Studying abroad is a dream for many Indian students and my experience till now in Germany has strengthened my belief that if not yet, you should start dreaming and planning for it right away.
The idea of studying abroad had struck me before I joined my undergraduate courses in India. At the time, the biggest hurdle had been lack of information and strong finances. But, over five years of research on the subject while pursuing my undergraduation at an Indian law school, I realised that with the right amount of planning and effort, you can easily fulfil your dream of studying abroad without having o spend a fortune for it. There are several good scholarships to help you on your path.
I was fortunate to receive the “Angela Merkel Scholarship – Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding” awarded by DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service. The scholarship covers your entire expense for study in Germany and includes a Language Course for two months in the country. There are numerous other scholarships from other countries which you can apply for.
My first stop in Germany was the historical city of Cologne where I pursued my German Language Course at the Carl Duisberg Institute. Here, I was fortunate to meet students from across the world coming from varied disciplines. Discussions with them made me realise the true diversity of our cultures and backgrounds. Unlike India, Germany has long weekends for students and I made a number of short trips to explore the cities around Cologne with my friends.
Life in SaarbruckenTwo months passed like a breeze, and I shifted to Saarbrucken which will be my abode for the coming year while I pursue my LLM Course in European and International Law at the “Europa Institut”, University of Saarland.
This was my preferred course owing to the fully flexible credit system which allows one to specialise in two out of five different specialisations including International Trade Law, European Management and International Dispute Resolution, among others. The institution is the second oldest of its kind in all of Europe and boasts of an excellent faculty. The diversity of students can be gauged from the fact that there are students from 42 countries in a batch of 75 students.
The courses in Europa Institut are structured as completely independent modules and students can select subjects of completely different genres. The unique factor here is that you are free to choose as many modules as you like. But a lot of modules would mean less free time, because unlike many other German institutions, classes here are conducted till late at night and also on Saturdays. Every class is a unique experience in terms of the sheer knowledge you gain and the perspectives you get from other students.
The course is also filled with a number of trips to important European cities such as Brussels, Paris, Luxembourg City on invitation by faculty members who also hold important positions in international organisations in those cities. So, you might actually be presenting your master’s seminar by the Eiffel Tower on a spring afternoon in Paris.
For the travel enthusiast in me, Saarbrucken also helps me travel to a number of countries as it is located on the borders of France and Luxembourg.
For students who are ready to take the plunge to study in Europe, there are two things you should do beforehand. Firstly, try to look for accommodation in your destination city well in advance, preferably as soon as you get your admission letter. And secondly, try to join social media groups of Indians in the cities or of your university well in advance, for the members can help you smoothen out a lot of settling in hurdles.
The writer is pursuing LLM in European and International Law at Europa Institut, University of Saarland, Germany. E-mail: ahazarika@live.in
