Studying at Freiburg or Heidelberg university

My 19 y/o American daughter is planning to do study abroad Spring 2009 (March through end of July). She'll be in a university exchange program and other than meeting some other international or American students during a one month initial orientation will be on her own. Hopefully she'll be living in student housing and will become friends with her German or international roommates.

Her German is pretty good and she's traveled alone to Munich and Vienna the past three summers doing language study programs and homestays. She's undaunted by the idea but I'm concerned about her being lonely, making friends, friends to travel with in Europe during breaks.
She makes friends easily but when I've researched other American study abroad programs the participants tell me that they hung out almost exclusively with fellow American students from their program- very few became friendly with German students or their German roommates even though the administrators spread the kids out among housing situations and wanted them to integrate. These American based programs are expensive and are not allowed at her particular university- mostly exchanges only are allowed. A few kids told me they knew others who had joined German uni informal sports teams or prayer/religious groups to make German friends- this is not her thing.

She's majoring in German and Political Science and looking for a liberal arts experience in a fun town well located for some weekend travel to other countries.

Which university would you choose and why? Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

If you aren't familiar with the university environments, can anyone who has visited both towns comment on which one you'd prefer to live in for 5 months during the spring and summer months? They seem quite comparable in size and charm from what I've read with similarly sized universities. So if you had to choose, which one would you pick? Thanks for any replies!

I have not studied in Germany but I live middle distance from both cities.
If it was up to me I would choose Freiburg, as a city it fairs better with weather, location, and so on.
It is Germany's sunniest city and it is close to France and Switzerland.

Not a bad arrangement, and always provides the option to change the surroundings as well.

Plus, I think you are worried too much about her, take it easy, she will do fine especially if she speaks the language well.

Cheers!

OK thanks Don G- yes, you are probably right that I'm worrying too much- hopefully she'll make some friends during the initial orientation since there are no other planned meetings or get togethers after that time.

Any other opinions on the desirability of Freiburg vs Heidelberg? Thanks everyone!

I would certainly choose Freiburg. It's a beautiful university town in the Black Forest, half way between Strasbourg, France and Basel, Switzerland (hour drive each way). I don't think you can beat that.

Heidelberg is a nice place as well, but quite touristy. There's much more of a university feel to Freiburg. Architecturally it's prettier. I think it's a better place all the way around. If she does choose Freiburg, drop me a line. A friend's daughter just started attending school there, and she'd surely help introduce your daughter to the native scene, especially if your daughter is making an effort with the language.

Either way, good luck.

Well, I can tell you that I chose Heidelberg to study. HD is really nice and has good weather most of the time as well. But it is true that it's touristy and there are more Americans as there is a military base there.

Bohemka- thanks so much for giving your opinion. I also really appreciate your offer re: your friend's daughter- I might be contacting you again in 2009- thank you!

Mariposa- if you don't mind my asking, why did you choose Heidelberg over Freiburg?

Heidelberg - in my opinion - has a far more competition-oriented university than other places. Not as much in the humanities as in other fields, but it's there. Heidelberg is a rather traditional, prestigious university for "rich people" (in particular for law and medicine), and that somewhat reflects on the attitude of people there.

As for the size comparison... Heidelberg's university is somewhat larger, at around 28,000 students compared to 21,000 in Freiburg. I.e. Heidelberg's, even more of a "student town", with every 6th person living in the city enrolled at the university, and similar numbers in the surrounding villages still. Both have around 25% international students (in humanities). Both have a significant problem with student housing, also reflecting on the rents around there.

Freiburg is considerably larger than Heidelberg (210k population vs 145k) - however Heidelberg is situated in a sort of agglomeration (Rhein-Neckar Region) with about 1.5 million people, while Freiburg is essentially out in the middle of nowhere. Meaning in Freiburg you'd drive at least an hour before hitting any other "significant" cities, and there'd e.g. be a lot less nightlife to choose from.
Heidelberg is "connected" far better travel-wise, in particular regarding train travel. From Freiburg, essentially you'll need to go an hour north or south first to connect to any (interesting) cities anywhere else. If your daughter (or the friends she makes) have a car in Germany, this is of course less significant.

