Pooja pursued her Master's degree in Software System Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. We asked Pooja to share her story of studying abroad with us.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? How old are you? Where do you come from?
I'm Pooja, I'm 24 years old and I'm from India.
What is the name of your university, study programme, which discipline? When did you start studying?
I'm a Master student at RWTH Aachen University. I'm studying Software System Engineering. I joined in October 2015.
What made you choose this programme? How did you decide?
I have studied Information Science during my Bachelor’s, which was pretty much similar to what I'm studying here. Courses offered here are really interesting and it helped me with the clear decision.
Did you find your study programme on Studyportals? If so, how then did Studyportals help you in your decision process?
Yes, just by using the filter, I found this programme so easily. I did not need to search for so long because it shows the various programmes per country, per university etc... depending on what you want.
What were the main challenges you had to face before being accepted to your university?
It's still hard to believe that I got a rejection from this university at first, and after a couple of weeks, I received an admission mail. That was a miracle for me!!
Did you take a language test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) when applying for the programme? If yes, which one did you choose, why and how was your experience with it?
Yes, I had to take one of these exams as it was pre-requisite for admission here. I took IELTS and it was really easy, as we speak English every day in schools and with friends. Though it's not easy to score 100%, one can easily score passing marks. I didn't attend any coaching for this test.
What are three things you like most about the university? Why?
The first best thing is that they make us work really hard with weekly assignments, which helps in understanding the subject. Second good thing is the very friendly classroom and professors. Third good thing is the well-equipped campus.
If you could improve anything about the university, what would it be?
Exams are really difficult, could be a little bit easier.
What are three things you like the most about the city?
I wouldn't be wrong if I say Aachen is one of the beautiful places in Germany. It's the best for students.
City is almost filled with students, seems so lively and always active. People are very friendly and we get to see beautiful places around for free as we have a free semester ticket which is valid throughout the state.
What was the biggest surprise in your study adventure?
Exams of course! My first exam's result was the biggest surprise for me. Exams are really difficult here compared to my home country, or my previous university at least. And assignments are considered really serious.
How would you rate your experience on a scale from zero to ten (0 – It is/was a total disaster, 10 – I have/had the time of my life)? Why?
I would say 8, because after coming here, I kind of realised what life is and what is more important in life. I can say my real life began here and my dreams just got bigger and bigger.
What would be your advice for students from your country that consider studying abroad?
If it's Germany, I would say it's better to come with at least one year of work experience as it will be easy to find internships and student jobs. Just enjoy everything you experience here.
What are your future plans after graduating?
I would love to work here for a few years. I love blogging, so I would prefer to travel to all the countries in Europe and write about their different cultures.
Share your favourite spot, at the university and the city with us!
I love Monschau, it's a small town next to Aachen, it just looks like a fairy tale town and it's lovely. I also like Super C, which is near the main building of the university. For partying and good food, we have Pontstrasse.
Were you inspired by Pooja's story?
