After completing class XII in science at Stanes Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore, I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree abroad.
I opted for a B.E. Mechanical Indo-German course at PSG Institute of Advanced Studies (PSGIAS). In this course, students study three years of mechanical engineering at PSGIAS and the final year in a German college where lectures and exams are conducted in German.
Students are required to pass a German language exam called TestDaf with a score of 16 out of 20 points. Although most of us have successfully passed the engineering subjects within six semesters in India according to the schedule, we spent six more months in Germany studying the language and passing TestDaf.
As an engineering student, I see a lot of business opportunities which are limited to only those who have mastered German. Thus, it is necessary to have a reasonably good grasp of the language. Being able to speak English is a plus point. There is a huge demand in the German job market for people who can speak German as well as technical English. In India, as we usually learn all the technical subjects in English, we have an upper hand.
Now, I’m studying at Westfälische Fachhochschule in a city called Gelsenkirchen. The main advantage of Fachhochschule over other universities is that the students learn the subjects in a more practical way. I study four subjects out of which one is a project work where my team and I have to design a robot which should be preprogrammed to do specific operations. Although it was a challenge to our creativity, the design which we came up with was astonishing.
Life in Germany is easy and secure. The crime rate is low compared to most other European countries. The Germans are helpful if you are new to the place and require assistance. Most people I’ve met so far are interested in experiencing foreign cultures. So, we would often have conversations about the lifestyle in India, which they would love to hear about.
Most colleges in my region (NRW) issue semester tickets which are affordable and with which one can use the public transport throughout the state, for free. So, commuting is hassle-free.
For the next semester, I have to do internship and thesis after which I will be graduating with a German bachelor’s degree.
The writer is in his final semester at Westfälische Fachhochschule, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