Kato- thanks so much for your reply and interesting descriptions of the towns.
I'm still a little confused though- so generally speaking, Heidelberg is more prestigious and it's more difficult to gain admission there?
Are most of the classes lecture style and what is the typical class size? I had heard that Tubingen had more seminar style classes but it's not open to her as a sophomore (only juniors or seniors).
Why would Heidelberg be more for rich people? Because it is more prestigious? Aren't the fees and tuition the same everywhere?
Is the town of Heidelberg more affluent than Freiburg?
Do you think most German kids would prefer going to school in Heidelberg because it's more prestigious?
Generally speaking, would faculty prefer to teach there as well? Is it higher status?

Sorry for all the questions but here in the US we have a clearer ranking system (?)- I'm confused by Germany.
Do you think the humanities professors at Heidelburg are accustomed to brighter students and thus more demanding than Freiburg?
I appreciate your willingness to discuss any of my questions or if anyone else has an opinion I would like to hear from you- this is the sort of stuff that is considered politically incorrect to talk about in the US.
I'm just curious- where does LMU in Munich and FU in Berlin fit into the rankings?
Thanks again- sorry to ask so many questions.

Affluence in the general population... about the same i'd say - maybe Heidelberg is slightly ahead, but not by much. Living costs in Heidelberg are somewhat higher. Both rather affluent compared to their respective surrounding area.

Yep, Heidelberg is a favourite for the rich due to its prestige. There are a number of fields where, to "be anyone", your son or daughter better studies in Heidelberg, anywhere else is... well, not "acceptable" in certain circles.
Most kids could often care less about where they go, truthfully - they're glad if they get admitted anywhere nowadays, as universities have actually been reducing their student numbers actively. A friend of mine will be applying to 15 universities for Political Science this summer, and she hopes to get at least one of her Top 3. This is after she already sorted out the one she knows won't take her, and the ones she can't finance due to tuition and local living costs.

The prestige mostly comes with Heidelberg University being very old, and always having seen itself as a "elite university" (and now they're one officially too, unlike Freiburg). Heidelberg is also a huge R&D site. It's the same with faculty, Heidelberg simply looks far better on the career track. In particular in Political Science, Heidelberg also has a pretty good status worldwide, as far as i know.

Class size... depends on subject. However, as typical for humanities, both unis have a large proportion of seminaries, even at the first couple semesters. The exact composition depends on what your daughter chooses of course and what she's allowed to take - but typically, in Heidelberg, seminaries will make up at least 50% of the schedule, for juniors and seniors more likely 75%.
Seminaries in Heidelberg are limited to 40 students usually, rarely less, and are often hard to get in (long lines in the night/morning before the signup date). Open lectures should typically be between 100 and 200 students in humanities, far less than the up to 500-600 you might see in freshman math lectures and such.

I don't think the profs in Heidelberg are more demanding than in Freiburg. As long as two unis are still in the same state, they seem to typically be pretty close in that. Of course, that's always a rather individual thing with professors.

Notable though: Freiburg however, in German rankings (CHE ranking, which i personally abhor), gets better marks than Heidelberg in Teaching (study situation), but does worse in Research (there isn't much research in Freiburg at all). In both Political Science and German. Apparently, they have some excellent libraries stuffed for these down there, and those count a lot in the CHE ranking for some reason (CHE mostly goes by university prestige, otherwise).

LMU Munich is a prestigious, traditional university, that i'd rank "up there" with Heidelberg. Potentially even better, at least the situation there for students.
FU Berlin is often seen as a "mass university" (much like e.g. JWGU Frankfurt), which no one would really consider if they had a choice.

Everything above just my opinion(s) though of course.

Well that's a heck of a lot more insight than I can provide.

But I will stick to my guns and defend Freiburg! But I'll come at it from less of an academic angle, because honnestly, if your daughter is only going for one semester on an exchange program I don't think prestige comes into play. I live near Heidelberg. It's beautiful, I like it a lot, but I hear English at every corner. Not that that takes away from it, but since one of your concerns was picking a place where she would be able to integrate a bit more, I think Freiburg is the better choice.

Another one of your concerns is being close to other countries for weekend travel. It's right near the French border, the Swiss border, the Bodensee, and it's in the middle of the Balck Forrest. I can't think of a better place to spend a spring semester.

