Friday 7.3.14

We had a gathering today to go over upcoming school trips, events, and get some history about the school and Darmstadt. There were some really cool bits of info that found fascinating. As a student, I can get into the cinema and clubs for free. I think it may only be 1 day a week, but I know last night I didn’t pay when I went to Schloss Keller. I showed my ID, got a stamp, and went in. All universities in Germany are funded by the states. Some states have big populations paying taxes so the schools there will be better funded. Germany treats higher education like a right. It’s available to everyone who applies. (Those with bad grades will just have to wait longer, or try another university.) Students don’t pay tuition in the thousands like in America. I paid $206 Euros for the whole semester which is designated as a fee. The students here used to pay for tuition, but when the government enacted the tuition it resulted in protests. The politicians were not re-elected, and the tuition procedure was abandoned for the smaller semester “fee.” It varies from state to state, but here in Hessen the money is flowing nicely so the campus is doing OK.

Karlshof, the dormitory where I live, could use some updating. Internet is provided individually in each room by an Ethernet cable. The laundry facility has really small machines that cost 2€ for each wash and dry. They’re also just now installing smoke detectors too. A really cool fact about h_da is that all professors MUST prove they have 5 years of experience in the field. This school focuses on preparing students to take over in the workforce. H_da isn’t focused on creating researchers. It’s all practical employment preparation. Internships are at least 3 months, preferably 6, and required by the major for graduation. There are great aspects of the school that I wish would migrate into the Cal State/UC system, but h_da doesn’t have a career center, creative writing center, and some other extra “bonuses” that we have in California.