Exchange to German for a physics major

[Shing]

Hi guys,

I would like to ask for a few opinions on exchange to German for a Physics major degree.

First, I like the German culture. And I would love to learn how Germany study science, especially Math and Physics.

I wonder how much it will do for my studies?

What is the best year for me to exchange? Senior? Sophomore? (recently I am a freshmen)

However, I still aim at the U.S. grad school (wishfully Caltech)

My original goal of exchange to German is learning, however, just wondering whether if such an experience will help me apply to grad school or not?

I don't know whether to post it here is proper or not. Sorry for my manner and thanks for reading =)

 

[exciton]

First, I like the German culture. And I would love to learn how Germany study science, especially Math and Physics.

Thanks, I like the american one. There's nothing special about our approach to science except
you have to do all by yourself. It's all very theoretical over here, so don't be shocked.
You will study with english books anyway most of the time.

I wonder how much it will do for my studies?

Don't know about that one, we have a lot of chinese students (if you are chinese) at several different universities, especially when it comes to engineering.

What is the best year for me to exchange? Senior? Sophomore? (recently I am a freshmen)

You could do your master thesis in Germany, at the end of your studies, if
you're good enough you can pick an elite university i.e. Heidelberg (for physics!),
or Munich and so on.

My original goal of exchange to German is learning, however, just wondering whether if such an experience will help me apply to grad school or not?

I don't know whether to post it here is proper or not. Sorry for my manner and thanks for reading =)

The best thing you can do with that questions is to go to your local
exchange programs and get all the informations from right there.

Hope I could help a tiny bit.

 

[Shing]

Thanks a lot! I would love to know more about Germany!
Yeah, I am a Chinese from Hong Kong and recently studying at Taiwan.

How's the studies environment in German in general?
So Germany will value "independent work" highly in general?

 

[exciton]

Thanks a lot! I would love to know more about Germany!
Yeah, I am a Chinese from Hong Kong and recently studying at Taiwan.

Cool.

How's the studies environment in German in general?
So Germany will value "independent work" highly in general?

Well, the environment is, that you have certain lectures, then you get homework and
have classes where you have to present your solutions. It's often very independent work
so you have to know what literature you will need, and how much time you will invest on certain
problems. Our old system was no grading for homework which means that you could quit a lot
of stuff without having some disadvantages.

But that changes at the moment and we are about to have an english-like
bachelor/master system.

It's normal that you would work in groups for the exams, and that you also
have to figure out a lot by yourself (actually the biggest part of your studies/research).
Nobody is actually in authority for you and it is a lot more impersonal than in countries with an "anglo-saxon"-system.

The lecturer is a researcher and they often are focused very much on their own stuff
a lot of them don't take the lectures too serious.
You should probably come here with a group of chinese people.

The chinese people we have at our university are certainly among the best students,
I see them often having lunch together. They stick together very much, therefore it's
sometimes hard to get to know them.

On the other hand it's the most easiest thing to get to know german students
they all speak english at least "good" and I'm sure you would get a group to
learn with.

Good luck!