Fascinating info- thanks so much Kato. My daughter has some German friends here in the US doing their conscientious objector/civil service (?) requirement (I don't know the term in German) at a Habitat for Humanity center. They jumped on the idea of Heidelberg and seemed neutral about Freiburg- now I know why.

Bohemka- I value your opinion too- I'll have my daughter read through the responses and let her decide. Why do you think you are hearing so much English around Heidelberg? Is it US military base related? Or because Heidelberg is a more popular tourist destination than Freiburg?

I've never spoken to anyone who attended the U at Heidelberg. But I did talk to some kids who lived in Freiburg last yr and loved it. They attended the supportive study abroad program with a small but full time administrative staff catering to their needs, with planned excursions and social events etc.
All said that their German or international dorm roommates wanted to speak English to them and they had to discipline themselves to only respond in German. A couple of them were placed in student housing with some older students (age 26!) who had been happily ensconced in their dorms for yrs and were cordial but had no interest in them.
Other Americans reported cooking and dining in their dorm with their German roommates. Only a fraction socialized outside with their German rooommates or fellow German classmates- they wanted more German friends but it didn't happen and most ended up gravitating to other Americans.

So when I found out that her university would not give approval for most of the more supportive programs (with a few exceptions) and she'd have to attend a strictly "island" or exchange type of program, I became alarmed, wondering how she would cope, if she would have a lonely semester etc.
Fortunately, she's very independent and seems relaxed about the whole thing.

One other question- I was really surprised when an American girl who was in Freiburg last yr said that the Freiburg female students were even more stylish than Parisians and wore stiletto heels despite cobblestone streets. Is that the scene in Heidelberg as well?

I would personally choose Freiburg over Heidelberg simply because of its geographical location. But I do think you need to worry a bit less about the exact choice. Thousands of students go to Heidelberg every year and have a great time, so there isn't any "wrong" choice here.

In terms of making friends, I'm sure your daughter will make plenty of friends, but as feared they will probably be other Americans. That's the way of the world, and this very chat forum is proof of that. If she makes the effort she can make German friends, but it's much harder work.


Germany doesn't really have university rankings, but they did identify a couple of elite universities a couple of years ago, and the two Munich universities – LMU and TUM – came out trumps.

This isn't old. This is normal. Remember, high school (for direct admission to university) is 13 years, plus for many, they either have to do 1 year of military or civil service or longer (i had a friend who didn't start studying until he was 22 - late birthday, 18 months of military service) or do a social year (common for females), so by the time they get to college, they are already 21.

I did my German as a foreign language studies in Freiburg and loved it. I spent most of my time with other nationalities. I was the the only American in my school, which has led me to knowing German as well as I do today. Freiburg is easy to get around either by bike or public transport and its proximity to Switzerland and France were pluses. However, you are, pardon my French, on the pimple of the ass of Germany. It takes forever to get anywhere else inside of Germany: by train, 4.5 hours to Munich (which is worth seeing), 7-8 hours to Hamburg or Berlin, maybe 4 hours to Cologne and train travel is pricey if you do not have any sort of discount (under 26-year olds get a 25% discount, there are now Bahncard 25 for 25% discount, etc.). If she does want to travel a lot in Germany, tell her to get the BahnCard. It is 280 Euros (unless if you are a student, I think it is half that price), but it gets you 50% off all train tixs. 4 big trips in Germany and it is worth it. It provides a little discount on train travel that starts in Germany and goes to other European cities. Search this site for more info there since mine is probably old.

Heidelberg has so many English speakers, in my opinion, not because of the military bases, but because of the tourists! If you go to an Irish pub, you will find half English speakers, half Germans. Walk around the main party area in Heidelberg, mostly Germans. Hang out at the typical tourist places (Marktplatz, etc.), lots of tourists. I hear lots of English in Mannheim, Munich too.

So, if your daughter wants to spend all her time in Germany, then Heidelberg might be a good starting point as far as travel is concerned, Freiburg is cheaper when it comes to housing. Either way, she is picking two great places to be.

