Erasmus Experience in Jena, Germany by Rebecca

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Why did you choose to go to Jena, Germany?

I wanted to go to somewhere outside of Berlin, but somewhere central where I could access other places and cities from.

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

With the Erasmus grant I got around £3000 (british pounds) total for the year that I was away. Living costs were very cheap in comparison to what I pay in England. I was in a modern student halls/living complex (Karl-Marx-Allee 1, 3, 5) and in 2011 I paid 140 Euros a week for a nice room sharing with 3 other international students, with kitchen, bills and internet included.

Moreover, there was a Netto located practically next door to the building and a very large Kaufland just a few minutes walk away, both of which I found to be very cheap!

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What is the student lifestyle like in Jena?

Jena is a very student orientated city. There are lots of late bars/clubs and student nights for students. There was always something going off but coming from a large english city myself (Nottingham), it wasn't always as busy as I had hoped/am used to.

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

Yes I would recommend both to other students, however I did find that the German students weren't that free in mixing with the international students as much as I'd hoped, (however I have heard form other course friends this was also the case at other German universities! ) If you are looking to improve your language skills I would recommend taking as many classes as you can, in maybe fields other than your normal area to expand your vocabulary and to heighten the chances of meeting more students. Also, trying to get a job could be key in improving your language skills!

I would say If you are from a large city yourself perhaps go to somewhere more lively such as Potsdam, I had course friends there who had an awesome time and met so many like-minded people! Also your transport ticket which is very cheap (usually with your student card) entitles you to all travel in the region... Therefore they had free underground/tram/bus/train travel throughout Berlin and even used to go to Frankfurt-Oder at the weekends to cross the border to Poland!

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What is the food like?

The food was great! Not Just in Jena but throughout Germany! The Germans love eating big hearty meals and lots of meat!

Jena has lots of nice restauraunts and pub-type places which serve good food!

Something to try would be Thüringen Kloße, which are a regional spin on the traditional Kloße (dumplings) and have tiny bits of bread in them. You could also try Thüringen Rostbratwurst.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Jena?

No, it didn't cost me to find my accommodation, I arranged it all through the Studentenwerk Thuringen.

I think I had to apply and state three choices, but I luckily got my first choice.

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

The German Language is a tough one to learn ( for us English folk anyway) and to be honest I did find it hard to have the opportunity to practise and improve my German. First, this is due to the fact that all Germans will just speak English to you if they know you are English, since their level of English is very high ( especially people of the same age group) in comparison to the level of German we have, so its more of a chore for them to listen to you trying to speak German whilst your brain is in overdrive trying to work its way through the crazy German grammar system :P and tend to respond to you in English even though you have spoken German to them.

The best thing to do is just be persistent and keep talking German, even when people are doing this! Besides, tandem partners are great for improving your language skills! Definitely would recommend. Added to this, the university do have language courses, don't be afraid to ask to move to a higher group if they put you in a class where you feel like you did this all years ago and aren't challenged at all.

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

All travel was included on my student card. I think i paid around 150 euros and this allowed me to use the tram, bus and train throughout the region as much as I wanted. However, make sure you do carry your pass around with you or you could result in a nasty 40 euro fine! The Germans are ever so efficient with transport everything runs like clockwork, the times and FINES included!

Moreover, nothing can stop Germany! Not even inches and inches of snow. everything still runs so don't think that even though there's a blizzard outside that the tram wont still be exactly on time and your lecturers won't be sitting expecting you on the dot still! (unheard of in England)

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

There are many late night bars and pubs in Jena, a few I can remember the names of are Havana (it opens until 5-6am and it's a bar that plays a lot of chart/r&b popular music) and Rosenkeller (it has various different nights but mostly was German rock/techno). Besides, there's a street called Wagnergasse with lots of cool bars and pubs down. One pub you can even bring your laundry and have a pint whilst you wait!

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

Again Wagnergasse is a good place for restauraunts, theres a very nice traditional restaurant in the main square, I forget the name but its the old town hall or something I think... this place has lots of regional specials. Also, there's a very nice Gasthaus around the corner from the cinema (I forget the name) but serves very traditional German meals!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There is a lot to see in Erfurt which is very close by. The cathedrals and the Christmas Market are amazing!

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Jena also has a great Christmas market. Every night people meet after work to drink Gluhwein and eat Roasted nuts, crepes, etc. The atmosphere is great!

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