Munich: a nerd's overview.

Why did you choose to go to Munich, Germany?

I wanted to improve my german, and TUM is one of the most prestigious universities in germany.

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

The scholarship lasted 8 months with 275€ per month... a small help for living costs.

What is the student lifestyle like in Munich?

Seemed quite busy, however I noticed international students and german dont often mix. Still, easy to have fun and meet people. Important: access to the whole transport network is highly recomended, I lived nearby the university and went everyday by bike, so I skipped the expensive monthly card, only to find myself looking at my wallet whenever I wanted to go out.

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

The city is great albeit a bit expensive, the university is also fantastic, with some very good lecturers, however students coming from spain under the new bolonia regulations will find their schedule is a mess and will have no summer vacations, In informatics it was hard to find compatibility among study programs, thank goodness classes from the master degrees where open to selection.

What is the food like?

Very nice, and not that expensive in the city. And the mensa (student's cafeteria on every university in munich) is a fine place to regularly eat, cheap and with some variety...

How did you find your accommodation?

I tried public student residences: impossible. Some private ones were very interesting (260€/month), but I used online sites to find my current residence, a shared flat with another german student, very nice though expensive (430€/month, fees included)... mainly because it is quite a large flat for only 2 persons.

What are the accommodation prices like? What are prices like for other things in general?

rooms in residences ranged from 180€ cheapest (impossible to get) to 260€. rooms in shared appartments (very common) ranged from 300€ to 500€, and nuipersonal studios would come from 500€ or 600€ the cheapest... not an option. For a spaniard, public transport is way too expensive, though it offers some nice options for regular use. Food and shopping seemed pretty standart... I'd even say restaurants had better quality/price ratio than in spain.

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

language courses are always avaible, however german is not an easy lenguage in my modest opinion, at least compared to english or french which I speak fluently. But for anyone with the will, you can learn enough to go by.

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

From madrid? plane...

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

There is a lot of nigthlife in munich, so you have quite a choice... and there are regular parties for students or international parties... however discos are not my cup of tea, so I won't recommend what I don't know about.

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

Most bearhalls offer traditional bavarian food at a good price, so no worries around that... for more exotic food, there some very nice japanese restaurants, in particualr I'd recommend sushi-sano for the best quality-price ratio ever, nad as an Indian Moti Majal is also very nice, with delicious dishes and indian rice at will. It is harder to find a good burger, but no complains on eating outside.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Munich is a beautifull city for turism, the city center itsel is amasing, full of history (take one of the guided tours for tips. well worth it, and u tip what you consider apropriate) there are 2 museums I'd recommend: the deutches museum (evrything and anything about technology, though most in german. With someone who knows about the stuff you are seeing it is even better. impressive... a whole day is too little to see it all) and the pinakotheke, very nice art collections. the concentration camp in dachau is also worth the visit, and of course, the alps are not that far away, A few excursions into the mountains are highly recomended, at least to see the castles in Schwangau (Neu Schwanstein is beutifully set in the mountains next to an impressive gorge), but there are a lot of places to do some of the best trekking I have enjoyed at only a few hours time from munich by train, and if you go with four more friends, the whole trip only costs 6€ per head thanks to the partner's cards (from 2 to 5 people for the same price)

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

To try and enjoy as much as they can what is offered, students have lots of opportunities in munich for all tastes, though sometimes they are not that easy to find... xD good luck and great fun!