EDIT: What I missed most of all was the campus-like feeling so traditional of the U.S. The Heidelberg uni is spread out all over HD, same for Freiburg.

Small Town Boy- thanks for your comments.
Eifenstar- thanks for the additional info and advice. I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions on Heidelberg and the univ when you have time.

Excellence Initiative: University of Freiburg Qualifies for Champions League


Freiburg als Elite-Uni anerkannt (Freiburg recognized as elite university)


University of Freiburg (German Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg ), sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, was founded 1457 in Freiburg by the Habsburgs. One of the oldest universities in Germany, it has a long tradition of teaching the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The university is one of Germany's most prestigious and a leading research as well as teaching institution in Europe. The University of Freiburg has been appointed a University of Excellence in 2007, in an initiative by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to establish internationally leading beacons of higher education ...

The Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (University of Heidelberg, Ruperto Carola, or simply Heidelberg) is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany and was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire. A coeducational institution since 1899, today Heidelberg consists of twelve faculties and offers degree programs at undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels in some 100 disciplines. It is a German Excellence University, as well as a founding member of the League of European Research Universities, the Coimbra Group, and the European University Association ...

In think in a CV it looks better if you write " 1semester Heidelberg" than "1semester Freiburg".
Everybody knows Heidelberg, but where the hell is Freiburg?
..+ the Frankfurt airport is closer.
On the other hand she will be only here for half a year.
She could go to any university.
I would recommend Heidelberg. It's worldwide known.

That is why I asked a few weeks back...Where to study languages in Germany for a degree, Help on deciding which university to choose

and everybody will know that you thoroughly enjoyed the Untere Straße and the Neckarwiese ...

1. I'd pick Heidelberg, but she will have a great time in either location. Screw prestige and rankings, study abroads are about much more than all that acedemia BS.

2. It should be your daughter doing her own research and making her own decision about where she wants to go. I never had my mommy help me pick schools or study abroad programs. I selected them very independantly of my parents. She is going to college to learn to be a independant, self-supporting adult; let (make) her do that. I don't know if i was blind to it while I was in school or if it is a new phenomenon, but parents babying their college age children is not helping the child in any way. So stop worrying, she is going to be safe and have the time of her life.

I don't mind but I didn't really choose Heidelberg over Freiburg. I had been to Heidelberg before and I suppose that was part of it plus Freiburg being out in the sticks. But I don't remember if Freiburg was really ever an option (this was 6 years ago) and my decision was more spontaneous than anything.


Class sizes depend greatly on the topic and on the profs. I have taken seminars with over 40 people, and I remember taking one with only 7.
There are different types of seminars. Proseminars and Hauptseminars, and the Proseminars are the ones for the first two years of uni (and in English also for the third). The Hauptseminars are for later. (There are also Oberseminars but they come even after Hauptseminars so I'm leaving them out).
I don't know if students in HD are really richer than in Freiburg. I study humanities there and the kids are pretty normal. And the medicine campus is elsewhere so you're not very likely to run into that many med majors. I don't know how profs rank as far as demanding goes, that's something that varies greatly between different profs too.


Class sizes are really only an issue for the intro classes, where student numbers can go up to 300 (and I have taken classes where you had to be there 15 minutes early, else you'd end up having to sit on the floor). It's possible that this has improved though, with the introduction of tuition and changes in the system.
I do agree that Heidelberg is considered more prestigious and is just more well-known though I am not sure if that realistically makes a difference later. A lot of the prestige is just in the name. It is the oldest university of Germany (founded in 1386, over 600 years ago).
As for signing up, it is a good idea to sign up for classes at the end of the semester before or in the first few weeks of the semester break. Many professors expect you to sign up personally or by e-mail. If you pick your classes a week before classes start it'll be harder to get into them (but I assume that they make exceptions for int'l students.


I think it's both the tourists and the military. Though probably more the tourists in downtown (as the military people tend to stay on their bases most of the time). I did have several mil. families live in my neighborhood though.
As for the high heels. There's people like that, sure, but there's also plenty of people who are dressed 'normally'. I hardly ever wear heels precisely because of the cobblestone streets. When I do I usually regret it after a minute or two walking on cobblestone. But I do have a couple of friends who always wear high heels. They're people too, and nice too. Most of my friends are dressed normally. Nice (not sloppy) but not super stylish. I suppose you'd be hard pressed finding students coming to class in sweat pants or pyjama pants in Germany though.

