#University Life in Germany

[edugoabroad]

One of the first things we think about when we land in a new place, with all the abundant and wonderful possibilities it inhabits, is food. Nothing elicits joy or dismay, brings people together or polarises them quite like food. Landing up in Germany, particularly to study in Germany, comes with its own anxieties -the newness of it all can be both exciting and daunting. In this scenario, nothing brings a dash of much-needed comfort and helps you immerse yourself in the local culture quite like food. Food, in the larger context, enables you to understand the history that shaped the cultural landscape of said country, and relate with the prevalent culture.

When it comes to mouthwatering food, Germany has plenty to go around. In this blog, we shall highlight some must-try dishes that you must give a go! So while you’re excitedly waiting for your German student visa to arrive, you can trust us to whet your appetite by listing some amazing dishes that you would fall in love with and come to crave throughout your student life in Germany.

Don’t worry - if meat, eggs or even dairy are a big no-no for you, we’ve got you covered! Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

1) Halloumi Im Brot

A semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a concoction of goat and sheep milk, the origins of Halloumi are said to lie in Cyprus although Egypt has also laid claim to it. Bit of a "who came first - the chicken or the egg" conundrum right there and the debate continues to rage, but one thing's for certain - it's delightfully scrumptious.

Over centuries, Halloumi went from being a staple in Cypriot to a celebrated ingredient to many a delicacy across the Mediterranean and the world. Halloumi im Brot, in particular, refers to a sandwich which features a grilled or fried halloumi. Combining the homeliness of bread with the savoury, rich elements of halloumi, the dish also features vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce along with a drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice. This dish is hearty while encompassing a variety of flavours and textures.

Fun fact: In 2021, the European Union granted halloumi Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, ensuring that only cheese produced in Cyprus following traditional methods can be labelled as "halloumi."

It’s super duper healthy too, and has plenty to offer in the protein and calcium department, so feel free to help yourself to a few!

2) Sauerkraut

This one’s especially for the meat-connoisseurs and the trivia lovers - Sauerkraut has been an essential sidekick to plenty of incredible meat-based dishes. It is essentially fermented cabbage, although in present-day there’s a chance you might mostly find the pickled variety. It bears a distinct sour flavour and given that it is made from lactic acid, forming from bacteria that ferments sugars present in the cabbage leaves.

What’s in it for the trivia lovers, you’d say. Well, it’ll come as a surprise to you, but Sauerkraut isn’t from Germany! It was actually conceived in China 2000 years ago by workers who were only provided with shredded cabbage and rice to fend for themselves. They began to store their food in rice wine, which helped with extending shelf life while also landing themselves a nutritious, highly durable source of nutrition. When you’re hungry and need something to keep you going while being inundated with assignments and deadlines, Sauerkraut should keep you in good stead and give you a loaded dose of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Iron, and Potassium with each serving.

3) Spätzle

While it remains an ever-favourite in Germany, Spätzle isn’t exactly well-known outside of the country. If you’re craving something rich, cheesy and buttery, these fresh egg noodles should make your tummy extremely happy. In theory, the dish is redolent of mac & cheese, but trust us - it’s so, so, so much more than that!

Spätzle are squeezed through a press, shaved off the edge of a board or sliced straight into the boiling water. Afterwards, the simmered Spätzle are drained and then fried in butter. After that it is either baked with grated cheese (KäseSpätzle), or served as a side dish.

It’s taken pretty damn seriously in the region of Swabia - The European Commission made Schwäbische Spätzle and Knöpfle into protected types of pasta. If they have been produced in Swabia, they are permitted to bear the quality seal of “protected geographical indication” which is valid throughout the EU.

4) Pretzels

They never fail to hit it out of the proverbial park when it comes to bakery in Europe. This is all the more applicable to Germany, which is home to a plenitude of delicious baked items, namely the infamous pretzel. This knot-shaped treat is famous the world over, usually coming as a savoury snack one can have when craving something baked. They can make for a very filling treat whilst remaining low-fat, although nutritionists do not exactly swear by its virtues given that it is high on sodium and carbs. So while you can munch on a fair few, moderation is essential.

5) Apfelstrudel

This list wouldn’t be complete without apfelstrudel, which is a traditional German pastry dish made with thin layers of dough filled with sweetened apple slices. Like pretzels, it’s popular all over the world and if you enjoy baklava, you’d definitely want to try this! Historically, the apfelstrudel is linked to Austria but has multicultural origins so when you have it, you’re having a dish which has been evolved through the contribution of myriad culinary approaches.

Conclusion

When you finally kickstart your dream to study in Germany, and begin your university life, it is absolutely essential that you relish your time there as it’s not only about the university you’d attend - it’s also about gaining exposure to new cultures and ways of life, and as we established earlier, trying the local food can play a massive role towards you doing that. Life in Germany for Indian students is filled with opportunities to explore German culture and lifestyle, and diving into the local cuisine is a fantastic way to start. Enjoy these dishes and let them be a delicious part of your student life in Germany!

[amynessblog]

exam season is finally over🥳

[juan-francisco-palencia]

Eine Blume auf dem Weg.

I asked my soul to erase from my being those moments of uncertainty when even the sky seemed to darken, that I was so sad, but when I met that beautiful girl I began to feel that I would get used to her love, because I sensed that her joy was waiting patiently until I could see the reflection of my smile through her eyes that looked at me with tenderness and although I remained impassive to love, I could hear her voice calling me to be in her arms, sometimes I am still afraid to wake up and feel like I am in a dream that stays with me and we are loving each other every night and day without caring about anything.

