Teaching methods

The study conditions at the university and the Fachschule are very different. At a university, you design your own course schedule with the help of the university course manual, which you can get at the beginning of each semester. If you are not used to this independence, it can be a bit hard to manage. In addition, it is not obligatory to attend courses and there are generally no exams in the first level of university. Instead, the semesters are approved by the Scheine (certificates that prove that there has been successful participation in the course). The work load in terms of hours is light, however personal work is important and must be of a good quality.
On the other hand, if you were to attend a Fachhochschulen, the philosophy behind the teaching is different. Teaching is centered on practice, and is more structured and heavier: 38 weeks of courses for one year, with 25 / 30 hours a week. However the study programs are shorter with 6 semesters of courses and 2 semesters of internships within a company.
In Germany, university is a place for sharing ideas and having discussions, it is not uncommon for a student to go up to a teacher simply to ask a question or even to express their ideas. Relations are very friendly between students and teachers.
Due to the flexibility of the univesity system, students generally study for one semester then work for a bit and then study again, etc... This then makes the average age of the students much higher: you could possibly be sitting next to someone who is older than 25.

Information reviewed by the DAAD
(German Academic exchange Service)