Depends on the party area. I remember the clubs outside the Altstadt (SMC, Nachtschicht etc) being full of underage piss-drunk military dependants binge-drinking their way into oblivion. At Havanna's too. Back when i still went to those. Structure of these clubs and target audience has also changed though.
Around Untere Straße, it also depends which bar you go to - I-Punkt will be full of soldiers and dependants, the Großer Mohr - guest-list-only - usually only has Germans partying and so on. The pubs in Hauptstraße are primarily those that attract tourists.

During the day though, over 90% of English speakers you see in Heidelberg will be either tourists or students. Remember, there's also over 20% foreign students at Heidelberg University, like about any German university.

The military community is pretty closed off, especially now with the low dollar (not enough money to buy on "the economy" anymore). Living areas are also pretty centralized (MTV in Südstadt and PHV far outside), and pretty much no one is allowed to live outside these anymore - so there's not much mixing between Germans and US Military, even though around 10% of the population is American.

Wow! So much excellent info- thanks everyone! This board is such a great resource- I used it three yrs ago when I had concerns about sending her to Munich and you were all correct- very safe- she took public transportation alone late at night and was barely 16.

Dolfan- I appreciate your giving an opinion on which univ and I can tell you are a vewy vewy special boy but did you get enough mothering?

I'd love to read any additional comments or opinions by anyone. Thanks again.

Nope I was actually orphaned by my test tube mother and my turkey basting father was a bad drunk!

I have to say that I'm minded to agree with Dolfan. If she was contemplating going to university in Baghdad or Beirut then I could understand you wanting to step in, but choosing between Heidelberg and Freiburg is something she should be able to manage for herself. She's a big girl now; she probably even knows how to use the Internet.

Since you're inviting other comments, here is mine. I too happen to think that at 19 years of age your daughter should be the one looking for information and choosing where to go - especially since, as you've said yourself:

Folks, I am sure that she (the daughter) will choose where to go herself, have you maybe thought that mum is just helping out gathering info for her to look at, nothing wrong with a mum doing a bit of research for her daughter, with so many parents these days not giving a shit being involved in their kids lives, please don't knock one that is.

just my two penneth.

Travel and planning for travel are some of my favorite things so helping my daughter with this is fun for me. I admit to sometimes worrying too much and also to deriving vicarious pleasure from my children.

I recall my own travel adventures in my 20s- how little preparation I did including not bothering to consult guidebooks when I was traveling solo to third world countries. So I'm not surprised that at this age-18/almost 19 that she has little interest in doing much research. She hasn't asked me to do the research- she simply thinks it isn't a big deal.

I hope her experience matches the amt of money we're going to be spending!

Mariposa- I looked at some of your posts- I see you are a student at U Heidelberg? Thanks so much for all the detailed info that you provided. My daughter is into fashion and will look forward to ruining stilettos on cobblestones.

I'd love to hear from more students- international or American- but think she will probably go with Heidelberg since it's what most are advocating.

Leky- I appreciate your kind words.

Thanks again everyone.

Little note on the heels - haven't seen any in Neuenheimer Feld this week so far, on students at least
Might be different in the other campus of course, more cobblestones to break your ankles on there anyway.

Yeah I am, though currently doing a year abroad in Barcelona (but I'll be back in Germany soon and back in Heidelberg in the fall). Let's hope she just ruins the stilettos and not her ligaments / ankles along with stilettos. I found it far too frustrating walking there in heels, your heel would get stuck between the pavement all the time and it is quite easy to twist your ankle because the pavement is so uneven.


One of the two friends of mine who wear heels all the time was a math major (she graduated since) so she was definitely walking around the Neuenheimer Feld in heels. The other one is an art history / Spanish major, therefore in the Altstadt. I do definitely think that this is more unusual, and most students wear flat shoes.

I don't think stilettos should be worn anywhere- not even flat, even surfaces... but she does like them on occasional w/es. Glad to hear they aren't the rage.
Is there an H and M or Zara in Heidelberg? I hope she can find some good discounts since her living costs will be so high.

