UbiPetrus:
Interview transcript:

I had my interview, today.

I arrived late at the consulate(quite regrettable).
Was queried by Mr. Paulinus but then, he got kind with me and directed me on how to arrange my documents.
N/B: I don't think Mr. Paulinus is a savage. I feel he's doing his job the way he knows how best to.
Finally, I got checked it and sat waiting for my turn.

The light beeped and I was directed to counter one.
I exchanged pleasantries with the visa officer. She is a woman with a beautiful British accent.
Handed her my documents and we began.

Biometrics were done.

Gave me some paperworks to sign.

Visa Officer: What course are you going for?
Me: Global Communication: Politics and Society.

V.O: Master's?
Me: Yes, ma.

V.O: School?
Me: University of Erfurt.

V.O: What's your first degree?
Me: Mass Communication.

V.O: How did you come across this course and the school?
Me: I stumbled upon it on the DAAD website.

V.O: Oh DAAD.
Me: Yes, ma.

V.O: What's your motivation for going for this course?
Me: I got interested in the interplay between the Mass Media and society sometime in my undergraduate days, after I got through with the course, Media and Society.

Media and Society then was about media and communication culture, the role of the media in contemporary democracies and political system, the media systems operating in societies and how they are influenced by the society.
Global Communication is an expansion of that course.
It takes the interplay between the media, politics and the society to a higher degree and considers it through international comparison.

V.O: Alright.
Why did you decide to go for this Course in Germany and not Nigeria? How about the U.S?
Me: The course combination at this level isn't found in Nigeria. I also looked through schools in the U.S and Canada and found no media and communication program with this kind of combination.

V.O: Would you have gone to the U.S if you had found this course in their Universities?
Me: No. Not at this point. While the U.S and Germany can boast of World Class Educational System, I feel the U.S is quite expensive.
Education in Germany is very affordable.
The Deutsch is also a plus. The United States has no second official language besides English. So, for a young Journalist like me, adding the popular and prestigious Deutsch to my English is a huge plus and makes German the destination for me.

V.O: *nods her head*- So, affordable education and language attraction are the reasons?
Me: Oh yes.

V.O: What was your first degree thesis?
Me: The effects of world information flow imbalance on third world culture.

V.O: Ok.
Tell me what you know about Germany- economy, geography, politics, etc.

V.O: Give your answer in five sentences.
Me: Germany is a country in Central and Western Europe(wanted to say, it occupies the Baltic and the North seas on the North and the Alps, Lake Constance and the High Rhine on the South but skipped it. I blanked off momentarily. I continued, however).
Germany boarders Denmark to the North, Poland and the Czech republic to the East, Switzerland and Austria to the South, France to the South West and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to the West.
Germany occupies a landmass of about 357,386 square kilometers.
It is the second largest country in Europe after Russia with a population of about 83million people.

It is the fourth largest economy in the world and operates a parliamentary system with the Chancellor as the head.
The current Chancellor is Angela Merkel and the president is Frank Walter Steinmeieir.
(I completely forgot about the Bundesrat and the Bundestag)

At this point, the V.O cut in.

V.O:When did the president and Chancellor assume office and what are their political parties?
�
Here, my memory failed me. I thought and thought but it never came. I looked at the V.O and said in a regrettable tone;
Me: I don't know.

V.O: What is the longest River in Germany.
Me: The Rhine.
(she begin laugh. Maybe my pronunciation tickled her. After I left her, however, I started to wonder if the longest River was the Rhine or the Danube river)

V.O: The colour of the German flag?
Me: black, yellow and Red.

V.O: Ok. That will be all. We will process your data. But please, try and find your account.
Your school resumes next month.
Get an extension from them and send it to the embassy through the email I gave you.

V.O: Bear with me, please. I'm not feeling fine and the computer has been slow, this morning.

Me: That's Ok. Get well soon.

V.O: Thanks.

(This is the much I can remember. I wish everyone success even as I pray that lines fall for me in pleasant places.)

Pecky2222:
My Testimony
LONG POST ALERT!!!!!!!

My journey started last year January. I had a dream and notin else. Found a friend of a friend who directed me to this forum and to daad.de. bt that period I haven't cultivated the reading culture. So I made a lot of mistakes in my applications. Applied to about 15skuls and got rejected by all...my German grade is 2.5. So I don't knw wat happened. I felt very discouraged then I started reading up here and following people's experiences, that taught me a lot of things. I felt very discouraged. Bt a friend I met on this forum (shoutout to Dania) encouraged me, she was in the same situation wit me..so we can encouraged ourselves and decided to try again.
Come summer applications..I was already fully informed.. I started my summer search..bt the courses are very limited for biological sciences..so I decided to jst gamble wit one application while gearing for winter this year...another rejection came.. I put on a brave face..bt I was very disturbed.
Come winter , I started another set..didn't limit application to only online. Applied with uni-assist, sent applications to skul, I covered all..
Then the wait started, I waited and waited and waited, finally an admission landed..then anoda admission, and anoda admission..I was overjoyed..
Then I applied for interview, got 26th August.. Cancelled and applied again got 2nd July. That was jst one week away..panic mode activated.. Did everything I needed to do..travelled to Lagos for my interview.. Thanks to God interview went well.
Then came the wait for AM..meanwhile I started searching for blocked account funds..no money.. Hussled and hussled..finally funded in August.. More than a month later after interview.. Then I waited for AM and waited and waited... It wasn't easy bt thanks to friends I made on this forum..they all stood by me...finally on 4th sept more than two months after interview.the AM landed.....sent my passport to the embassy and received my visa a week later..

