Erasmus Experience in Berlin, Germany by Carolina

Why did you choose to go to Berlin, Germany?

Because Berlin is such a multicultural city and I thought this would be a very enriching experience.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I had a three months Erasmus period. I received around 200€/month.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Berlin?

My Erasmus experience is probably very different from that of the majority of the Erasmus students. I haven't attended classes in an University but I was rather working on a research project. I spent the whole time "cloistered" in a laboratory of the "Frei Universitat Berlin". Therefore, I didn't have much contact with the student's lifestyle in Berlin.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Berlin to other students?

For sure!

What is the food like?

Very multicultural! One can find a wide diversity of restaurants with dishes from various parts of the world!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Berlin?

This was really an issue! As my Erasmus period did not exactly match the starting of the classes at the University, I could not apply for a student residence. Therefore I had to look for an apartment myself. As I didn't have anyone in Berlin, I did most of the search through the internet. I came across various scams where one would have to advance two or three months rental and after digging a little more I would discover that it was a scam. The University didn't assist much in the search for lodgement and it took me almost until the last minute to find a room to rent, that looked safe! I would advise any student going to Berlin to do their search for a room well in advance and to be very careful with the scams in the internet.

How much does it cost to live in Berlin?

The rented room costed around 400€/month. I found the other monthly expenses very similar to those of my country of origin: Portugal.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

No, German is definitely not an easy language! I had a previous online course to learn the basics and there are language courses available in the University. However, what really helped me was that my entire project was done in English!

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Berlin from your city?

I don't know. I travelled by plane, but I didn't check other ways to get there.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Berlin?

Burgermeister, The Bird, go to a turkish restaurant in Wedding!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Bradenburg Gate, Tiergarten, Reichstag, Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Pergamon Museum (and various other museums), Berlin Zoo and so many others...

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Berlin in the future?

Don't leave Berlin without going to Mauerpark! They have a Sunday fair and during the summer months there is an open air Karaoke.

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