Kato- I've enjoyed your posts on other threads- saw one about non German students getting priority re: student housing- that's good news. Is student housing less expensive than private? I read recently that many private investors actually own student housing in German -a good investment. Does that include "official" student housing?

Studentenwerk Housing


Privately run student residences

Private housing

Yes there is an H&M (actually 2) here, cheap rubbish if you ask me, but no one did

Heidelberg has all the usual such chains. Two H&Ms, Zara, Promod, Mango, Esprit... for the decent stuff there's always Mannheim next-door.


Usually, yes. The Studentenwerk charges less than Mietspiegel rate (average rent for area), as far as i know. Private dorms usually charge slightly more, and private housing is usually far higher - often to the point of being extortionist.

Both these towns are quite nice and pretty. I think Freiburg has the edge because of the proximity to black forest and being close to the swiss border.

However, the Heidelberg University is pretty good. What would your daughter be studying?

There is H&M twice, no Zara as far as I know (there wasn't last summer, I haven't been there since August), but the Semesterticket (110 Euros for 6 months) allows you to travel for free to Mannheim (15 mins by train) and the shopping is a lot better there (there is Zara).

This is the link for the Studentenwerk: http://www.studentenwerk.uni-heidelberg.de/
Here you can apply for cheap university housing.

Thanks so much everyone for your additional comments. Miwild- I especially appreciate the websites.

My daughter just met with her university's study abroad advisor for Germany. The advisor said because of privacy issues, she couldn't give her the actual names of past participants but did let her see some written evaluations from 2005. Now my daughter is getting worried!

All four of the Heidelberg reviewers said their first month was a confusing nightmare with no one helping them figure out how to register for classes, health insurance etc. All said it was frightening, overwhelming and not well organized. But they all felt it was a true growth experience which in the end they did not regret. I also think they were in outlying apts- not even placed in student housing.

I might go with her to the study abroad office next wk to look at more reviews of other universities but they will probably be similar if exchange programs.

There's a program called FUBEST or FUBEX in Berlin which offers a lot more support but she hadn't been interested in that one because she wanted full language immersion and many of the FUBEST courses are either taught in English or for students with minimal German language ability; however, FUBEX, if she qualifies as a soph, seems to offer real classes taught in German at FU.

She also discovered today that there is no orientation whatsoever at Heidelberg. So apparently, she makes her way alone to the city and the univ and can drop by the International Students office if she has questions!! Mariposa or a female undergraduate at Heidelberg U- if she decides to go, could we pay you for a few days of hand holding? If she could just get a little help with registering for classes etc she should be fine.
Please, no sarcastic or condescending comments for suggesting such a thing. If this topic disturbs you, please stop reading it.

The study abroad office also informed her that they had no information on starting and ending dates yet. Could anyone provide a link to the university's academic calendar for Spring 2009?

I don't know how many of you are familiar with university study abroad options but this exchange situation is radically different from most. The majority of programs involve travel or courses with your own faculty and little true language immersion.

Is there some way to get private email messages from undergrads who might want to help and get paid too?
Thanks again everyone!

Organisation and length of courses

Thank you miwald- how late into August do you think the classes or exams run? For 2008, her first day of classes here in the US is Aug 19.

I thought I read somewhere that Heidelberg is changing their calendar soon with different end and start dates. The advisor claimed that she has students doing French exchanges this fall who still don't have firm dates! Sounds bizarre to me.

1. No clue ...

2. Hard to imagine ... the semester system is the same all over Germany afaik

3. The similarities between American and German universities are limited ...

This is my opinion from a recent college grad American living in HD...i'll give you the "non-politically correct" version...

I would recommend HD only because I've lived here now in the spring time and its absolutely gorgeous here. Your daughter will thoroughly enjoy the Neckarwiese during these months. If you want to bring prestige into the equation, does it really matter for Americans? If you tell an American employer that you studied abroad they are not going the difference between "Croatia's school for the blind" and the "Roman school for the gifted". No offense mom but for a kid (at least for me and my friends when we were in college) going abroad means mom and dad pay for a party in europe. (while still satisfying those credit requirements) Even if she truly is interested in German culture/language she is really going to get it anywhere she goes in Germany, one place isn't going to be "better" than the other in this respect. If your daughter wants to immerse herself in German culture this will be her decision not the university's.

