With a three month summer ahead and the prospect of applying to universities at the end of it, I have looked into a range of universities that offer German courses and found there is a wealth of options...
1. The first step you should take is looking into the league tables. It can help you choose the best university close to you- if that is a priority or simply find out which is rated the highest. In the UK, Durham, Oxford and Cambridge are naturally at the top of the table however, look into the other universities like Bristol and Exeter... bear in mind each city has there own level of living cost... think about rent, groceries, travel before you decide you want to study, for example, in London.
2. Have a think about whether you want to study pure German or combine it with other subjects. St Andrews is the best university, that I have researched, for offering a range of combinations. Everything from German with Arabic to German with International Relations.
I found to my shock at an Oxford open day, just how much of a pure German course is dedicated to the history of Germany... have a serious look into the course's outline before having your heart set on a particular one!
3. Think about the personal statement. A big must is fitting your statement around the particular course and what you'll be studying. Plan your summer... could you get work experience that would show your enthusiasm for German? Think supercurricular. What about reading some German novels, getting parallel texts or reading German newspapers... the smallest things will set you ahead of other candidates.
4. Probably this should be number one really. But have a big pause and think... am I really ready for university yet? Is my German good enough? Do I want to travel?
You don't have to be mega rich to do a gap year... lose the perception of gap years as being only something 'private school kids' do. I'm not 'loaded' or privately educated, but I'm considering taking a year out next summer. I plan to save up by working a while in the time after my A2 exams and then looking into working in Germany (well I'm already researching now). It may seem impossible but have a look at this.
Of course, if you're planning a year out you must think about deferred entry!
These are the range of courses that I have found interesting...
German (4 years)
University of Bristol
Typical offer: ABB (A-level)
First year: German Language, Introduction to German Studies, Images of Austria, Introduction to the Study of Cultures, one open unit.
Second year: German Language, three or four optional units, (eg Germany and Austria 1918-34; Franz Kafka; United Germany; Divided Germany; Historical Linguistics; Literature and Politics 1800-1871; Young Goethe; Die Wiener Moderne etc), one or two open units.
Third year: Work or Study Placement abroad, with supervised individual study for Bristol.
Fourth year: German Language, one to three optional units in German, (eg Modern Sociolinguistics; Socialism and the Left; The German Sonnet; History and Literature; Representing the Holocaust; Constitutional History; German Expressionist Drama; Culture of Classical Weimar, etc).
I got the chance to visit Bristol university with my sister last year. I loved that is was city based...I preferred the idea of moving round a city rather being on a secluded campus. In saying that, my sister loves Exeter university despite it being out of town.
German and International Relations (What is that?)
Typical offer: AAA
It might be a little cold! :(
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