Anouk(26)

After my bachelor's in art history in Leiden I wanted to do a master's, but Dutch tuition fees of €2,300 per year put me off. When I discovered that German universities charge virtually no tuition — only a Semesterbeitrag of €200-€400 — I couldn't believe it. The Universität Leipzig offered an excellent master's in Art History, and the city was known as the "new Berlin" for young creatives.

Admission was surprisingly straightforward. I had to get my Dutch diploma recognized through uni-assist — a central body that evaluates foreign diplomas. That cost €75 and took six weeks. My Leiden bachelor's was fully recognized. Additionally I had to prove German at B2 level through a TestDaF or DSH exam. I had already studied German in secondary school and took an intensive summer course at Goethe-Institut. After three months I passed my TestDaF with a 4 on all sections.

The Anmeldung as a student was simple. At the Bürgeramt in Leipzig I barely had to wait — a world of difference from Berlin. My Steuer-ID came automatically by post. As a student you don't have to pay full Krankenkasse if you're under 30 and enrolled — the Studentische Krankenversicherung costs just €110 per month at AOK, much cheaper than regular insurance.

Leipzig is incredibly affordable. My WG-Zimmer (room in a shared apartment) in Plagwitz costs €320 warm. In Leiden I paid €650 for a comparable room. The whole city feels like a big student festival: Karl-Liebknecht-Straße is full of cafés and bars where a Bier costs €3. The Mensa (university canteen) offers warm meals for €2.50. My total monthly costs are €750 — including rent, food, Semesterbeitrag and going out.

The Semesterticket was an unexpected bonus. Included in the Semesterbeitrag is a transport pass with which I can travel for free throughout Saxony — trains, trams, buses. On weekends I take the S-Bahn to Dresden or the Regionalexpress to the Sächsische Schweiz for hiking. In the Netherlands a comparable transport subscription would cost hundreds of euros per month.

Academically, the German university is different from the Dutch. There is more Selbststudium (self-study) and less supervision. Professors expect you to work independently and come to Sprechstunde (office hours) when you have questions. Exams are often oral — Mündliche Prüfungen — which took some getting used to. But the quality is high, the libraries are excellent, and my fellow students are motivated. After my master's I want to do a PhD — in Germany doctoral students are paid through a Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterstelle, which is not a given in the Netherlands.