Testimonials of Students at KIT

Overseas

What do you like in Karlsruhe? What was your best experience?

I appreciate how much freedom I have to explore my interests in the student organizations and clubs. My most memorable experience was probably the “weekend in the hut” (Hüttenwochende) I spent with the local Engineers without Border chapter. It was crazy to work on engineering plans in a castle older than my country!

Why should other international students complete a study stay at KIT?

The local student organization ESN Karlsruhe, which helps international students to integrate, is well run and encompassing: Events are offered throughout the year to help you experience not only Germany, but also the European community. If you are looking to improve your German and engage with extremely competent engineering professors in a university with a long history of accomplishments, then KIT is the best choice!

Why did you choose KIT as your host university for your semester abroad?

I have chosen KIT because KIT is a prestigious university. Several of my friends have already completed a semester at KIT and exchanged their positive experiences with me. Furthermore, the excellent infrastructure of the KIT, for instance the campus south and the campus north, convinced me to complete an exchange semester at KIT.

What do you like at KIT and what do you like in Karlsruhe? What was your best experience?

I like the excellent interior design of the buildings at KIT. For example, the KIT library is open 24/7 to students. Because of the large number of students on campus, new friendships can be simple made. This enables a kind cultural exchange between students. One of my best memories is the international orientation week at the beginning of the semester.

What do you like at KIT and what do you like in Karlsruhe? What was your best experience?

KIT is home to extensive resources and its faculty and students are of high caliber. I’m being pushed to expand my academic horizons and learn in ways I never did before. Karlsruhe itself offers both character and beauty, as well as a way to enjoy the vibrance of city life without feeling stifled by the hustle and bustle of other cities. Because it’s too hard to choose one “best” experience, I’ll say the people are my favorite part about living here.

Why should other international students complete a study stay at KIT?

In just the past few months, I’ve felt myself grow both as a learner and as a person because of my time here. Furthermore, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology offers numerous opportunities that will further career prospects for years. I have no doubt that international students with a passion for technology will find themselves challenged, stimulated, and strengthened by the experience.

What was the most significant difference to your home university?

Learning is much more independent here. You’re expected to read the material, complete exercises on your own, and take accountability for understanding the content. The downside is that you don’t get evaluated through smaller assignments, which makes knowing your weaknesses more difficult. The upside is that you can work at your own pace and get help if you search for it. And perhaps more importantly, you learn to be more proactive and self-aware.

Why did you choose KIT as your host university for your semester abroad?

I have chosen KIT not only to expand my major’s knowledge at best and to develop my foreign experiences, but also because KIT is one of the best universities for Geosciences in Germany. Karlsruhe is a very warm and beautiful city in the southwest of Germany, near by the famous Black Forest and near by France. Thus, I could follow my interests in nature and outdoor activities. That is why KIT and Karlsruhe are the best choice for me.
 

What do you like at KIT and what do you like in Karlsruhe? What was your best experience?

In Karlsruhe, especially at KIT, dominates a cheerful and pleasant atmosphere. Because of my fellow students as well as my flatmates I enjoy my time here, whereby also lecturers and even strangers always meet one very open and kind. If you like music and art, there are a lot of museums in Karlsruhe (e.g. ZKM- Center for Art and Media) and shows. Besides, you can find a large number of various restaurants with different cuisines (e.g. Asian, Arabic, etc.). I have experienced a lot of “German life-style” here: traditional, modern, cozy and crazy (e.g. “Feuerzangenbowle”, cheese fondue, freshman party). I think that these experiences would be my best and memorable experiences here.

What was the most significant difference to your home university?

The most significant difference is the life in the student dormitories. In China, we live in larger dormitories, but rarely know each other except our own roommates. However, in KIT dormitories it feels like a big family. All students usually spend a lot of time together by cooking, playing and maybe some parties. Hence, you are able to build up or reinforce friendships. I am convinced that the dormitory life must be a precious memory for the graduates.

Why did you choose KIT as your host university for your semester/ year abroad?

