Erasmus Experience in Bremen, Germany by Michal

Why did you choose to go to Bremen, Germany?

Well, I come from a post comunist country and I hadn't many options in the former West Germany. I could chose Bremen or Hannover and I knew Werder Bremen - football club - so I think it was the main reason.

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

I was getting 400 euros per month - it was ok to survive but not to traveling, partying, etc. But I managed to get a part time job twice a week in an Italian restaurant for 7 euros per hour.

What is the student lifestyle like in Bremen?

In Bremen there are 3 or 4 big colleges- the biggest ones are Uni Bremen and the Hochschule. There are thousands of international students, it is impossible to get to know them all. Public transport is pritty shitty - in week days bus and trams stop running around 11 pm and the next bus or tram is around 5 or 6 am.

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

The University of Bremen is one of the easiest in the whole Germany. I have friends who have studied in Berlin in Humbold and Free uni and they were much harder. In Bremen Uni you don't have to do much, but of course you should at least express good intentions.

What is the food like?

Like in all Germany; a lot of restaurants, bars and the food in the supermarkets are cheap.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Bremen?

Yes, it costed me a lot of stress, not money. Uni Bremen has a dorm just opposite to the campus, but don't sleep there, it is far away from the city center and it is hard to get out after 11pm (because of the public transport). Furthermore, it is super expensive: more than 300 euros monthly - for this price you can have a great room downtown. Uni Bremen provides accommodation service for students, it's for free, but locations are bad outside of the city.

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How much does it cost to live in Bremen?

A room with all fees should cost around 250-300 euros per month in a shared flat. There is great website called "WG-Gesucht" where you can find a room. It is also in English.

Food is cheap, parties are usually free, entrance if paid not more than 10 euros, alcohol (especially beer) is very cheap - it is due to the very low tax. The cheapest beer can cost 20 cents for half a liter.

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

At the beginning there is a free intensive language course provided by the university. Basically if you speak English you won't have many problems; English and German come from the same language group, and almost everyone, even older people know basics of english.

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

The cheapest is paid hitchhiking (autstop). It's a very popular way to travel in Germany.

If you go to this website: BlaBlaCar (it's available in plenty other languages), you can arrange a trip with a person who will travel by car the same path as you. You pay much less for that than in other ways of transport, you can read about it in internet.

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

There are 3 places which you will get to know very fast: Lila Eule - a cool music club - is small but still cool especially on Thursday, Magazin Keller - a place where usually the erasmus organization organizes parties, and a one euro bar close to the main train station; they sell only alcohol and anything you buy will cost one euro.

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

There are plenty of them. I can recommend eating in the Mensa of the university - lunchroom, food quality is good, a huge variety of food and prices are ok.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Bremen

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

Go to Bremerhaven and visit the obligatory Deutsche Auswanderer-Datenbank and the Klimahaus - they are cool interactive places.