I made my first trip to Spain at the beginning of April to the University of Cadiz (Universidad De Cadiz). This visit was not for fun but to analyze pharmaceutical compounds in seawater samples obtained from the North Sea Thanks to my research group; processes and sensors of the marine interfaces for helping to collect the samples during the Heike Cruise in March 2023.
The University of Cadiz is in Cadiz Province located in the southwestern part of Spain. The University according to Global Higher Education was founded in 1979 with an origin that can be traced back to the 15th century. The University has four different campuses which are located in four different cities. The cities are Cadiz City, Puerto Real City, Jerez City, and the Bay of Algeciras. Each campus has different faculties. For instance, the College of Engineering, Health, and Computer Sciences are on the Cadiz campus. Administrative work is said to be on this campus.
On the other hand, studies relating to Education, Marine sciences, and natural and Environmental sciences are on the Puerto Real campus. I, therefore, visited this campus for the analysis of my seawater samples for two weeks. I must say that it was a wonderful experience 😍😀.
We left on the 10th of April in the morning with samples as my supervisor came to pick me up to the airport (Hamburg). It was indeed a good trip with her and I am so lucky to have such a very nice supervisor. Because of the samples, we had to leave as early as possible in the morning to be able to check in the extra luggage. Checking in was good and effective. Flight takeoff and landing were also good only to get to the airport (Jerez airport; the closest airport to Cadiz) without my samples and other luggage arriving at the same time with me. My host at the University Professor Pablo Lara-Martin communicated effectively with the customer care service of the flight. I could not speak Spanish. I knew that speaking English with customer care would not afford me the full information needed for the location of my luggage 😀. Thus, with his effective communication technique, we were able to locate the samples and my other luggage. They were delivered to the University the next day and I was really happy. Information about sample processing and results will be published in a scientific journal and later posted on this page.
My host was the head of the Physical Chemistry Department in the Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, at the University. The research group majored in the distribution and analysis of pharmaceutical compounds in coastal environments, estuaries, and wastewater treatment plants. They have expertise in different types of chromatography and mass spectrometry most especially in ultra-performance liquid chromatography and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. You can find some of their publications here. All the people in the research group are nice, welcoming, and accommodating. I would love to visit the school again and I look forward to more collaborations 😍😀.
Now let’s talk a little bit about Cadiz and the reasons why you should visit this amazing place. Cadiz is located in the southwestern part of Spain. The City is very rich in culture and all-around beauty. According to Biel-Maeso et al. (2018), the city has a total number of 430,000 inhabitants, five ports, and many shipyards and because the city is an island, its important attribute is fishing tourism. So, if you are interested in fishing and tourism pack your bags and head to Cadiz for an unforgettable experience.
Even though was busy analyzing my samples during my two-week stay at the university, I had the chance to visit the city on my last day there with a couple of wonderful friends and I was overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery that radiates over the city. I have not been to other cities in Spain but I can say that Cadiz can be the perfect destination if you want to experience Spain’s true essence. Please see the pictures below.
Another important aspect of the city is the transportation system which is typical of the European transportation system. Transportation is not only good but also very cheap. You however have to purchase the popular transportation card and load the card with maybe 10 Euros. This will be affording you over 90 % discounts on transportation by bus. For instance, commuting to the University from Puerto Real resident with the card in most cases costs me only 34 cents. Without the cards, I once had to pay 2.30 euros 😩.
Overall, my trip to the University of Cadiz was an unforgettable experience, full of research experience and natural beauty. If you are a student and you are planning to visit the University for a research stay, depending on the location of the department you intend to visit, you can choose to stay in Puerto Real or Cadiz. Even though both are in the same Cadiz province, they are two different cities and are located some kilometers (30 minutes max) away from each other. If you plan to visit the Puerto Real campus, staying in Puerto Real will save you some time in communing with the University every day. But you can also stay in Cadiz for full culture, history, and beautiful scenery experiences.
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Power, today,comes from sharing information, not witholding it- keith Farrazzi
We have all been to a stage where we must take a step forward academically. We are often left with various choices, which could be whether to study in our home countries or study abroad. If the latter is the case, we are still left with the question ”which country”? The US, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, Demark, India, China, etc. In my case, I knew I had to further my studies after my bachelor’s degree in Nigeria. I had worked for three years and just wanted to advance in knowledge. I had three choices regarding where (the country) to further my studies. My choices were (i) my home country, (ii) the United Kingdom, and (iii) Germany.
