Here I attempt to address the question 'How much German is required?' from a varied perspective of mine. Read http://thelanguedge.com/2017/01/02/b1-or-not-a-b1/ and other articles from The Languedge's blog which offer the valuable insights of many others. It is valid to also say that the contents of these apply more than to just applicants of Hochschule Esslingen.
To know about the admission process at Esslingen, read part 1 of the article from the blog.
Self-interrogation should be step one - always
Firstly, try asking yourself the following questions.
How long do you plan to live in Germany? After graduation, do you intend to work for a German organization? Do you intend to do Internships or apply for jobs here? Do you dislike being a mute participant in conversations/discussions with German speakers? What are your constraints (family, financial, age)? Some of your answers might not be very well formulated. But assuming, things work out. What then? Take a sheet of paper and try drawing a timeline for yourself 5 to 10 years down the line.
This important...
In this article, I make an attempt to compile a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) that I have received from applicants in the past (and are likely to remain frequent in years to come as well).
Part 1 on admission process and part 2 on German language skills can be found in the blog.
Q from applicant : Which course should I choose ? ASM or DDM ?
A: Ask yourself what you want to pursue. ASM is more along the lines of Control Engineering while DDM is extensively on physical structures and materials. Write on a piece of paper your skills, interests, career plan 5-10 years ahead. Read course module information from the University website or get in touch with students to know about what is taught in a subject if needed (It is fine if much of these seem threatening and unfamiliar. That's the reason you are applying. To learn them). Explore and gather as much information yourself before seeking help...
Winter is coming. Oh no, this has nothing to do with the Starks of Winterfell.
It is that time of the year when tens of thousands of students are investing time, effort and money for GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, Language classes, University applications, Courier services and lots more. Or probably they are in the process of planning (thinking) these and wondering if they should invest. Like the year before. And the year before that. And the several years gone by in the past decades.
And among them are a few hundreds who maybe interested in studying at Germany, a subset of which likely has their eyes set on Esslingen. As a former student of the Hochschule Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, I intend to offer a glimpse into what you are getting into. If your aspirations are sincere, you might as well be patient and invest a few minutes here.
For those of who who started reading this without concrete information about the English-taught study programs at Hochschule Esslingen, I recommend doing so before reading on...
German classes in Germany
Shortly after arriving in Esslingen in September 2016, I signed up for a B2 level German class at the Hochschule Esslingen. I had earlier finished my B2.1 level at The Languedge and wanted to further advance my German language skills. The course was arranged by the Hochschule free of charge with a private instructor.
Course fee and structure
Unpaid courses are not common in Germany, since taking up a course outside at a Sprachschule (Language Institute) usually costs 180-220 Euros/course (average) with around 50-60 learning units (All classes in Germany are mentioned as number of Learning Units (UE), each UE being 45 minutes). Few private tutors also offer classes that are charged on an hourly basis.
Another important point to bear in mind is, unlike in India, courses in Germany are not structured as A1, A2, etc. Instead each level is split into 2 courses and this means an A1 level comprises of a course in A1.1 and then an...
From Madras Institute of Technology to University of Applied Sciences Esslingen
“You can never connect the dots looking forwards. You can only connect them looking backwards” were the famous words of Steve Jobs.
My presence at Esslingen, Germany in September 2016 is a surely a series of dots (a collection of steady efforts, hard work and cumulative experiences) tracing back to the days of September of 2009 at Chennai, India.
The Start
It all started with my interest to learn a foreign language in 2009 while still at Madras Institute of Technology, not just for the career opportunities it offered me, but also for the feel good effect and sheer joy of learning a 3rd language. I signed up for the German classes in 2010 and by December of 2011, I was through with my A2 level in German. Though I wanted to go further, my language journey came to a grinding halt owing to a financial crunch. As a university gold medalist, I...
