Attachment to Acceptance Letter September 2013

Please read this attachment very carefully. It contains important information about your arrival in Jlich.
All Masters students must send an email to confirm your arrival date. Masters students should send an email to energy-master-application@fh-aachen.de and newstudent@fh.aachen.de. Include your arrival date, name and application number. Put arrival in the subject line. If you are already in Germany, contact us for details about the student activity fee and health insurance certificate. Our tutors will help students from outside Germany arrange for these documents once they are here.

VISAS

Classes will start on Monday, 23. September 2013. The last arrival date is Friday, 27. September 2013 at 8:00. Please check the website or contact us for updates. You must be in Jlich by that date, at the very latest. For this reason, you MUST begin your visa application process IMMEDIATELY. Past experience has shown that the visa application process generally takes longer than expected. Take both the acceptance letter and the letter addressed to the German embassy to get a student visa. The embassy will then forward your visa application to the Auslnderbehrde des Kreises Dren (Foreigners Office for the County Dren) for processing. The Auslnderbehrde des Kreises Dren then notifies the embassy in your home country that you have been approved for a visa. This process takes a minimum of 6-8 weeks, but usually much longer. Please be sure the German embassy sends your visa application to the Kreis Dren and not to the Stadt Dren (city of Dren) or to Aachen. Otherwise your visa application could be unnecessarily delayed. Funding and bank account: At the German embassy you may also have to demonstrate that you have enough money to support yourself during your first year in Germany, usually by proving that you have about 8000 available to you. German embassies in some countries may require you to open a bank account. Visa renewal: You will get a 3 month visa to enter Germany. When you renew it, you will also have to prove that you have enough money to finance the rest of your stay in Germany, usually with a bank statement showing sufficient funding. A letter from your parents is generally NOT sufficient. Without this certification, you will not be able to continue your studies. All students must apply for a student visa. You cannot study in Germany with a tourist visa. If you enter Germany on a tourist visa, you will have to return to your home country to get a student visa. Special restrictions apply for family members. Please contact the German embassy in your country for details. Exceptions: Students from EU countries and Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and the USA do not need a visa to enter Germany. All students from these countries who stay here for more than 3 months must register at the city hall and within 3 months they must go to Dren and get an Aufenthaltserlaubnis/residence permit. Travel health insurance: You must buy travel health insurance in your home country to cover any medical emergencies between leaving your home country and enrollment. The student health insurance you must buy in Jlich will not be valid until you enroll, which doesnt occur until one to two weeks after you arrive.

TIME SCHEDULE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WINTER SEMESTER 2013/14

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES

New student arrival period: Monday, 09 September to Friday, 27 September 2013. Enrollment: Students arriving in Germany for the first time will be enrolled within these days of arrival. In special cases, you will have to contact our tutors by email, newstudent@fh-aachen.de. New Student Orientation and Welcome Meeting (attendance required): Monday, 23 September 2013, 9:00 a.m. in the Gerling Pavilion. Last arrival date and time: Friday, 27 September 2013, 9:00 a.m. If you arrive after this date, you will not be permitted to enroll and study here. If you cannot get your visa by that date, you will have to reapply. Classes start: Thursday, 26 September 2013, directly after new student orientation.

Attachment to Acceptance Letter 2012 v. 4/12

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FH Aachen / University of Applied Sciences / Jlich Campus

All students must pay tuition and mandatory student activity fees, which are currently about 235 per semester. This includes the Semester Ticket (see below). Please do not pay until you contacted the International Office regarding the exact fee and payment requirements. You must pay these fees upon arrival from a bank account in Germany by direct transfer to the university. The International Office will help you with this. The university does NOT accept demand drafts, travelers checks or personal checks. In most cases demand drafts take up to a month to clear the bank, so we recommend that you bring travelers checks to cover your initial expenses (see below).