It all ended in praise....please it doesn't matter wat stage u are in ..have faith.. It will all fall into place.

Thank you all so much for everything...
See you in Deutschland

robinicule:
Guys please, what health insurance is dope for someone going to Frankfurt

Bbinc:
AM ALERT
AL 25th June
AD 4th June
Interview: 19th of August, sent BA confirmation a week later
AM 12th September
School TU Ilmenau
course media and communication science

Thank you Klexycole for convincing me to try Germany instead of Canada
Thank you Lovable85 for your selflessness and for advising me to not cancel my AD and encouraging me through all the fears of missing enrollment. i owe you one chill carton of capri sonne
Thank you legacy666
Thank you to everybody that helped in one way or the other. I appreciate the love and help

Braket:
Around Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

Braket:
So I got a one day strictly English job contract. Details to follow when I am done. Make I make quick money first

Funnyguy83:
replied what my nigga .

Funnyguy83:
oya na .I just PM you

Kingsley10000:
I studied Animal production and livestock management
with cgpa of 3.58.

I have gotten my transcript from my
school,recommendation/reference letters from my lecturers
and Attestation/English language proficiency....


The only course related to my field during my search is
DIARY SCIENCE in CAU KIEL University...Please how can i
apply,i really need guidance


Another question i want to ask is....Is there any other school
is Germany that's offering animal science related courses
(Animal husbandry,Animal health,Animal production,Animal
nutrition etc)apart from DIARY SCIENCE

Gabrielclint:


You mean the Hohenheim in Stuttgart. if that is it, then i advice you to come. it is the best university of Agriculture in Europe and its in stuttgart, one of the best cities in Germany. I can help you get a job if you arrive around september in Stuttgart.

Hadampson:


Like i said, Siegen and Bielefeld are the best cities because they are located in North Rhine Westphalia. Bayreuth is a city in Bavaria state.

North Rhine Westphalia state remain the best state for international students, especially international students from Nigeria.

The semester ticket can take you to other cities and towns in the state.

According to Britannica and go mapper, the major cities close to Bielefeld are Münster, Osnabrück, Kassel, Hanover, Dortmund, Hildesheim, Bochum, Bremen, Essen etc while the major cities close to Siegen are Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Essen, Bochum, Frankfurt etc.

If i were you, i would choose Siegen due to the fact that it's close to big cities like Dusseldorf.

amikable97:

Chi chi

ijaysexy:
Respect to elders in the house! i just finished my application through uni-assist. should i start visa application process or must i wait till am offered admission? secondly which visa category do i choose? biko am super confused

Funnyguy83:
it's well. abeg I dey find the right avenue to comot this country . am currently working and earning 25k salary and over 80k in Chua Chua in Abuja. please I want to move to Canada or Germany. but to the good and experienced gurus in here , what do you advise I do and how do I go about it.

uptimum123:
Capital No and pls u should have directed ur question to the main German study visa thread.

Goztino:


After some research which I am still doing, I think I will go with networking skills and certifications when I come to Deutschland

willy2000:


High demanding IT skills depend on which area, web dev, software dev, mobile, dev, DevOps(hottest kid on the block), AI(this is very broad), data science...........and so on.

But with Web Dev, you can't go wrong. (learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, Angular, React, ) for frontend. (Java, Php, Nodejs) for backend.

You can start with HTML CSS, then move to Javascript, and then React before Angular for frontend development.
For backend, I would say learn JAVAEE with ( Spring/Hibernate) and Nodejs. But if you are already proficient in Javascript, then perfect your backend skills with Nodejs and learn other frameworks to it.
All in all, programming is not all about what language you are proficient in, it is about how to analyse and solve problems. Your architecture and logic implementations are what makes you a good developer. This is where a good knowledge of data structures and algorithm come into play.

See just stay focus and forget all this IT hype, learn German and follow your passion. If you jump ship because people are saying so,hmm. The grass is not always green on the other side.

odimbannamdi:


Hello bro,

Germany places (what i choose to refer to as "unhealthy" emphasis on consecutive education than continuing one.

What this means is that, for their M.Sc courses, over 90% of them requires you to have a B.Sc degree that is very much in line. For some schools even, such as OVGU, you cant proceed unless you have manually inputed the relevant courses and their commensurate ECTS, while for some other schools, you have to tick them on your transcript before sending.

