Moving to Germany : My experience

First of all, I’d like to say that I moved to Germany from Canada in 2020, which means I’ve never seen how Germany was before the Covid pandemic. My experiences and my opinions may differ from what you have seen, heard, or read elsewhere.

As stated above, I arrived in Germany in 2020, because I wanted to study there. I was convinced by my German partner, who sold me on the idea of moving back to her home country the same way Jordan Belfort would sell a pen. I had a very stereotypical view of the German people, to me their language was a constant verbal aggression (karma took care of me by having me learn how to speak it).

Obviously, all my stereotypical views were disproven in a matter of days, and I got to know the German people a bit, and what I’ve learned is, they are very nice, courteous people who often offer help when you need it. They’re really a no nonsense, no drama type of people, and while this may sound boring, it is very refreshing. There are bad eggs, obviously, but the Corona situation has probably helped me avoid a lot of them, and for that I am thankful.

The best thing about Germany, is how cheap it is to live there, especially in a small town like we live in. With 1000€ per month, me and my partner have enough to pay the entirety of our expenses, which include internet, rent for a 2 bedroom apartment, mobile plans, electricity, heat, water, and food. Not to mention that the products sold in supermarkets, even the cheap options, are always at least decent quality.

Even when not living in a big city and with limited German skills, I was able to get what’s called a “Duales Studium” (Dual Study) contract. This consists of doing part-time university and part-time work, which isn’t as bad as it sounds since work and studies are separated in alternating 2 to 3 months periods, and you never have to manage the two at once. You even get a small salary for your troubles, which helps me pay for my monthly expenses.

Even though I find the language to this day still difficult to understand and speak (I obtained my C1 level certificate last month), my integration has been pretty smooth and I am very happy about my move to Germany. I think that due to the language and a lot of stereotypes (Some of them I also believed), Germany is not considered enough as a good place to start a new life or to stay long-term. I do think though, that if you really give this country a chance, you won’t find a lot of alternatives that will offer you a better life, or a better education. Thank you for reading.