1. Student life
Canada vs. Germany

2. Outline Choosing a program How to apply? / prerequisites
Where do you stay?
How to get to university? – transportation
Credit system
Homework, exams, grades
Parties
Sports and recreation
Travelling
Working during university

3. Choosing a Program Canada Germany University vs. Technical College
Arts, Science, Engineering
Second entry programs: Medicine, pharmacy, law (all have entry exams) education, business (no entry exam)
Traditional vs. co-op voluntary
University vs. University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule)
No second entry programs
Possibility of doing a „Duales Studium“
Internship sometimes mandatory

4. How to Apply / Prerequisites
Canada
Germany
Apply directly to the university and specify study focus
Admission based on high school marks and sometimes volunteering experience
Admission requirements often between 65% to 80%
Apply to the university, companies or the lottery (ZVS)
Admission based on marks
Sometimes volunteering, work experience, experience abroad and language skills required
Sometimes tests
Admisison requirements vary greatly between programs
Generally have to finish Gymnasium (Abitur or FOS) to study at university

5. Where do you stay? Canada Germany
Student residences ($600 to $700 per month including $2300 for food for 8 months)
Sharing a house ($350 to $700 depending how many people you share with)
Bachelor´s suite ($750 to $1200)
Living with the parents (not very common)
Flat shares (€150 to €500)
Student residences (€200 to €400)
(Single) apartment (350-…€)
Living with the parents
Living with your partner

6. How to get to University - Transportation
Canada
Germany
Car (~50% of students)
Buses
Light Rail Transit (LRT)
Small towns don´t have public transportation
Bike (very common)
Buses
Trams
Trains
Metro (bigger cities)
Car
Mitfahrgelegenheit (according to Lion…)

7. Credit system Canada Germany Usually 3 credits per course
Most degrees are 4 years, 120 credits
Normal school semesters are
fall (Sept. to Dec.) and
winter (Jan. to Apr.)
Summer term (May to Aug).
3 to 10 credits, usually 5 credits per course
Three year bachelor: 180 credits
Three and a half year bachelor: 210 credits
University:
Winter term: Oct. to March
Summer term: Apr. to August
FH:
Winter term: Sept. to Feb.
Summer term: March to July

8. Homework, exams, grades Canada Germany
Strongly depends on the course, everything from weekly assignments to no assignments at all
Usually 1 or 2 midterms and a final worth 30% to 70% of the class mark
Class grades: A, B, C, D, F (+/-)
Grade Point Average (GPA) 0.0 to 4.0
FH: lot of homework, presentations and papers
U: hardly any homework
Just a final exam (50% to 100%)
Written and oral exams
Class grades: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (+/- 0.3)

9. Parties Canada Germany In student residences House parties
Clubs (Country, modern)
Bars (Whyte ave)
Clubs and bars
Student clubs (during the week, especially Wednesday)
„WG“-parties (flat-share parties)
„Vorglühen“ (pre-drinking)
Barbecues, outdoor drinking

10. Sports and Recreation Canada Germany Intramural sports Sports clubs
On the streets
Main sports: Soccer, Ice hockey, lacrosse
University sports
Private clubs and gyms
Main sports: soccer, biking, volleyball, swimming and dancing

11. Travelling Canada Germany Ski trips Caribbean vacations (1 or 2 weeks)
Backpacking Europe
Las Vegas (21st birthday)
City trips (also international, e.g. Prague)
Backpacking
„Alpen und Ostsee“ (alps and baltic sea)
Cheap airlines to different destinations

12. Financial support Canada Germany
Scholarships (several scholarships necessary to be covered)
Parents (loan)
Student grant from the government (with interest rate)
Not very common to study full time and work (science and arts sometimes do)
Many study part time and work part time
Work during the summer term to save money for the year
BAföG (half stipend half loan, no interest rate)
Student jobs (10-20 h/ per week) and summer jobs
Parents
HiWi/ studentische Hilfskraft
Scholarships and foundations (not very common but if you have one you usually receive a lot of money)

13. Thanks for your attention 