KIT was my first option, because KIT is one of the most renowned universities in Germany. The KIT’s excellent infrastructure and quality of teaching, in particular the international recognized state-of-art Mechanical Engineering courses, convinced me to complete my exchange semester here. Furthermore, I have chosen Germany and KIT as my exchange place abroad, because of its well-known technological knowledge and competences, despite various worldwide cooperation of my home university.

What do you like at KIT and what do you like in Karlsruhe? What was your best experience?

The quality of the staff of the university surprised me positively. All the professionals with whom I was in contact were very helpful and efficient. In addition, the lecturers are very well qualified and are always willing to aid you as well as to answer your questions. Besides, I extremely appreciate the significant support and assistance by the International Students Office in all my inquiries. What I like most of Karlsruhe is that it is one of the warmest cities in Germany and has so many international students. My best experience here was on the orientation week, when I was able to know a lot of different people from different countries and had the opportunity to have contact with other cultures.

Why should other international students complete a study stay at KIT?

I strongly recommend international students to study one semester/year abroad at KIT. You will have the opportunity to meet new cultures and people from all over the world. Further, KIT has plenty of experiences with international students. The International Students Office will assist you at best in fields of bureaucracy issues and it is extremely organized to welcome you as new students. For instance there are the Orientation Week to meet further international exchange students in your situation and the Visiting Student Handbook, which gives you a detailed explanation of all the necessary documents and useful information.

Erasmus

Patrick Langeveld from Eindhoven studied for one ERASMUS semester in Karlsruhe (Germany) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In his following report, he tries to answer the question: “Studying in a neighboring country, why should you do that?”

From the moment that I had to decide where I wanted to go for my international semester, I was sure that this should be Germany. The Karlsruhe Institute for Technology is a highly recommended technological institute with a wide range of study fields. Within the department of Industrial Engineering I found some interesting courses that were matching to my “Master Operations Management  and Logistics”. The institute has a large campus and hosts about 25.000 students from all over the world. Eindhoven and Karlsruhe share some major similarities. The city offers a great student life and has a lot of possibilities to come in contact with major German companies.

Karlsruhe is located in the southwest of Germany (Baden-Württemberg), about 500 km of the Netherlands. The city has a well-known beer brewery, castle, zoo and a pretty good nightlife. If you want to go out for dinner, there are enough nice and cheap places with some really good German delicacies. Also cities like Mannheim, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and even Strasbourg in France can be reached easily.

During my stay in Karlsruhe, I planned multiple trips together with a few other international students. I was lucky to have my own car in Germany and one of the trips that we made was a 900 km long road trip to Konstanz, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria. In the area of Karlsruhe you can find a lot of nature as well. The “Black Forest” can be reached within 70 km and also the wine fields  of the famous “Riesling” are nearby.

I decided to find a room in a German student house. The reason for this was, because I wanted to improve my German language and to increase the possibility of making new local friends. As part of my integration into Germany, I visited the famous Oktoberfest. A really cool experience!! I also have been wine-hiking in the forest. Another cultural activity was to visit a few Christmas markets.The Christmas period  is one of the best periods of the year. Every small city in Germany will have a Christmas market, where you can drink glühwein and eat some really good German food. To summarize, Karlsruhe was great and I met a lot of new people and cultures. If you are searching for a city which is not too big and is having good student life, try Karlsruhe!

”I choose the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology because it was highly recommended by some German students doing their exchange at my home university. I had already visited Karlsruhe before and I knew that the size and the location of the city were very good for students and traveling around. For my studies, I took courses mainly from the IMI, KIT‘s institute for information management and engineering, where they focus on topics around virtual engineering and lifecycle engineering. All things considered, I really enjoyed my stay in Karlsruhe and at KIT and would recommend it to anyone looking for exchange studies in Germany.“

“I saw that KIT is one of the best institutes of technology in Germany and that it is also amongst the best in the world.(...) Finally and to sum up, if you are considering the KIT as an option for your Erasmus or your exchange, just choose it. You will get to know people from all over the world and live in a city full of students and possibilities. Choose the KIT and make the most of it. You won't regret it.”