University and Education > Preparing for university The cost of living for students
Looking at the costs involved in being a student is enough to drive anyone to despair. So we decided to get a clearer picture and took a look at the cost of living for you. We serve up some useful savings tips and chat to two students who break down their monthly budget.
 Du Schreisst machmal mit by photocase user tone.deaf “All I need is a miracle!” once sang British rock-pop band Mike and the Mechanics, and this is indeed a familiar feeling for many students when faced with the question of how on earth to finance their university lives. Young Germany can’t help you turn water into wine, but we can help you turn those cents into euros. By following our savings tips as a student in Germany, you can make a little go a long way. Welcome to the University of Life – because university isn’t just about academic learning, it’s about living life as well…
Young Germany looked at several key areas you need to keep in mind as a student – and we’ll show you how to save costs in each of them.
Banking
It’s difficult to manage without a bank account in Germany, so our first pointer addresses the place that houses your cash. When opening an account here, avoid those pesky account management fees by asking for a student account at your chosen bank.
Travel for less
A train ticket covering the region you study in is included in many German universities’ registration fees. Students are also entitled to fare discounts – just present your student ID when buying a ticket.
 For journeys further afield, an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) really comes in handy for a variety of discounts – not just travel. For more info, surf on down to: www.isic.org. Also, consider booking your trip at STA Travel (http://www.statravel.com/cps/rde/xchg/us_division_web_live/hs.xsl/worldwide.htm) or Travel Overland (http://www.travel-overland.de/), travel agencies which specialize in students and student budgets.
If you don’t have a car of your own – and most students don’t – German carpooling centers (www.mitfahrzentrale.de and http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/) are a great option.
Let me entertain you!
Cinemas, theaters, museums and many other events offer student discounts. Be sure to flash your little card, and in most cases you will get a discount.
Let’s talk
 Students are notoriously addicted to the phone and many a fight has broken out between roomies over who made that expensive call and who’s going to pay for it. The smart solution is to get a cell phone. Too expensive, you say? Not really. If you don’t want to be locked into a contract, pre-paid offers such as Simyo (http://www.simyo.de/) or Schwarzfunk (http://www.uboot.com/schwarzfunk/de/) are ideal.
For those who still want a fixed line, some cell phone providers offer nifty two-in-one deals, such as O2 Genion (http://shop2.o2online.de/nw/produkte/asc/index.html). Calls are charged at fixed rates within your chosen ‘home zone’ and other callers can contact you at fixed rates within this zone.
To find the cheapest provider for fixed lines, cell phones, VOIP, Internet and even electricity see:www.billiger-telefonieren.de. Oh, and Internet telephony definitely also deserves a mention here. Skype is gaining popularity in Germany, even for b2b communications: www.skype.com
Meanwhile, www.peterzahlt.de is the site to visit for free landline calls within Germany and calls to several other countries between 6:00 a.m. and midnight.
Extra, extra! Read all about it!
As a student, you need to stay informed, so you’ll be happy to hear that many publications – whether newspaper or magazine – offer special student subscriptions. To find out more, check out the following sites www.abo-direkt.de or www.allmaxx.de, both of which offer free taster subscriptions … or simply search the net for ‘Studentenabo.’
And one final tip: occasionally, you might be able to squeeze a discount out of that bookstore cashier by presenting them with a letter from your prof stating that the book is necessary for your studies.
In recent years, tuition fees have been introduced in Germany. The situation differs from state to state and depending on individual circumstances. To get the low down, check out these links: http://www.studis-online.de/StudInfo/Gebuehren/tuition_fees.php
http://www.daad.de/deutschland/wege-durchs-studium/kosten/06199.en.html Okay, with the theory out of the way, let’s look at some case studies. Young Germany talked to two students living in different sized cities and asked them to break down their living expenses ...here
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Photo 1:photocase.com/ user: tone.deaf Photo 2: ICIS Photo 3: pixelquelle/Eva Kaliwodo
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