PAYING YOUR TUITION AND FEES

We do not pick students up at the airport. Use the directions below to get to Jlich. The website www.bahn.de has information about trains from these airports to Jlich. Please note that the last train leaves Dren for Jlich at around 22.00. From Frankfurt, Germany: Take the train from the airport to the Cologne main train station (Kln). Then take the train from Kln to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 3 hours. From Dsseldorf, Germany: There are trains to the Dsseldorf main train station at frequent intervals. Take the train from Dsseldorf to the Cologne main train station (Kln) and then to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Some trains may go directly from Dsseldorf to Dren. Travel time approximately 1-2 hours. Since there are two trains that go to Aachen from Dsseldorf on different routes, be careful that you get the train that stops in Cologne and Dren or you may have a long detour. For a larger group traveling together, sharing a taxi or mini-van might be cheaper (about 80 for 4 people), otherwise the train is probably cheaper. From Kln-Bonn (Cologne), Germany: From the airport you can take the train to the Cologne main train station (Kln). Take the train from Kln to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 12 hours. For a larger group traveling together, sharing a taxi or mini-van might be cheaper (about 80 for 4 people), otherwise the train is probably cheaper. From Aachen, Germany: From the bus station take the bus to Jlich (usually bus number 11 or SB11 (with a transfer)) or take the train to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. From Maastricht, Netherlands: Take the shuttle bus from the Maastricht Airport to the Aachen main railway station. Take the train from Aachen to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 2-3 hours. From Amsterdam, Netherlands: Take the shuttle transfer to the main train station, then take the train to Cologne (Kln) or Aachen. Take the train to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 4-5 hours. From Brussels, Belgium: Take the shuttle to the main train station, then either a direct train to Dren or take the train to Aachen and change to the train to Dren, then change trains for Jlich. Travel time approximately 3-4 hours.

HOW TO GET TO JLICH:

ROOMS

(For more admitted-students/

information

see

our

website

www.fh-aachen.de/hochschule/ios/information-for-

The student dormitories are currently full, with a long waiting list for international students. Cost of rooms: The cost of living in Germany may be very different from your home country. Furnished rooms start at about 250 plus about 50-75 per month for electricity, water and heat. Most rooms require the first months rent and a security deposit of one to two months rent in advance. If your room is in good condition when you move out, your security deposit will be returned. Students from warmer climates may feel cold in Germany and may be wearing heavy coats when people more accustomed to the climate are just wearing light jackets. For this reason, your heating costs might be high. If you do not have a bicycle, you may have to take the bus or train to the FH Aachen in Jlich. Your semester ticket for local public transportation (see below), includes the price of most local buses and trains. Please do not come to Germany and expect to find a room for 100 per month, as we do not have any rooms for that price. Keeping your room: While living in Germany you must follow the rules for your room. You must maintain quiet hours so that other people can study and sleep. You must keep your own room and common areas, including kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms, clean. If you do not follow the rules for your room, you may be evicted without notice. German law also requires that in most cases you must give 3 months notice before leaving a room. This means that if you do not give 3 months notice and still move to another room, you may end up paying rent on 2 rooms for up to 3 months. Students can organize their own accommodations by contacting private agencies such as the Mitwohnzentrale Jlich Tel/Fax : +49 2461 629765 but you have to find a way to communicate with them in German http://www.studenten-wg.de/J%FClich,mitwohnzentrale.html. German students and others currently living in Germany should organize their own accommodations by contacting the Studentenwerk directly or by looking for a private room in Jlich. Studentenwerk Aachen Turmstr. 3 52072 Aachen www.studentenwerk-aachen.de

Attachment to Acceptance Letter 2013 v.10/12

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FH Aachen / University of Applied Sciences / Jlich Campus

Housing upon arrival: Unfortunately, we do not offer short-term student housing. If you have no other options, you might consider staying at the Youth Hostel Aachen. We recommend making a reservation. Jugendgstehaus Aachen Maria-Theresia-Allee 260 52074 Aachen Tel: +49 241 71101-0 Fax: +49 241 71101-20 http://www.jugendherberge.de/jh/rheinland/aachen/ or one of the two in Cologne (Kln) http://www.jugendherberge.de/. You should make a reservation as soon as possible, as the rooms are booked out quickly, especially at the beginning of the semester. Hotels and pensions in Jlich www.juelich.de/hotelsundpensionen.

ARRIVAL CONTACT

During the arrival period, our tutors will answer all questions. Therefore you will have to send further emails to newstudent@fh-aachen.de. The FH Aachen Campus Jlich is not open on Saturdays or Sundays. Please try to time your arrival with our official daytime working hours, as we cannot help you with your room or in any other way outside our normal working hours.

Di, Wedn. und Fr- from 9-10.30 Uhr 01A26

To reach us contact FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Jlich Campus Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1 52428 Jlich, Germany

email:

