Erasmus Experience in Braunschweig, Germany by Carine

Why did you choose to go to Braunschweig, Germany?

I wanted to go in a country where I could speak German and Braunschweig was the only city where I could go with the agreement of my home university.

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

My scholarship was given for all year. In whole, I received almost 2000 euros.

What is the student lifestyle like in Braunschweig?

Not a lot of classes, long "holidays" for preparation of exams, going out three times a week.

In classes: really relaxed, you can go out of the class whenever you want.

The building of the university is a really classy and nice one; I felt like in the movies :)

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

The city is small but it's an advantage : you can meet the people really easily and each time you go out you meet them by surprise. You can also travel from a part of the city to another one by bike, really convenient and you aren't dependent on the transportations.

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It's a really cute city, the landscapes are beautiful, the architecture too. There are many possible activities : there is a lake (like a beach in summer), huge parks, different clubs, you can go on a boat around braunschweig on the river, and many different places (like bars, restaurant.... ) very interesting.

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What is the food like?

The food is not the best thing : currywurst is the unavoidable "speciality", and the mensa (student university restaurant) only have common german food, which I would say is a mix of "normal food" + marmelade or strange dressing.

Otherwise, there are many different restaurants from other countries or supermarket where you can find stuff that you can cook by yourselves.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Braunschweig?

Finding my accomodation in Braunschweig was really easy : when i registered to the university (5 months before), they sent me a form to fill in, so i could choose the best room. And they answered a few weeks later to confirm. It was in a dorm, where a lot of international students were living as well.

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How much does it cost to live in Braunschweig?

Around 300 euros for the accomodation + 200 or even 300 euros for food, activities, going out, travelling... (I want to add that I went out A LOT and I was there to enjoy as much as I could... so spending that much money was really worth it! ). By the way, we had a "semester ticket" : means that we could travel for free in all the Niedersachsen region.

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

I already learned german for 10 years before arriving in Braunschweig, but I find it hard to understand from the native german people. Otherwise, I could speak more fluently.

There are a lot and langages course in the university, not only german, a lot of choices.

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

From my city, the train was the most economical way to come to Braunschweig. And with the special Deutsche Bahn Card there are some discount on every trip if you book it in advance.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Braunschweig?

On a night out in Braunschweig, I would recommend Fieber (! ), DAX for the music, Pupasch for the music at the beginning of the evening only (after that, typical german bayern music for those who like; ) ) and for the ambiance. And in Pupasch, Fieber and DAX, there are pole tables, where you can dance so much better than on the floor when it's the crowded beginning of the evening.

And before going there, go to Sausalitos to drink a cocktail or Wild Geese in winter, to sing Irish traditional songs!

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There is a piece of the Berliner Mauer in front of the Rathaus and several museums that I didn't visit.

You can also go to the top of Schloss for 2 euros and see all the city and the statue of horses which is on the roof.

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This house, "Rizzy house" if I remember well, is next to Schloss (the center of Braunscweig).

Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Braunschweig?

Enjoy it! :) Never say no to any occasions of all kind of activities, meet as many people as you can, stop speaking your own language for a while and accept every challenging situation!

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