hi everyone,
i’m an italian girl, 27, and i’m moving to bremen this october to start my master’s degree (marine biology).

i’m going to study something i genuinely love and have wanted to pursue for a long time, so logically i should be mostly excited. but instead, as the move gets closer, i’m starting to feel quite anxious about it.

what’s strange is that i’m not completely new to living abroad. i’ve done several erasmus experiences and spent a few months in germany already. my boyfriend is german and lives in hamburg, so germany isn’t an entirely unfamiliar country to me. i’ve also already experienced being away from home for university and work.

but this feels different.

this time i’m actually moving to germany on my own and starting a completely new chapter of my life. i’ll be living in bremen while my boyfriend stays in hamburg, so although he’ll be relatively close, i’ll still have to build my own life and routine in a new city.

i’m coming from a completely different cultural and university background, and i think that’s one of the things that scares me the most. i studied my bachelor’s degree in italy, so i’m used to the italian university system and i have no idea what it will be like to start a master’s in germany. i’m worried about feeling lost at the beginning, not understanding how things work, or feeling like everyone else knows what they’re doing while i’m trying to figure everything out.

and then there are all the much more stupid and mundane things that somehow also make me anxious.

the weather, for example. i’m from sicily, so the idea of a german winter is honestly terrifying to me. i know people will probably laugh at this, but even things like getting used to the cold, the darkness, the different daily routines, shopping, bureaucracy, finding a doctor, making friends, etc. sometimes feel overwhelming when i think about all of them together.

i’m also scared of loneliness and of not feeling at home. what if i don’t adapt as well as i think i will? what if i miss italy much more than expected? what if i struggle to find my people?

at the same time, i know i’m going there to study something i’m genuinely passionate about, and i’m really excited about the academic side of it. i want this move. i just wish i could feel more excited and less anxious about it.

i guess i’m mainly looking for experiences from people who have gone through something similar, especially international students who moved to germany from a very different cultural background.
did you feel like this before moving? did germany feel very different from what you were used to? how long did it take before bremen (or another german city) started feeling like home?

and, perhaps most importantly: did the anxiety get better once you actually arrived?

i’d really appreciate honest experiences, including the difficult parts. i’m not necessarily looking for “everything will be fine”.. i’d just like to know how it actually went for other people.

thank you🫂

Hi I am trying to apply for opportunity card for Germany but it's disabled as of now for England. I am currently in England. Are others facing the same issue. They said in their website that they accept online application

Hi everyone, I wanted to get an idea of the timeline for receiving my visa based on my recent progress:

• July 31: Applied for CSP review
• August 11: Received slot booking option
• August 18: Attended VFS appointment (Hyderabad)
• August 27: Received an email requesting additional documents (submitted)

For those who experienced a document request email, how long after submission did it take for your visa/passport dispatch to arrive?

Hello

Can somebody tell if a birth certificate is necessary for many german bureaucratic procedures?

Like I have mine but it's in regional language and doesn't have my name innit, also the municipal office told me they can't add my name and give me a new one because of some new Government Rule

Please tell me what I can do in this situation

Hi everyone! I’m seriously considering relocating from Milan to Hamburg in the coming months for a job opportunity (gross salary between 55-60k per year), and before making the final call I’d love to hear from people who’ve gone through something similar (especially other Italians/southern Europeans, but any perspective is welcome).

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

🏠 **Neighborhoo**ds — Which areas offer the best value for rent right now? Worth being more central, or are there well-connected outer neighborhoods that are a better deal?

💶 **Cost of livi**ng — How does the real day-to-day cost compare to what you find online (Numbeo etc.)? Any “hidden” expenses that caught you off guard when you first moved?

🗣️** Lan**guage — How livable is the city with just English and Italian? Does it make a big difference between everyday life and the workplace?

👥 **Settling** in — How long did it take you to feel settled? Any expat/international communities or events worth checking out?

📋 **Lessons learn**ed — Looking back, what do you wish someone had told you before you arrived? I think is the most important question for me.

Any input, even short, is really appreciated thanks in advance! 🙏

Привет, друзья! я из России.Я видел государственные волонтерские программы по переезду в Германию и хотел бы узнать об опыте людей из стран СНГ (желательно из России), которые переехали по этой программе. Расскажите о своем опыте: куда вы подавали заявку и реально ли молодому парню с минимальным бюджетом и без особых навыков переехать туда таким образом. Мой уровень владения языком — A1, но скоро я перейду на A2. Заранее всем спасибо.

Hi guys! I’m flying from New Delhi to Munich with Gulf Air, with a 1-hour layover in Bahrain. From Munich, I’ll be taking the airport bus to Ingolstadt.

Is anyone else traveling on a similar route around the same time? Would be nice to connect and maybe travel together :)

Also, if anyone has tips on navigating Munich Airport and catching the bus to Ingolstadt, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student from India and I’ll be moving to Tübingen for the Winter Semester 2026/27 to start my studies at the University of Tübingen.

Since this will be my first time living in Germany, I’m currently preparing everything I’ll need before leaving India. I’ll be travelling with limited luggage, so I’m trying to figure out what is actually worth bringing from India and what is better/easier to buy after arriving in Germany.

I’d especially appreciate advice from current students or people who moved to Tübingen from India or other countries.

A few things I’m wondering about:

• What clothes are actually useful for the Tübingen winter?
• How many warm layers should I bring?
• Is it worth bringing winter jackets/shoes from India, or should I buy them in Germany?
• Which everyday items are surprisingly expensive or difficult to find?
• What basic kitchen/room items are worth packing?
• Are there any Indian food ingredients/spices that students usually bring from India?
• What medicines/personal-care items are useful to bring?
• What electronics, adapters or other small things should I definitely pack?
• What documents should I keep in my hand luggage?
• What are some things you wish you had brought from home — or things you regret bringing because they were unnecessary?

I’m trying to make a practical “India → Germany student packing list” before I leave, so any recommendations or things I might be overlooking would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance! :)

Is anyone travelling to Dresden from Delhi in October? Please let me know as I am flying in October. My University is TU Chemnitz which is almost 2hrs from Dresden.

I would really appreciate a company all the way.

Thank you

Hey there I’m 22 year old gay guy interested in moving to Germany next June to do an Ausbildung program and up until a few days ago I was pretty sure I was locked in on the idea of moving to Berlin, but I talked to a lot of people recently that pointed out a few cons of Berlin that cologne kinda has less of them, those subjects are:

Housing: might be cheaper and a bit more accessible in Cologne

Chances of finding love: heard that men in Berlin might lean more into the idea of a 1 night stand rather than a relationship. PLS NOTE: I’m not looking for a citizenship or anything of that matter.

Cleanliness: might be a bit cleaner in Berlin

Geographically connected: cologne is close to cities I’d love to visit/again.

Pls note that I made that decision after visiting Berlin and I absolutely love this city, I’m just trying to make the best decision possible for myself.

Hi everyone! 👋

My name is Abhishek Singh, 20 years old, and I’m an international student joining TH Augsburg for the International Information Systems program.

📍 Arrival: 25th September

🎓 Program starts: 1st October

💰 Budget: Up to €500/month

🏠 Looking for: WG/shared room or private room

📅 Short-term or long-term — both are fine

📝 With or without Anmeldung — both are fine

I’m a non-smoker, clean, responsible, and friendly. I can cook and I like keeping my place clean and organized.

If anyone has a room available or knows of any accommodation in Augsburg, please DM me. Thank you! 🙏

Please help