newstudent@fh-aachen.de

When you arrive in Jlich, you will have to arrange several things. We will get you started with your tutors. You will get an Email where you can meet your tutor. Important: The entire enrollment procedure takes about one to two weeks after your arrival. You must complete the following steps to be enrolled. 1. Step 1: Find a room: The first thing you need in Jlich is to find a room. Our experience is that students who have come a long way want to sleep before doing anything else. 2. Step 2: Register at city hall (Einwohnermeldeamt): We will explain how to do this when you arrive. In most cases you need this registration to open a bank account. 3. Step 3: Open a bank account: You must open a bank account to pay your fees before you can enroll, as well as to pay your rent, health insurance, etc. If you are unable to open a bank account because you do not yet have a room, dont worry. We will help you arrange alternative payment. 4. Step 4: Health Insurance: Under German law, all students are required to have valid health insurance, which you can arrange upon your arrival in Jlich. Student health insurance with one of the public insurance companies in Germany costs about 80 per month for students under 30 years of age. For international students over 30, health insurance is also about 90 a month. IMPORTANT: As you will not have any health insurance until you are enrolled, you must have travel health insurance to cover any medical emergencies between leaving your home country and enrollment. 5. Step 5: Pay the tuition and student activity fees: Proof that you have paid the tuition and student activity fees. See Paying your Tuition and Fees above for details. If you are already in Germany, contact us for details before you come to the International Office. 6. Step 6: Enrollment formalities: We will help you complete the enrollment formalities. 7. Step 7: Renew your visa: Within three months of your arrival in Germany you must renew your visa. Details will be available when you arrive. 8. Missing Documents: If you were admitted conditionally and required to bring documents with you as stated in your admission letter, you must submit these documents before you can be enrolled. The most common missing documents are original copies of academic documents and TOEFL or IELTS score sheets. Important: if you do not bring the necessary certificates, you cannot be enrolled as a student. 9. Semester Ticket: All students receive a semester ticket for public transportation when they enroll at the FH Aachen and when they re-register for each semester. With the semester ticket you can ride most trains and buses in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia. This is part of the student activity fee and all students are required to buy it.

PROCEDURE ON ARRIVAL IN JLICH

One more important point before you come to Germany. Please be sure you have enough money with you to cover all your initial expenses. You should have enough money in travellers checks to pay your rent, the security deposit on your room, AND your tuition and fees. It generally takes several days to a week for the new bank accounts to be available to students. Fixed costs for students are o Tuition and student activity fee, which will be about 235 per semester. This fee has not yet been
Attachment to Acceptance Letter 2013 v.10/12 page 3

LIVING IN GERMANY

FH Aachen / University of Applied Sciences / Jlich Campus

set for the summer semester 2013 and may change over time. Mandatory health insurance, about 80 per month. Students from some European countries and students over the age of 30 have slightly different requirements. o Living costs, room and board, including the mandatory health insurance mentioned above, generally totaling around 700 per month. Dont forget that most rooms require the first months rent and a security deposit of one to two months rent in advance when you move in. o Optional German lessons, about 300 per semester for about 10 hours of instruction per week, including books. German Language Requirements: The FH Aachen requires that all international students show proof of German language ability. Working in Germany: The FH Aachen does not provide scholarships for international or German students. International students are generally allowed to work for only 120 days per year. Jobs at the FH Aachen are not available to first year students and may be difficult to get later. Therefore, students should not count on financing their stay in Jlich or Aachen by working part-time during their studies. Examinations: Your final course grade is determined by one examination at the end of the course. There are three exam periods per year. If you fail an examination, you can take it again, but in most cases, not if you are just unhappy with your grade. You may take an exam for one course up to a maximum of three times. If you fail the third time, you will automatically be exmatriculated and will have to leave the FH Aachen and Germany. Details about exams will be explained when you are in Jlich. Vaccination Certificate: Please bring your vaccination certificate or any proof of vaccinations with you, if you have them. Packing list: Some of our students have put together a packing list. You can see it at http://www.fh-aachen.de/fileadmin/org/org_ios/packing_list.xls. o

For more Information: Global coordinates of the FH Aachen, Jlich Campus:

5055'57.80"N 622'20.84"O The current picture in GoogleEarth does not show our new building, which was built in 2009-2010. Several of our current students are available to answer your questions about life in Germany and at our university. You can reach them at newstudent@fh-aachen.de. These students cannot answer any questions about your admission, nor can they locate rooms for you or pick you up at the airport or train station. Links at the FH Aachen See our website at http://www.fh-aachen.de/hochschule/ios/information-for-admitted-students/. Department of International Affairs at the FH Aachen: http://www.fhaachen.de/hochschule/akademisches-auslandsamt/. Information booklet for new students: http://www.fh-aachen.de/hochschule/ios/information-bookfor-new-students/. The version for the new semester will be online a few weeks before the semester begins. Until then, the previous version is available. Online-Brochure about the FH: http://www-alt.fh-aachen.de/ratgeber.html (in German and English) Please note that this link may change. External Websites (all are available in English as well as some other languages) DAAD(German Academic Exchange Service): www.daad.de www.daad.de/deutschland/deutschland/00509.en.htm www.campus-germany.de Facts about Germany: www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de Deutschland-Portal: www.deutschland.de Federal Foreign Office of Germany: www.auswaertiges-amt.de

Attachment to Acceptance Letter 2013 v.10/12

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