Relocating to Berlin was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I was thrilled to start my degree, but my biggest concern was securing student accommodation in Berlin. I had heard so many horror stories about students having trouble finding a room, encountering high rental prices, and being scammed.
As an international student moving from India, I couldn’t view apartments before signing a lease, so I had to do everything online. This made the process of finding student accommodation in Germany even more difficult.
Who Am I?
I am Aaditya from India. I am now studying International Management at ISM Berlin, Germany. Germany has always been one of my top three choices due to the high quality of education, international student community, and job prospects after graduation.
I chose Berlin out of all the cities in Germany because it is such a diverse student city with students from many countries worldwide.
Admission Was Only the Beginning
Once I received my admission letter, I thought that the difficult part was over. However, I quickly learned that once I had gained admission to a university, the hardest part of my move was just beginning-finding a place to live.
The Challenge of Finding a Place to Live
Like most international students, I started researching student accommodation in Berlin through online platforms. Most of the platforms had numerous listings, making it very confusing to find student housing in Berlin.
Many of the apartments were already leased, and the ones that were available were either too costly for my budget or raised questions because of a lack of listing details.
My Main Concerns
My general concerns were:
- Will I be safe in this accommodation?
- Will the condition of this accommodation be as depicted in the images?
When it came time to decide where I would be living throughout my studies in Berlin, I had to think about two things:
- Will I have transport close by to my accommodation?
- Am I secure in completing my booking from outside of Germany?
Finding Comfort Within My Budget
Purchasing and renting in Germany can be expensive, and so my aim was for a comfortable yet affordable place. It was not going to work for me to arrive in Germany, book into a hotel for a week or longer while finding somewhere to call “home!”
Discovering University Living
As I was looking for different accommodation providers, I stumbled across University Living. My initial observation of their site was that it is also a good resource for me to consider as part of my comparison for different student-type accommodations.
I liked how easy the accommodation listings were to read. The types of rooms, locations and pricing are all available on one page, which is also helpful to have everything in one location.
Choosing My Accommodation
After spending a few days surfing through the many different picks, I chose Nazarethkirchstraße 51 which is a shared apartment for the first year.
I also reached out with a few questions about the booking process, and all their responses helped to ease my mind about the whole booking process. Booking from another country and having someone explain to me how to complete the booking made me feel that much more confident.
My Experience with University Living
I did not expect that my booking process was going to go so smoothly!
I was able to compare all different properties together, view all the features of each property, and review the details of the contract prior to completing my booking.
Receiving My Booking Confirmation
After finalisation of the booking, receiving my booking confirmation was a major relief for me! After completing my booking confirmation, I realised that completing one of the major tasks from my checklist to move overseas had been achieved.
Transportation to My New Home
In addition, University Living provided me with transportation from there.
Once I had made it to my new home after a lengthy flight and many hours of travelling internationally, having already arranged for a way to get there made my entire process much easier because I could simply focus on getting to my new home.
If I had to focus on navigating the many different pieces of public transportation with multiple bags, it would have taken away from my arrival in Germany.
Living in Berlin
Now that I live with three other students in our shared apartment, I have created a space in my room to accomplish much more than simply sleeping.
When I started, the room contained only a few essential pieces of furniture, but I began decorating my room with decorations, pictures, and plants. In addition to this, I set up a study area in my room. Now my room is far more comfortable than it was when I first moved in.
My Everyday Student Life
My everyday life is rather simple. I attend class, study at the university when I can, complete homework, work out at the gym, share meal prep with my roommates, and explore the different areas of Berlin.
Public transportation is very accessible to my apartment. I have many quick and easy means of transportation between my apartment and school.
In addition, the ability to easily access many of the local grocery stores, cafes, and parks adds to the ease of day-to-day life. Being able to secure housing before embarking on my studies relieved much of the pressure associated with trying to figure out living arrangements while studying.
Advantages of Booking Before Arriving
Looking back, reserving housing before arriving in Germany was by far the best decision I made.
Greater Peace of Mind
When I arrived in Germany, it provided me with peace of mind during an already stressful process of getting my visa, packing my bags, booking my flight and preparing for university.
Knowing my exact location alleviated the stress of focusing on becoming established in Germany by giving me additional time to look for a place to live once I got here.
A Simpler First Day in Germany
Having an airport pickup service provided a simpler first day. After flying for several hours, I didn’t have to worry about how to get around an unknown city with heavy bags.
When you’re moving to another country, you often find that the smallest things will create the biggest difference in terms of making your life easier.
Recommendations for Students Moving to Berlin
If you are studying in Berlin, below are some lessons learned that I would suggest you follow.
- Start looking for your new living arrangement as soon as possible! The best living arrangements are usually secured several months before classes begin.
- Set a realistic monthly budget for your apartment search.
- Check multiple properties before making your first commitment.
- Read all the reviews and confirm what is included in your price of rent.
- Review the distance from your university to your potential new home and from public transport to your potential home.
- Ensure you understand the booking policy before making any payments.
- If this is your first time moving to a new country, platforms like ULInfinity will help you in your study abroad journey.
Conclusion
Moving to a new country is very exciting and fun, but it can be overwhelming at times. Finding student accommodations in Berlin was probably the thing I worried about the most; however, once that was taken care of, everything else became much easier.
What My Journey Taught Me
Every student’s experience will be different; nonetheless, my journey taught me that your preparation will save you time and stress.
Securing my accommodation in advance allowed me to focus on the important things when I arrived in Berlin and began studying at university, such as meeting new people and enjoying a completely different place to live.
My Final Advice
As you prepare for your own study abroad experience, simple advice is to start your accommodation search early, compare all of your options thoroughly, and avoid waiting until the last minute to make housing arrangements.
The more advanced preparation you do now, the more enjoyable your first weeks will be while you adapt to life in a new country.
