Bachelor of Science - 2023
I am a second year physics undergraduate student from Yıldız Technical University, in İstanbul. I wanted to spend my semester where I can learn German and properly experience German culture and now I can confidently say that Dortmund was definitely an appropiate choice. The university is an international one with many, many foreign students from many different countries which brings in the very welcome diversity but in essence it is very much German. From the (delicious!) food they serve at the Mensa, to the library, to the students it will at some point make you participate in German customs and the excellent International Office definitely helps with their interactive events as well.
Even though Dortmund itself felt a little small, the level of integration to the general Ruhr area is excellent and it does make up for it. The proximity of Dortmund to neighbouring countries and to many important German cities outside the Ruhr also meant that I could quickly travel and see the neighbouring places without much hassle, which was lovely.
I took many courses and most of the material felt unique and the academic staff were lovable. The physics department's two-lecturer system meant that each lecturer had enough time and related experience to talk about their own specialty so enough time was given to both the experimental and the theoretical parts. The differences between the lecturers also meant an increase in understanding for me since I could hear the material from different sources. Math classes went over interesting material and the exercises were original and some were pretty creative, incorporating adjacent fields in math and physics while still being simple enough to be workable. Most of my classes were in German and that posed a great difficulty but the lecturers were mostly understanding and did what they could to help. Overall I very much enjoyed the classes I took.
Even though in the end I didn't have much time to actively participate, the student clubs were pretty active and the Erasmus Network had many people and organised many activities. Again, I am glad the TUDo international office was as experienced as it was with international students because their activities at the beginning of the semester were abundant and were pretty effective in getting people to know each other and making us feel at home in this new environment. The intensive German courses held before the semester were excellent and definitely supplied us with the required foundation thanks to our great teacher. I formed great friendships there which still continue to this day.
Unfortunately, one thing worth taking into account before coming here is the university dorms. Even though the dorms themselves are fine and affordable, I felt they were misrepresented on the website with the pictures (although that might have been a bit to do with my lack of German!). In addition, the staff at the dorm is pretty inexperienced with international students which can lead to problems in communications and they can come across as rude. My advisor and my fellow students helped me substantially when I had any problems and I am sure everyone involved is more equipped to handle such problems now. Other than this small note, the facilities and my neighbours were very friendly and warm and close enough to markets and transportation such as busses and bicycles which I really enjoyed. The area is generally very lovely, pretty and has a lot to explore, especially if you like walking and cycling.
Overall, I very much enjoyed my semester in Dortmund and I would recommend the school for an Erasmus learning mobility. I'd definitely go back in a heartbeat and spend one more semester there!