Erasmus Experience in Tubingen, Germany by Ioanna

Why did you choose to go to Tubingen, Germany?

Great academic opportunities.

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

3-4 years.

What is the student lifestyle like in Tubingen?

It is a University city. It is great for studying and meeting other students. It is very international. You can speak English almost everywhere and you also get a lot of chances to learn German. However, it is a bit quiet.

Source

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

Yes.

What is the food like?

You can find a lot of great things and going to the supermarket is really cheap, here. However it is a bad idea to eat at the Mensa or any type of Catering, it is very expensive and really bad. Yes you need to cook!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Tubingen?

Yes, both time and money. It is really hard to find a place to live in Tubingen, because there are too many students and not enough apartments. You must think ahead and look for a place really early. The accommodation is really expensive too, but it is easy to find a roommate. Yes, don't expect to live alone, it is a really bad idea.

How much does it cost to live in Tubingen?

If you cook the food is really cheap. The housing is really expensive though and the transportation is rather good if you get registered as a student. I would say that you can service with 600-700E per month, but you will have to find a shared apartment!

Source

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

There are a lot of courses and they are cheap. If you want to learn you can do that. I wouldn't say that German is an easy language, but I've seen people learning it really fast.

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

My city is in an other country, so I would say by plane. Stuttgart's Airport is really big and it is only an hours away, so it can connect you fast with a lot of big cities all around the world. The tickets are of course a bit expensive, but you can save a lot if you book early.

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

Leave the town...

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

"Trabe", "Irish pub" and many others, the food is great! Be careful of the prices though.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are a lot of festivals all around the year, like the Chocolate Festival or the Christmas Market. There is also a castle and some Museum. It is great to visit Stuttgart also, which is really close and there you can find a great Zoo and the Mercedes and the Ferrari museums. You have to see them!

Source

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

Find a place to live fast, don't go to an office for that because they ask for a lot of money and they do nothing for you. Stay away from "provisions". Some times they will ask 2-3 rents just for the office that rents the apartment, and 2 more for insurance. Don't pay that money, at list not the provision, because you will never get this money back! Just keep looking, or rent a room from a student that leaves for a few months and keep trying! See the apartment before! Some apartments are really bad. Don't send money to anyone. A lot of people usually from England take advantage of the situation here and lie about apartments that do not exist, asking for money. Find a roommate! You must, life will be much easier for you! Learn how to manage the garbage, it is really complicated here! Downloading is forbidden! They will find you and you will pay a huge fee! They always do!

Good luck!