Some interesting news to share with you about an immense increase of German students starting university: This autumn 2011 about half a million of students entered for their first semester at German´s Universities – there were never before as many students beginning their studies as this year – what are the reasons?
Since 2011, finally in all German federal states, high school finishes now also after only 12 years, one year earlier than in the past. In fact Germany was one of the few countries in the European Union, where students finished high school after a total of 13 years – as a consequence they were older than their fellow students from abroad who entered universities at a younger age.
Cutting one year of high school means that 2011 is the year when at many German high schools two classes from different intakes graduated. One intake finished high school after its regular 13 years, the other intake finished one year earlier according to the new school reform, so the double amount of students are ready to enter university! On top of this, 2011 is the first year in Germany when military and civil service is not anymore obligatory. In the past lots of our male students finished high school with 18 or 19 years and in continuation were obliged to render their military/civil service for the country. This means that beside the fact that anyway they finished high school one year later, counting in one additional year for the military/civil service they entered at universities in total 2 years later than others. Of course for many of them this was also a huge competitive disadvantage in respect to the job market!
All in all, this immense increase of students in autumn 2011, means that universities are overcrowded and students face lots of problems, since the conditions are not the same as in the past: It is much more difficult to get university place especially at one of the favorites universities, lecture rooms are overcrowded, to find housing is impossible and many other inconveniences!! Perhaps this is huge opportunity for Universities abroad, such as IE, to give students the possibility to start their studies under much better conditions!
About the author
Vanessa is German-Dutch and holds an International MBA degree from IE Business School as also a B.S. of Hotel Management from Glion Hotel School in Switzerland. Before doing her MBA at IE in 2007, she worked for more than 3 years in the service and hotel management industry and made part of the Sales & Marketing department for the hotel chains Marriott and Kempinski. In 2009, after finishing the International MBA, she started as a Managing Director for the Finance Programs at IE Business School and changed in October 2011 to the International Development Team, being the representative of Germany!