Even though I had registered for a master’s degree program and was about to do the entrance examination at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, I changed my mind because I wanted to study abroad to gain international experience. Hence, I narrowed down my choices to the United Kingdom and Germany. In the end, I opted for Germany for several reasons. It was a great decision because I did not regret any ounce of the choice that I made. Several factors informed my decision to study in Germany and some of these reasons will be mentioned below.
Education is Free. I am always surprised when students contact me and asked about how much I am paying for the tuition fee in Germany. It is important to note that unlike the UK, Canada, the US, and other Western countries, education in Germany is free even for international students. Although there are some private universities for example Jacob University Bremen that charge at least 29,000 Euros for all sessions depending on your program. Universities like Jacob University Bremen are however very few. Many universities in Germany are public universities and you do not need to worry about paying any ridiculous amount as tuition fees.
Many Universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees except for what is usually called the ”semester contribution” which can be as little as 200 Euros depending on the school. This information is usually displayed on the university’s website, so you must do your research about the exact amount in your university of interest. It is also worth noting that the semester contribution changes every semester. But the difference is still within the affordable range. The semester contribution offers numerous benefits to students. First, paying the semester contribution confirms your enrolment into the school. Secondly, paying the semester contribution will allow you to obtain a semester card. With the semester card, you can travel (by bus, tram, S-Bahn, and U-Bahn) to all parts of your city without having to buy a ticket. You can also travel by train to neighboring cities without having to buy a train ticket.
Like other Western countries, universities in Germany have state-of-the-art resources and equipment which facilitate effective learning and research experiences. Most universities are also affiliated with research institutes and students are in most cases integrated into the German research cultures. The most interesting part is that students do not have to pay a dime for using the school’s resources and equipment for study and research purposes. This is contrary to what we have in some universities in Africa and other countries. You however must be under adequate supervision and be affiliated with a research group before you can utilize many of this research equipment.
Most Master courses are taught in English. Even if you need the German language for your everyday life in Germany, you do not need to learn the language before you are allowed to study in the country. This may also depend on the program you are coming to study. As previously stated, the language of interaction for many master courses is English. Although, this may be different for some Bachelor courses which use English and German as the language of instruction. This will be clearly stated on the school website and in that case, it would only make sense if you can take your time to learn the language. PhDs also do not require you to learn the language, but this will be discussed in a later post.
Some Universities in Germany do not require English language exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and Cambridge for application. You must however show that English was the language of instruction during your undergraduate days by obtaining a letter from your alma Mata that clearly states this. Many Universities will, however, request English language exams, so I strongly advise writing either IELTS or TOEFL as they will increase your chances of getting admitted to the University of your choice and will not restrict your application to the schools that you do not want.
That said, here are some tips to help you navigate your study journey to Germany.
Be informed about universities in Germany and their requirements.
Information comes in different ways, and you need to get all the information you need to start preparing for your study journey to Germany. Information is key. Even with technological advancements which have resulted in the availability of much information online, many people are still either uninformed or underinformed. I was also guilty in this regard. Before I opted for Germany, I did not inform myself about the country so most of my focus was to study in the UK. It was a friend who hinted to me that education in Germany is free and that was it. After then, I tried my best to make better use of the internet. I was always searching and clicking around. I did this for about three months, and it felt as if I know almost everything about all the Universities in the country 😂. A year later, I started my master’s degree program in Germany. To be informed about universities in Germany and their requirements, here are what you should do:
Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it. Sauté it. Whatever. Make it- Joss Whedon
First, get a new notebook for this specific purpose.
Start by simply typing ‘Universities in Germany’.
Pick the first school on the list and navigate your way through the site to where their courses are listed.
Did you find your course of interest? if not, close the page and move to the next school. If yes, click further to check the school’s requirements for the course. Here you should
Write down the name of the school and the course that interests you.
Check for the application start dates and deadlines and write them down
List all their requirements and check mark with ✔️ if you have and with ✖ if you do not have some of the requirements.
