Regular Classes

Regular classes at the university, as opposed to the Max Weber Haus are a good bit different than those I have taken back home in Mass. For starters the very structure of the classes is different, with lectures that involve almost no participation (probably on par with larger classes at UMass, but size car vary dramatically).  Then come Seminars which are basically like a small lecture or seminar back at UMass, where you can expect a lot more student participation. Then there are Übungen, which are effectively practice courses on a specific topic, like a lab for a science class effectively, but you can have one like mine on the American Revolution. In these courses it is the goal (aside from lectures) that the students do a great deal of the teaching, which means getting prepared for class and doing extra work than assigned. Otherwise the whole system would not work. This means that you will not have the same kind of structured or laid out course plan and that a class on the Declaration of Independence can get caught up on a discussion of John Adams and never even get to the document itself, if the professor does not curtail the conversation.

The next big difference is the amount work that is required compared to expected work. In the United States you can expect a ton of work to get done and a lot more graded assignments. Not so in Germany. Most classes only meet once a week for 90 minutes and the course work per week is generally no more than the reading for the next class. The only real assignments tend to be the final and maybe some kind of presentation to do in class to start one of the discussions. So far I have not at all felt much pressure to get work done or really to learn a lot (not sure of that is good or bad). On the other hand, because the students are expected to lead the discussions, this means that if you do not get your work done, you effectively make an ass of yourself, to put it simply. If you just assume you know about John Adams, do not be surprised if a fellow student or professor calls you out on something (I have avoided it so far, but I can say it does not look fun). So this means the big thing about learning in Germany is that you have to do it yourself, you have a basic outline presented to you, but you have to fill the rest in. This also means that you have the chance to explore what you want and take a class in the direction that you are interested in. All in all I like it better, but it is also puts a lot more responsibility on you, that one has to be aware of to succeed. But I do not know anyone who would complain about being able to read a good book instead of writing an essay on a bad one.

Of course this does not mean that you will have no work to do and in fact it almost all comes at once at the end of the semester. As a plus you should have plenty of time to do it, but it is still one big rush after a pretty mundane semester. Definitely something to watch out for, but if you are lucky like me you will have the chance to get a head start in some classes and that came make things a lot easier. Just an aside I have yet to find a ratemyprofessor for Germany, so you have to go in blind in that regard.