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We want students to be able to read all the articles we produce about studying and living in Germany. As such, we’ve created a special half price membership offer.

Published: 31 May 2018 12:48 CEST
Updated: 7 September 2018 10:44 CEST

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Students at European University Viadrina's International Day last year in Frankfurt. Photo: DPA

Earlier this year, a new study found that Germany leads the way as the best country in Europe for prospective international students.

About 12 percent of the country’s students come from abroad. And some 2,000 of the 18,000 post-secondary courses on offer cater to a global audience in that they are conducted in the English language.

In spite of these figures, moving here to study can be a daunting experience. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the language barrier, seemingly endless paperwork or simply not having a clue where to start.

That's why The Local has written stories exclusively for foreign students moving to Germany to give them a helping hand.

We’ve looked at the different types of higher education in Germany and the top institutions for landing you a job. We’ve also uncovered the most and least expensive German towns for student digs, as well as compelling reasons why you should study here.

The Local Germany now has a membership scheme in place meaning to access all stories and more in depth Members' articles, we charge a monthly or annual fee. But if you are a student you can take advantage of 50 percent off, meaning the fee will be just €2.49 a month or €24.99 a year.

And remember, we produce many other kinds of articles that will be useful to you during your stay in Germany, such as this one on what you should know when it comes to renting.

This link takes you straight to our student page where you can see all our 'Studying in Germany' articles or you can just click here to get 50 percent off membership.

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Five signs you've settled into life in Switzerland

No lint: Following laundry room rules is a sign of integration in Switzerland. Photo by Sara Chai from Pexels

Much has been said about Switzerland’s quirkiness, but when you think about it, this country’s idiosyncrasies are not more or less weird than any other nation’s — except for the fact that they are expressed in at least three languages which, admittedly, can complicate matters a bit.

However, once you master the intricacies and nuances of Swiss life, you will feel like you belong here.

This is when you know you’ve “made it”.

You speak one of the national languages, even if badly

It irritates the Swiss to no end when a foreigner, and particularly an English-speaking foreigner, doesn’t make an effort to learn the language of a region in which he or she lives, insisting instead that everyone communicates to them in their language.

So speaking the local language will go a long way to being accepted and making you feel settled in your new home.

You get a Swiss watch and live by it

Punctuality is a virtue here, while tardiness is a definite no-no.

If you want to ingratiate yourself to the Swiss, be on time. Being even a minute late may cause you to miss your bus, but also fail in the cultural integration.

‘The pleasure of punctuality’: Why are the Swiss so obsessed with being on time?

Using an excuse like “my train was late” may be valid in other countries, but not in Switzerland.

The only exception to this rule is if a herd of cows or goats blocks your path, causing you to be late.

A close-up of a Rolex watch in Switzerland.

Owning a Rolex is a sure sign you’re rich enough to live in Switzerland. Photo by Adam Bignell on Unsplash

You sort and recycle your trash

The Swiss are meticulous when it comes to waste disposal and, not surprisingly, they have strict regulations on how to throw away trash in an environmentally correct manner.

Throwing away all your waste in a trash bag without separating it first — for instance, mixing PET bottles with tin cans or paper — is an offence in Switzerland which can result in heavy fines, the amount of which is determined by each individual commune.

In fact, the more assiduous residents separate every possible waste item — not just paper, cardboard, batteries and bottles (sorted by colour), but also coffee capsules, yogurt containers, scrap iron and steel, organic waste, carpets, and electronics.

In fact, with their well-organised communal dumpsters or recycling bins in neighbourhoods, the Swiss have taken the mundane act of throwing out one’s garbage to a whole new level of efficiency.

So one of the best ways to fit in is to be as trash-oriented as the Swiss.

READ MORE: Eight ways you might be annoying your neighbours (and not realising it) in Switzerland

You trim your hedges with a ruler

How your garden looks says a lot about you.

If it’s unkempt and overgrown with weeds, you are clearly a foreigner (though likely not German or Austrian).

But if your grass is cut neatly and your hedges trimmed with military-like precision (except on Sundays), and some of your bushes and shrubs are shaped like poodles, you will definitely fit in.

You follow the laundry room rules

If you live in an apartment building, chances are there is a communal laundry room in the basement that is shared by all the residents.

As everything else in Switzerland, these facilities are regulated by a …laundry list of “dos” and “don’ts” that you’d well to commit to memory and adhere to meticulously.

These rules relate to everything from adhering to the assigned time slot to removing lint from the dryer.

Following each rule to the letter, and not trying to wash your laundry in someone else’s time slot, is a sign of successful integration.

Voilà, the five signs you are “at home” in Switzerland.

READ MORE: French-speaking Switzerland: Seven life hacks that will make you feel like a local

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