Yeah of course, though I wouldn't expect any pay for it. I can understand how confusing it is, the way of learning how things work is usually from older students. I may not be in Heidelberg before the beginning of classes though (maybe I will, I could let you know in the late fall), and depending on the classes she should register much earlier (by e-mail usually). Let me know what departments she wants to take classes at and I may be able to give you a better time frame to register at. I usually register as soon as the new course catalog is released (in my majors, English & Spanish it is usually a week or two before the previous semester ends so it should be released sometime around the first half of January in the case of your daughter) to make sure I get into the classes I like.

Firm dates can be found here, for the next 2 years: http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/studium/termine/

Last lectures in HD in summer semester 2009 are on July 11th, although exams will usually be in the 2-4 weeks after that in most cases.

As for orientation, what might also be an option would be joining the "orientation week" for Freshmen for her department(s), if they have one - most departments have them. It's usually a great help with regard to where to turn, how to sign up etc. As a sophomore, she'd probably have to get into contact with the team doing that orientation week in order to get in.

glidsta: Neckarwiese? Waaay too overrun with teenagers.

My exams are almost always in the last two weeks of classes. I have had only two exams ever take place after classes ended but both were right after classes ended.

I know the English department has a freshers' day (always on the Wednesday before classes start, see here for more info), but I don't know about the Romance dept. or others but the Romance dept. also have a guide called Jungle Book which is accessible online: http://www.rosig.org/index.php?option=com_...r&Itemid=89. This might be interesting for anyone regardless of major.

I just read your first post again, about your daughter's majors (sorry, I had forgotten you already posted them). One of my best friends is a German major and I can ask her about any freshmen activities or anything they may offer.

Glidsta- I understand about the party in Europe but from some descriptions, it sounds like the first month of an exchange program is no picnic and no party.

I find it very odd that there is no campus-wide general orientation for students. Of course in the US, freshman are required to consult with an advisor on course selection and every univ offers at least a one or two day orientation, if not more.

Do you mind if I ask what you're doing in Heidelberg?

Kato- thanks sooo much for the academic calendar- so helpful and most appreciated.

Miwald- thanks again for all the helpful info and websites

Mariposa- you are so generous- thanks so much for your kind offer to help my daughter if she goes to Heidelberg. I will keep you posted!

Thanks everyone! This board is a goldmine of info and help.

The AAA office of Uni Heidelberg apparently offers an orientation course for foreign students in the week before classes start. Or at least they did last year.

Other things you've mentioned - i.e. health insurance, basically how to set yourself up there - aren't considered by the university since those are prerequisites for signing up anyway.

Thank you very much Kato- this is great news and something her American univ study abroad advisor was apparently unaware of (?).

First off, I would say that both cities are wonderful and offer a wide range of activities and possibilities to further explore Germany and Europe. I'm sure your daughter would have a blast, whichever city she chooses. I would however like to clarify, that there is little significant difference between Heidelberg and Freiburg in terms of academics. I had the oppurtunity to study in Germany recently, and must say that both are highly respected and renowned universities. In terms of perceived prestige, both offer excellent programs in the liberal arts, law, and medicine, of which many are highly selective when applying as a German full-time student. As far as research, both are among the top group of German research universities, with both (contrary to what has been stated above) having been awarded the official title of "University of Excellence" by the Ministry for Education and Research. In recent German university rankings, Freiburg actually outranks Heidelberg (Der Spiegel, Focus) so I don't think that Heidelberg has a real edge on Freiburg in respect to academics.
While the University of Heidelberg is well known throughout the world, being the oldest university in Germany, I would not say that the same isn't also true for Freiburg. Someone without knowledge of German universities will know neither, and someone who has an idea about higher education in Europe will know both.
To sum things up: both cities are beautiful and both universities excellent. I would pick by preference, and not by academic quality, since they do not differ considerably.
So all the best and good luck.

A rather inflationary term, as far as universities in Baden-Württemberg go. Four of the seven "comprehensive" universities in the state now hold that title.