— Juan Francisco Palencia.

[booksandglitter]

🌸📔springtime📔🌸 also means time for the new semester! 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

I've been procrastinating all of my assignments for an embarrassing amount of time, so this semester is for getting shit done Things I have to do:

write term paper 1 (started)

write 4 essays for study abroad (started, wrote 3 out of 4)

write term paper 2 (not started)

I'll keep you updated here on how it goes, if you are interested :) Thanks everyone for following and interacting with my posts, it's actually great motivation💗

[bykremi]

just a few shots from the new vlog (watch here)

[kameyyy]

I was just mentally writing a tumblr post abt how I need that iphone asap so I can preview a chat when I don't wanna answer (if I archived them I don't get notifications) and then I was like — wait.. I don't have read-reciepts on, they won't know I read their messages 😭😭😭

[transmhyra]

Translated from German: "If a University burns down or is otherwise destroyed, all current students immediatly finish their degrees with a bachelors degree" I also find the first paragraph notable "If someone dies during an exam, all other attending students pass" Which makes me wonder, if you murder someone else during an exam, would you pass as well? You would probably get expelled, but at that point in time you were attending the exam AND someone died. I don't think this will work more than once though. Professors hate this trick.

[studynxiety]

I feel like a failure.

06/02/2025

Exams start in 12 days, and I know more or less nothing. I am trying, I swear I am trying to catch up, but atp, it feels like nothing is enough. I failed to meet the pre-requisite for Engineering Mechanics 1 so I have to do an extra colloquium with notoriously low passing rate to get a second chance and if I fail that, I'll have to wait a whole year to get a second chance. And if I don't finish Engineering Mechanics 1 by the third semester, I get kicked out.

And it's extra awful knowing Engineering Mechanics is more or less the only subject I studied for because I perceived the other subjects to be easier and now, my first test in 12 days is on Advanced Maths but I can't start studying for that in good conscience knowing I need to prepare for the EM colloquium.

I know this is the consequence of my own actions, and I do not know how to reconcile with that. I feel like I am on board a train with a broken accelerator rapidly heading to its doom. But I suppose as long as I don't give up, there is always next semester. God, please save me once more.

I really don't want to repeat any subject next semester because I want to get a job and start investing time in my hobbies again. I did nothing this semester because I thought I would need all the grace in the world to adjust to a new place and new kind of study curriculum, and god, is that an understatement.

I will call the student counseling tomorrow because I need all the help I can get.

Today:

1. Finished Chapter 9 EM I theory

Tomorrow:

1. Finish Chapter 10 EM I theory

2. Practice Questions from Chapters 9 and 10

3. Practice Advanced Math questions from chapter 1

[cowboylikeyouu]

my life if i could just study criminal law & go fight crimes instead of sitting through hours and hours of ✨verwaltungsprozessrecht✨, ✨sachenrecht✨, ✨schuldrecht✨, ✨staatsorganisationsrecht✨:

[mariamariamare]

Our first day, we never forget!

[inspiredbookworm]

✨ 20 day language learning challenge ✨

Day 2: Which language/s do you want to learn while doing this challenge?

Hello everyone, welcome to day 2! Just as sunny as yesterday but colder (приветс��вую, осень) ☁️

I would love to learn German, but it's hard to study on my own. As I mentioned I'm not a fan and if it weren't for the uni classes I would be far behind. I want to learn it anyway, although I really have to find a better motivation. I don't hate it, yet something's pushing me back. I enjoy the uni classes probably because of the teacher, and the fact that I'm also learning Russian, because we're studying it from Russian. Today I'm gonna try to study a bit, at least some verbs or vocab 🫐

I want to learn Italian as well. One of my closest friends is italian and I told him I would study the language over the summer, but I was too busy (I went to another city and walked 22k steps a day). Nevertheless, the language is really beautiful and I know I would make my 15 year old self happy. I also have someone to practice with by default ☺️

Lastly, I'm gonna keep on studying Russian the way I am now. No grammar exercises, just talking, writing, reading and listening. I guess that's called immersion? I hope to finish the book I'm currently reading soon.

Have a lovely Wednesday 🕯️

[siyarei]

Week 1

So I decided to start anew. Meaning I need to get a bit more structure in my life. Uni starts on the 23 April and I officially begin a new chapter in my life. Let's see what it holds for me.

[juan-francisco-palencia]

My most heartfelt tribute to the vindication of women throughout history and world events.

This day should not only be a reason for congratulations to all the women I know and don't know in the world... But rather, with a flower in my hand I would like to have the kindness, tenderness and purity in the eyes of a child and present them with my admiration and respect.

— Juan Francisco Palencia.

[jojojooo33]

Rotating trans girl Al in my brain some more

[bykremi]

My exam is tomorrow. It is the last exam for my entire university career. If it goes well, I will graduate next year. I would lie if I said I was not completely overwhelmed and scared. It feels like so much is at stake.

[simonf-2001]

The "Moritzbastei" in Leipzig opposite the university. In the background you can see the municipal utilities and the cloth hall.

🎞️ Kodak Gold 200

📷 Objective: Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8

📅 02-15-2024, 03.07 pm