Deutschland diaries Shafique Mamdani, an alum of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management explains why he believes Germany is a preferable study destination

Deutschland diaries

Shafique Mamdani, an alum of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management explains why he believes Germany is a preferable study destination

    More often than
    not, my conversation with people
    begins with, "Why
    Germany?" And my response has been, "Why not Germany!" It may currently not be a popular destination for higher education among Indians but, having lived there, I am convinced that things will change in the future.
    The institute I studied at is one of the finest schools and its programmes are highly sought after.
    However, as much as a school ensures to invite the best-of-the-best experts and encourage extra-curricular activities, it is really up to the students to grab these opportunities. I have met some incredible people including the Nobellaureate Muhammad Yunus and Claus-Dietrich Lahrs, CEO of the Hugo Boss. Schools also have a number of other student initiatives which one can be a part of.
    Frankfurt is a rather expensive city but it allows you to choose your lifestyle. In addition to the tuition, one can comfortably live spending 650-700 euros/ month, all inclusive. Also, if you prefer working while you are studying, you can choose to so. However, it's subject to a maximum of 20 hours/ week. I worked at Santander bank for three days a week while attending school the other three days. I would highly encourage fellow aspirants to apply early on. November is the right time to finish applying for corporate and investment banking positions. I got an opportunity to intern at RBS and secured a full-time position, a full year in advance of graduating.
    Studying in Germany is also great because you can explore the rest of Europe by just hopping on a train. It is not very expensive and worth every penny. You can go ski in Austria during winter and enjoy the beaches of Spain in summer. People there are sport-freaks, so you will not have any problem being in the right company. And if this is not enough, you can opt to complete your final semester abroad, in literally any school around the world. I chose to go to the Boston University and this again has my highest recommendation.
    Finally, what puts us Indians at a disadvantage, among all the great things, is the language. Ability to speak German is very important. If you desire to work while you study, it is imperative that you pick up the language. I have been lucky to work at Santander with very little knowledge of the language. There are a lot of schools that you can go to learn the language but my favourite is A-viva. Viel Glück!