Ten Tips for Keeping Student Costs Down

There comes a time in just about every student’s life when money becomes a serious issue. Like, where did it go? And so darn quickly? One moment you’re living it up on double vanilla lattés and parties at expensive clubs, the next you’re scrounging for pennies to afford a bowl of stew at the campus food court.

An old German saying goes something like this: “Learning years are not master’s years.” To which all students enrolled at German universities and colleges will agree, especially when looking at their budgets. Nevertheless, some students develop the ways and tastes that come with a high-paying career – way ahead of that high-paying career. This, of course, can only hurt their wallets.

To ease the pain, Young Germany’s financial experts have compiled ten guidelines to help you get the most out of your euros without missing any of the fun. So read on if you are ready to take back financial control:

1. Stay on Campus

Think of your campus as a world of its own. A complete infrastructure that is geared foremost around you, the student. It’s a fact that the German government goes to great lengths to subsidize this quaint little enclave, letting you take advantage of prices that are unmatched (and totally unthinkable) anywhere in the outside world.

Take the food courts, for instance, serving a variety of warm meals up to six times a week. Thanks to funding by German taxpayer euros, you can get a complete three-course meal for as little as two euros. Argue all you want about the quality, but the price is hard to get worked up over. (And hey, there is always a free hot sauce or two to help spruce things up.)

Your campus also offers a wide array of services at unbeatable rates – or even free – including photocopying, printing, and internet access. Remember the golden rule: Before you buy elsewhere, see if you can find it for free on campus.

2. Extra Extra!

For after-hours fun, extracurricular activities are the way to go. Is your fifty-euro per month gym membership weighing down your account? Well, cancel today and join the campus sports program: Pump iron, play ball, learn martial arts or yoga, and even get jiggy on the dance floor for a couple of bucks – at the most.

And don’t forget, once the lights go out in the libraries, the campus is far from ready to sleep. Lectures, film screenings (mostly in their original language) and regular festivities by the many faculties offer ways to cut lose without cutting a hole in your pocket. Forget snazzy clubs; some of the most happening parties take place right here at school. And the promise of loud music, cheap drinks and a chance to meet attractive young students draws in not only members of the academia. “Yes, dear, I’m a student of engineering... mostly fixing cars.”

My First Week at a German University

You’ve suddenly found yourself washed up on the beach of an uncharted land called "German University." You may be disorientated and have a ton of questions, but have no fear, because our partner Young Germany has mapped out an info-packed route to ensure a hassle-free first week.


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Step One: Make Peace with the Bureaucratic Natives

For international students, the first step towards surviving your first week is to register with the German authorities. Survival Tip #1: be prepared. Deutsche Welle on its special website Study in Germany details how to get the red tape, your appointment with the “Einwohnermeldeamt” and “Ausländeramt”, out of the way.