I need any suggestions about attending a university in berlin or hamburg (Germany)?

Question

Negatives and Positives on each location

The best for the nightlife and just a fun time

Im planning on studying abroad from the United States

Answer 1

Well that is hard to tell you which city is better that is a personal choice of what you like.

I can tell you that Hamburg has a Port and is busy and has many great historical waterways and Worf's. Also some great Zoo's.

Berlin does not have the water that Hamburg has but it is also a great diverse city of many different things to do and see. Both cities would give you a good time i think the night life would probably be far more liberal and fun in Berlin but I can not verify that one.

What to know: Have your Passport and an International drivers license if you plan to Drive, copy each of them and store them someplace safe so if you have to contact the embassy to replace them you can with more ease or get pulled over you will have the proper ID.

LEARN to speak German as well as you possibly can and use it as often as you can, they will really appreciate it. Watch and see how others do things and than you can adapt and blend in.

One thing is eating, most can always tell an American by the way we eat. They do not switch knives and forks in their hands and place them back on the table and have much more proper etiquette while dining OUT than we do here less its a five star place!!

so to blend in keep your knife in one hand, fork int he other and only put one down to grab your drink. They Eastern side tend to eat first then talk where westerners tent to be more like us and talk as they eat, so that will depend on where you go.

Its 16 to get into night clubs up to midnight then 18+ after that until closing like 4-5 am! I love their clubs!

if you are a university student you can get a discount on some  places if you show your ID they will give you a discount price, this also goes for other things too like bus and train passes!

Get a bus pass save you money over tickets which can be confusing at first. A pass will save you any trouble from the bus attendants that sometimes come and check tickets.

DON"T get publicly drunk and waisted or you will end up in Jail! Not pleasant I am told but they treat you well still.

Other small things are emission laws, you can not allow your car to warm up outside running waiting for it to warm up before you get into it, you have to either plug it in to keep it warm or just go and wait for it to warm up, it can not be un attended and running int he winter due to emission laws.

you can drink at 16 but 21 in the USA but have to be 18 to have a Drivers license there and are on probation for two years after where in the USA you get your permit at 15-16 depending the state and your license at 18.

You will find more Doener Kebab and bratwurst stands and near the markets live music versus McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's and all the other fast food places. They have some, but not like we do, they have more of the other two!! Try them they are great food!!

Now when you go to a public spa or pool beware as an AMERICAN, they are often co ed with shared locker rooms and you can have co ed saunas too. SO GET A HOLD OF YOURSELVES and DO NOT STARE and be rude. It is normal to them we are raised much more modest and prudish they most of them.

Learn what the different signs mean and of course when you go to school you will probably share a flat (apartment) with others I guess, for few have on house campuses like we do. the houses are really cool but different than the average American one from the toilette to how the place is heated and the size of rooms and doors.

So there are several things for you to dwell on. feel free to email me if you have any other questions. I have been going there every year since 1990.

have fun!! viel spass!

Answer 2

I lived and worked in Berlin for seven years, and I can only recommend that city. Cost of living is quite low, public transport is excellent, and both of their universities, the FU ("free university", "Freie Universität") and the Humboldt are renowned worldwide. I studied at an FH (Fachhochschule) in Berlin, but knew students from both universities. If I had the choice, I'd go the FU. They have a job office there at the university where you can get registered and earn some extra money; they'll only charge you some 3% of your nominal wage once you get a job through them, and tips are free.

As a student, you can apply for a room in one of the students' living quarters ("Studentenwohnheim"). They're all single rooms, no dorms. But waiting lists can be long, except for the one that is located in the "Allee der Kosmonauten" ("cosmonauts' alley") in the Marzahn district of former East Berlin, which is way out in the sticks, with no nightlife at all. I'd rather recommend you look for a privately rented flat in one of the cheaper districts in center town, like in Kreuzberg (also known as "little Istanbul" because of the largely Turkish population there), Friedrichshain or Wedding. Be careful about Neukölln; it's known for its high crime rate, and it's a large district, with outskirts at places where no bus or U-Bahn (subway) goes at night. Before renting a flat, always check out the location on a map; Google Maps can show you Berlin in detail.

Here's something you also might find helpful:

http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/Common/Do...

(pdf format). That's a map of Berlin's subway. When you're looking for a flat in Berlin and go through the ads, you'll notice that some people will write something like "Nähe U9", that means, near a station of subway (U-Bahn) number nine. It's good to have a map then and check it out.