing would be the Kneipe where groups of friends can hang out with beer. We have our fair share of pubs on campus, but in most cases underclassmen cannot go in. American universities have house parties, sororities and fraternities, events like our UMix organized by the university, and other ways to have fun when you're not studying. I think the option in Germany to gather in a casual setting to drink would be a great way to spend your time at the university.

So it seems to me that German college life is different from that in America, but the major similarity is that groups of young people who want an education and want a solid foundation for a career will work hard in school, but also find fun things to do within their free time.