Write down the application process.
Some universities (majority) in Germany require that you do not apply directly to them but to the national service provider called Start | uni-assist. If this is the case, you will have to apply to the school through this service provider and their websites are simple.
Most Universities in Germany have pages on their website that contain information for international students. This page contains information about how to organize your life and navigate your way to the city of the school. These pages also contain information on where you can get help (not monetary) or whom you can contact when you need help. Ensure that this page (on the website of the university you are interested in) becomes your friend when you start your study journey and visit it quite often
Try as much as possible to write down at least 5 Universities that you are interested in and start working on getting all their requirements one after the other.
Most Universities in Germany require that you notarize your documents before sending them down during the application process. Please take note of this because it may result in multiple admission rejections as I experienced. Simply take your original documents and photocopies to any notary public close to you and have them notarized.
Send in your application immediately after the application process opens and your documents several weeks before the application process ends. As previously stated, apply to at least five Universities.
Be informed about the Embassy requirements, and appointments.
Big achievements come one slight advantage at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time- Jim Rohn
Now that you have sent in your applications, do not wait for your admission letters to arrive before you start making the next move. This includes working and check marking the documents you will need for your visa application. You can do this by visiting the websites of the German Embassy in your home country. The websites are usually straightforward, and they have a particular checklist (pdf) that contains all the required documents.
The reason why you need to start working on getting those documents is that booking an appointment for your visa application at the embassy is not easy as many people are booking appointments at the same time. Sometimes, the embassy may be booked out for several months and this may not favour you eventually when your admission letter arrives.
As previously stated, Embassy’s website has listed all requirements you would need for your visa application. Please pay attention to all the information on the website. One of the most important documents is the proof of funding which can be a blocked account with a minimum disposal sum of 934€/month (for 12 months), a letter of commitment (called a sponsorship letter from a relative or a friend living in Germany) or with credit scholarship letter. The essence of the proof of funding especially the block account is to show that you have money to cater for yourself in the first year of your studies. All the requirements are achievable, all you need is to take one step at a time.
You can book your appointment even before getting all the documents. You just need to take each step towards achieving your goal and get all the documents before going for your appointment. Your admission letter is also an integral part of your visa application process. If you apply correctly and meet all the requirements of the school, that should not be a problem. Once your documents are ready and you have attended your visa application interview, it takes about 4-6 weeks for your student visa to be ready.
Sort out your accommodation.
Before you get your visa approval email, it is essential to start sorting your accommodation out. Accommodation is one of the challenges you may have to face depending on the city you are going. and as such it’s crucial that you start looking for accommodation early before you leave your home country. Here are some tips you need to secure housing before you head to your place of study.
Apply Accommodation in many universities in Germany is managed by a special department called the ”Studentenwerk Wohnheim’’. If you are coming for your master’s or bachelor’s degree, it is best to apply to the ”Studentenwerk Wohnheim in your school. This is because accommodation managed by the Studentenwerk is always affordable. Ensure that you send them emails regarding your arrival.
Build a support network. Before leaving your home country, find other international students and make friends in the city you are heading to. You can make use of LinkedIn and other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok in finding people. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I have met numerous international students via LinkedIn. All you need to do is to type the name of your school on LinkedIn and send a direct message to people you may be acquainted with. You will be surprised at the level of help you will receive.
Download and make use of such applications as WG and eBay. People often advertise their rooms or apartments on these applications. Don’t be afraid to apply to any room you find affordable. Also, send direct messages to people and ask questions via the apps.
Make use of your international student web and social media pages. People also advertise accommodations there.
Apply for a buddy through the buddy program of your school. A Buddy is someone who volunteered to show you around the city when you arrive. It is not the duty of your Buddy to get any accommodation or provide any information in that regard for you. Your Buddy can however help in speaking or interpreting the language for you when it is needed.
Once you arrive, attend the orientation at your school to meet new people. Learn about the local culture and get acquainted with the campus. Get to know your city by taking a stroll around and exploring exciting places. Your studies are paramount and as such, ensure that you excel in all your courses. Do get in touch if you need further information. I wish you all the best in all your endeavours.
Dreams can come true, but there is a secret. They’re realized through the magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over the years, not weeks- Elbert Hubbard
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