How is German University Different? - A Comparison to Canadian University

Well peeps, it's been nearly 2 months of studying at a German university and I'm here to tell you the differences I've notice so far.

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Guest Lectures

We would have guest lectures every so often in Canada, but they would only be once in an entire semester or they would happen outside of course times.

In Germany however, almost every class I have this term has scheduled guest lectures. It's not just one too, there seems to be a minimum of 2-3 per semester.

Tapping on Desks

When lectures end in Canada, we pack up our laptops and leave. That's it.

When lectures end in Germany, student tap on the desks/tables with their knuckles as a way to applaud the lecturer, sort of similar to how we used to clap when planes landed. This was less of a surprise to me though, because I studied in the German department back in Canada, so this was a practise we did sometimes.

Slower Pace

The semester in Canada are in tri-mesters, meaning we have a fall, winter and spring term, all that are 4 months long, including the exam season.

In Germany, the semesters are traditional semesters in that there are 2 a year - Feb. to July, and Aug. to Jan.

Because the semesters in Canada are shorter, everything is much faster paced. We typically have 80+ pages to read weekly per class, in class discussions, writing assignments, presentation, and exams all within the span of 4 months. That stays pretty much the same whether your in a lecture or a seminar.

In Germany though, classes start in February and end in May, which means there are 2 months with no classes that are entirely for final exams and essays... 2 WHOLE MONTHS! During the months prior, for some classes you'll have readings to do and for others you won't. Typically, lectures will have some readings you need to do, but not always. I have one lecture right now that I quite literally show up, listen to the lecture, take notes, and leave. That's it. No readings prior, to assignments, just a final written exam some time in June. It's very much like a traditional style lecture.

Other classes, such as seminars, have more to them. In my experiences so far, there's been a few readings prior to class and a few assignments and presentations, so a little closer to the Canadian system, but definitely still a lot slower.

Oftentimes, the pacing, I find, is a lot less stressful than Canada.

Less Assignments

I think these last 2 have been the biggest adjustment for me. I'm so used to the shorter semesters and higher volume of assignments that the slower pace and less assignments have left me a tad bored.

Like I mentioned above, there are assignments we do do here, but oftentimes they are not graded, though still a necessary part to complete. That means, as an example, you still need to read that book and do the presentation on it, but you won't get a grade back and it won't count towards your end of term grade, just the final exam - or in some classes, the final essay - will.

I think, depending on how you look at it, this could be a good thing and not. It's definitely far less stressful to do a presentation when you know your final grade isn't riding on it, but also without that pressure, would the quality of the presentation suffer? I have yet to do a presentation, so I'll let you know once I know.

Also! There's less pressure to participant in in-class discussions or activities here as participation is also not graded, unlike in Canada where it can be 10-30% of your final grade.

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These are just a few differences I've noticed about Germany Uni. If you've studied in Germany, are there any difference you've noticed? Let me know in the comments below!