Looking for contacts in the education sector

@Gift Omoruyi

Hi there 😊

Welcome!

You might want to share a bit more about what you’re looking for specifically (teaching, administration, studies, networking events, etc.), so people can guide you better.

Hope you find some great connections here!

Bhavna

I am teaching at university as a hobby, and in Stuttgart, not Hamburg.

if that is of interest, please tell me what in specific you want to know..

@Bhavna

Hi Bhavna, thanks for the welcome!

I’m not in Hamburg yet but I’ll be moving there soon. I’m looking to connect with students and people working in education/admin to get a better sense of how things work there.

I’m still deciding between Business Administration and Economics, so any advice on programs, studying, and student life in Hamburg would be really helpful.

If you know of individuals, organizations, or programs that support international students with sponsorship/sponsorship documentation, I’d really appreciate any advice or contacts. Also open to tips on accommodation, networking events, and getting settled in Hamburg.

Happy to chat here and meet up once I arrive

Thanks so much for any help!

@beppi

Thank you for the reply Beppi.

Specifically, I’d appreciate advice or contacts around sponsorship documentation – what’s accepted, who provides it, and how the process works. Also open to tips on accommodation, networking events, and getting settled in Germany.

I am so curious, is it common for students to arrange private homestays where you live independently with a host family, with flexible exit terms? Just trying to understand what’s typical and allowed.

So you want to study in Germany?

You probablöy already know that, in order to get the student visa, you need to have a certain amount (around 12000€/year of studies) in a blocked amount that is meant to cover your basic (in fact, very basic!) living expenses. (Hint: It is not possible to work and earn your living expenses while studying here.)

You also need German skills at B2 or C1 level (depending on the course) to be admitted at university. How good is your German now? (Hint: There are some courses taught in English, but mostly at the Master level and incurring university fees. But you will still need German in daily life.)

And as for sponsorship: There is basically no chance for that in the first two years of studying - and after that only if you belong to the top few percent of your course. To know more about available scholarships, go to https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipen … datenbank/

Private homestays are possible if you have close family members or very good friends in the city where you want to study. If you don't have any, your best options are student hostels at 300 - 600€/month (ask the school's administration for how to apply for a place - they are sought after and waiting lists are often long), rooms in shared flats (called Wohngemeinschaft or "WG" in German) costing around 600 - 700 €/month, or a 1-room flat costing more than that. For anything other than student hostels, it is not possible to start your search before you arrive - so book temporary accommodation for the first weeks or months of your stay (hotel, hostel or serviced apartment) and intensively look for available places in classified ads once you are here. Be prepared for a long and frustrating search (or a much higher price), as there is a shortage of affordable housing options!

@beppi

I thought students were permitted to work up to 20 hours a week? That is effectively just to earn some pocket money.

@SimCityAT Yes, a limited number of hours is allowed. But some of that will be taken by (compulsory, and badly or not at all paid) internships - and the rest ist just enough to earn some additional pocket money, not the full living expenses. That's precisely why a blocked account with around 1000€ per month of studies is needed: To prevent the students from falling into poverty or earning their living expenses with illegal work.

I can confirm that non-EU students are allowed to work part-time. The often repeated 20-hours a week is not how the law is written (much more complex!) but is a very approximate rule of thumb. But the only jobs a student is likely to get are things like working in food service, cleaning and other low paying ones. And as Beppi menioned, one still has to deposit the needed amount in a blocked account.

If one manages to work then they can be better off financially but the government doesn't let a foreign student just assume any income and thus reduce the amount deposited - and then potentially be not able to pay their bills when they don't find a job or lose one they had lined up. Beppi gave the link to the DAAD site, they are the most reliable source for infomation about studying in Germany and also provide some scholarships. Otherwise, any expectation of "sponsorship" is wishful thinking, not how things work.

Thre seems to be a misconception on social media that all education is free for everyone in Germany. This leads to a lot of wishful thinking. Non-EU students have much more limitations. One example is amount of work allowed. Another is expecting tuition-free programs. Yes most bachelors at public universities (never at private ones) are tuition-free except in Baden-Württemberg where one pays 1500 euros/semester tuition. But as mentioned, they are taught on a high C1 or at least B2 level of German. Masters are mostly offered in English BUT for non-EU students are rarely tuition-free. Many cost 8000+ euros/semster tuition. And yes, that is at public universities! There is a limit to what Germany can give awy for free to foreigners.

I could add more details about the subject but it has already been comprehensively covered multiple times on this site.

@TominStuttgart

As I said, just for pocket money. By means to live on.