Secured an admit at a German University? Willing to plan your study ahead? I am here to show you a path which no one told me to plan ahead. These are the things I regret that I didn’t pay attention to, in the start of my master program.
Who is it NOT for?
Before getting to the specifics, I’d like to make it clear — This is not for people who are looking for guidance such as application, accommodation etc. It is certainly not for people who keep nagging about the job prospects after studies or questions involving how much salary you can expect.
Who is it actually for?
Anyone who has secured an admit at the Technical University of Munich, or at any of the German / European Universities. I have mentioned Technical University of Munich (hereby referred to as TUM) only because I study here and I can give better examples. This holds good for other Universities as well.
I am sure you have already looked into the course contents while applying to a particular course and you are clear of what modules to choose in each semester. But, have you thought about other opportunities available at the University? Like Exchange programs? Other courses where you can also earn credits while having fun?
Below are a few options that you can consider beforehand.
Exchange Programs
It is quite common in the European Universities to opt for ERASMUS courses. For example, you can do a semester abroad in UC San Diego while you are enrolled at the TUM. Usually, the application opens one year before your actual start. If you want to go abroad in the third semester, you have to apply in the first semester or sometime even before starting the course. Also be noted about that university’s requirements. For US universities, GRE, GMAT, IELTS/TOEFL and grade more than 3.0/4.0 might be prerequisites. Watch out and keep yourselves notified about the deadlines. You can also apply for universities in Asia and other parts of Europe.
Thesis Abroad
Instead of choosing just a semester abroad, you can also do your final thesis with a different university (of course with the partner universities). You will have two supervisors — one at TUM and another at the partner university. Visit the FAQs pertained to going abroad in your university web page.
Other ways to go Abroad (from TUM)
Apart from TUM Exchange ERASMUS+ Programs that we discussed earlier, the other ways to go abroad are:
- ATHENS Program — “Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Socrates” is an intensive one-week-exchange-sessions offered by Europe’s leading higher education institutions.
- Data & Innovation Program — Next generation innovators
- Internships abroad
- Joint International Programs — HEC Paris, Denmark Technical University, National University of Singapore, etc
UnternehmerTUM
Have an innovative idea? Want to start a company? UnternehmerTUM helps setting up a company right from the beginning. There are at least 100 start-ups and tech projects every year coming from UnterenehmerTUM. They extend their support by providing space, resources, venture capital, networking and a lot more. Click here to know more.
Competitive Courses with Credits
There are courses which teach you something what the theoretical courses don’t. For example, some of the courses offered by TUM School of Management are Design Thinking (10 credits), Think. Make. Start (6 credits), START Munich, Business Plan, M&M Bootcamp, etc. These are just a few. To elaborate why these are worth taking up, let me tell you about Design Thinking. This is an inter-disciplinary course where you get to work with students from SUGAR network (Stanford, St. Gallen, Aalto University or Tokyo Institute of Technology). The applicants are called for the interview and are hand-picked (one or maximum two per department) along with students from SUGAR. This crew will be given a problem set and they will be presenting their final solution in Silicon Valley. How cool is that! For further info, here’s the link.
This is just one example. There are many courses out there, where you can collaborate, have fun, learn, all the while earning credits. All you have to do is, know that such things exist outside the curriculum and be open for challenges.