Arsalan Minhas from Pakistan works on his master's in Germany

Why did you choose Germany for your master’s degree?

 
The major reason was that I got the scholarship. On the other hand, I was also admitted to a master’s program in Korea, but I chose Germany. Having traveled a lot throughout Asia, I really wanted to explore Europe. Moreover, the university that I am enrolled at now enjoys a really good reputation in the international arena. I am a computer science guy and expected Germany to be very strong in engineering and IT.

How did you feel when you first came to Germany and what do you think about your life here now?

I had no culture shock at all. Apart from the time in Cologne, I also attended orientation courses organized by the university, which where very helpful. There are many things that I like about my life in Germany. Contrary to most people here I really like the weather in Hamburg, cloudy skies and rain. I like most of the people I meet. The Germans are very disciplined and stick to the rules and I also like that they are very direct and to the point. Among the negative aspects of life I’ve noticed is that family bonds don’t seem to be very strong. The divorce rate is very high. For me, family relationships are very important.