'AFTER LEARNING GERMAN, I HAD LOTS OF CALLS FOR INTERVIEWS'

Naveen Eldho Paul writes about his 2 years in Germany as a student the cost, the lonely Christmases, working part-time, difficulty learning German and the opportunities that opened up once he did.

- Naveen Eldho Paul

Where are you from?" This is the most frequent question you encounter in a new country.

Sometimes it comes from a place of curiosity and sometimes from judgement. But regardless of that, a new life in a new country is full of opportunities as well as challenges. Germany is no different.

I hail from Kerala and did my schooling from a government-aided school in Wayanad. After that, I did BSc Geology from Calicut University and MSc in Applied Geology from Dharwad University, Karnataka.

Then, I decided to go for higher studies abroad and after sending out a few applications I got admitted for a master's in ground water management in the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany.

I went to Germany with little knowledge of the German language. Initially, it was really difficult to communicate in restaurants, shops and with hairdressers.

Also, as a student, the cost of living in Germany is many times that in India.

Cost of living

In Germany, there are no tuition fees. But, in a semester, students will have to pay a certain amount for student associations and semester travelling tickets. This varies from university to university.

For instance, cereal prices are four times their cost in India and although poultry is relatively cheap, red meat is really expensive. Coffee and a snack as breakfast at a cafè can cost up to €7 which is approximately Rs. 500.

Although university mess houses provide lunch at subsidised prices, breakfast or dinner is usually not included.

The rent of a small flat can be higher than €600. My monthly expense was around €900 which equals to Rs.

70,000. I had to share the flat with six people and it had two bathrooms.

My yearly expenses came around to €11,000.

Finding accommodation