I am starting this topic because I think it could be of real value to TalkMunich forum members. You see, being an expat in Munich brings many different unique problems for us. A few of these problems could be:
- career progression - nobody told me when I got a job here that I would need diplomas/degrees for every small step forward in my career
- socialising - it can be difficult to fit in if you moved here with your partner for his/her job, or you have not made many German friends
- self-development - how do I go about improving my life in a foreign country
- language - this limits many of us in various ways
One solution put forward is to study. I know you are thinking this might be a bit intimidating, what with the German language, time required, etc. However, I came upon a unique solution which will interest many expats here. There is in fact a business college in Munich which specialises in running undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas, all in English. The lecturers are often native English-speakers from Ireland, the UK and the USA. Their courses are fully-accredited by UK bodies and flexible timewise. The accreditation is really important.
I was interested in this and attended an information evening last week where I got to meet the Dean and other lecturers. I have to say they are a great bunch of people, engaging, intelligent and really pleasant to talk to (they even had a lovely buffet and wine event afterwards, all paid for). I also met some of their students, both current and prospective and again, they were great company. As a socialising environment, is there ever a better one than whilst being a student? I think I made more friends in one night there than I would normally make in a year in Munich. That is no joke.
I was thinking this is a great opportunity to overcome some of the problems I mentioned at the start of this post. Get an officially recognised diploma (good for the career prospects here in Germany), do it part-time (no need to leave your job - they may even sponsor you), meets lots of genuinely nice friendly people and get to finally feel part of a community in Munich with a new circle of friends. I think it is a win-win situation. Give it some thought and post your opinions here on what you think of this idea. Getting a post-grad diploma in Munich is easier and cheaper than you think and seems well worth the small effort.
Incidentally, I am really advocating this as I intend to take one of their part-time management diploma courses. I wholly recommend it to the expat community here.
