They arrived today. Full of eagerness to learn and yet empty of knowledge, waiting to be filled with facts, wisdom and not knowing that universities in Germany are not places where you can get that.

At German universities you are not taught much about your subject. But you learn some things anyway:

1. How can I pass the next exam without learning neither too much nor not enough?

2. Where do I get important information – quickly? (Because at German Universities you are usually left completely alone when it comes to organisational queries, registration for exams, timetable questions etc)

3. How do I organise myself?

Sorry for that pessimistic way of looking at my native countrie’s universities, but that’s the way it is. I think that is kind of okay as long as you don’t have to pay for your education. (no cost = no service). But from next semester onwards they ask for 500€ each semester and it is very likely that conditions will not change very much in favour of  the students. That sucks.
Anyway, today we (the “Fachschaft 7/2″, a student community of students studying to become teachers for vocational education) welcomed (or welcame?) our new students (i.e. those students who have enrolled for any combination of subjects that leads to a degree for teachers in vocational education).   We call them “Erstis” because they are in their first (German : “erstes”) semester. Tomorrow I will show those around who have English as one of their subjects. Fun!

Besides I am still preparing for my intermediate exam in English linguistics which will be on Thursday afternoon. Therefore I haven’t read anything not connected to English linguistics in the last weeks, and therefore, the situation is that the yet unread books pile up in my room.

Usually they do not pile in the middle of the room, you know. I just put them there to enhance the effect of the picture.  As soon as I am done with the exam I will focus on this pile and its reduction … but now off to learning!

Cheerio!