However, i do not think your B.Sc course of study is entirely out of line with the M.Sc you are gunning for. Give the application your best shot, but have other options. Good a thing their application deadline is October. Hopefully, you will get a response on admission status by December and if doesnt favour you (i wish it does), some other schools would just be commencing their application to end by January, so you can apply to them.

I am also a Summer applicant. I wish you what i wish myself bro.

odimbannamdi:


Hello bro,

Germany places (what i choose to refer to as "unhealthy" emphasis on consecutive education than continuing one.

What this means is that, for their M.Sc courses, over 90% of them requires you to have a B.Sc degree that is very much in line. For some schools even, such as OVGU, you cant proceed unless you have manually inputed the relevant courses and their commensurate ECTS, while for some other schools, you have to tick them on your transcript before sending.

However, i do not think your B.Sc course of study is entirely out of line with the M.Sc you are gunning for. Give the application your best shot, but have other options. Good a thing their application deadline is October. Hopefully, you will get a response on admission status by December and if doesnt favour you (i wish it does), some other schools would just be commencing their application to end by January, so you can apply to them.

I am also a Summer applicant. I wish you what i wish myself bro.

holadhayor1:
Make sure you know the countries that speak German before going for your interview. It is now becoming a frequent question from the gold tinted hair woman. I like her manner of questions.. They're cool!

sassy92:


The people that have gotten ADs recently used Dec 6 upwards as deadline, I suggest you mail your school again explaining your plight and ask them if you can enrol by proxy

Adhheir:


You can cc pompido and janettee on the student visa thread when you redirect your questions over there. we're trying to keep this thread for survival In Germany only.

Dankeschön

willy2000:


Lol, don't tell me you carried the bags on your head. Anyway, Leipzig is a smaller airport compared to Frankfurt. Imagine if it was Frankfurt you landed, with no coins for the trolley, Mehn na Gobe be dat now, from baggage collection area to train station/taxi pick up. Don't try this if you are coming for the first time ohh. It won't be funny

pompido:


Applying for internship is like applying for a job. each advert for internship will normally state what mode of application they accept (typically a CV, cover letter and a short email introducing yourself and why you want in...). The process goes on from there....

Building/Architecture is surprisingly buoyant but the need to speed German is Key. So if one can speak German well (B2 level I would advice) then internship of post-study jobs are abundant.

Project management especially in IT abound and may offer less hurdle with the language as some will request for English speakers only. In other industries, German language is a must!

The fashion industry is very coded but blooming massively.....Language as you know will be the major challenge here. I know a few guys trying to break into fashion photography but I have met a Cameroonian guy who broke into the modelling industry in France. He was doing gigs for top brands and traveling the world for shows while still a student. Being a native French speaker also helped him though....

pompido:


I didn't get the DM....

pompido:
I am greatly pleased to be on this thread and actually read from the very first page

Quite educative and brings back a flood of memories. We thank God for grace.

All questions asked and answers given (sliding tackles and all ) are great learning curves for all.

My summary....

Landed October 3rd 2015.....Digital Communications in CAU Kiel. Took the first lecture and knew it wasn't for me. Told the profs so and opted out of the program (was still registered of course and was attending the german class provided by the school and intensive language class with VHS at the same time (register with VHS in your city within your first year to get a good rebate (up to 50% off) you can select a start date months away).

Switched to Information Engineering in FH Kiel the following summer (March 2016), did multiple jobs while studying (Printing presses, Cruise ships, Umzug, Chinese Restaurant. etc. Man hustle oooo....days of 12hrs straight jobs 4 times a week and top it with a 13hrs shift on Sundays
I was actually doing good in school but learning the language suffered as I couldn't fit it in the calamitous schedule I was running (I did attend intensive classes later though).

Then I got a rude awakening , I visited my naija university mate in Berlin working for Bombardier at the time and immediately knew I was wasting my time with the lager jobs I thought was giving me money. I needed to look at the bigger picture. Got back from Berlin and applied to Allianz Technology in Munich for internship, I got in and all of a sudden was making more working 9-5pm (own office with perks, fantastic international team and exposure into the professional world in Germany) than i was doing working 12hrs (4times a week) plus 13hrs on sundays. All, while doing professional work and improving my professional profile.

I was at Allianz Technology for 1yr & 3months (finished my master project and thesis) and got 2 full time offers before I was done with my master study in October of 2018.


My advice, do what you have to do to survive out here (legally of course). Make sure you pick the right course and if you find yourself in a jam with your choice course, be open to changing. Do not worry about hustling, it is not going to be at the top of your priorities when you actually settle and draw those priorities. Especially if you are looking at the bigger picture. Work will always be available, whether in your city or outside but believe me when I say you will be alright and find a way as everyone before you have done.

Learn the language

Before you leave Nigeria or wherever you are based, set your goals (minimum and maximum), have unbelievably high expectations but also psych yourself up for the very worst case scenario so that wherever you find yourself, you would be mentally grounded to face the music and sing out loud because darkness lasts just the night, light comes with the break of dawn.

God bless our dreams and make our strives abundantly fruitful...