Days 9 and 10 of 330

Yesterday and today were pretty uneventful. I have to wake up around 6:30 in order to get ready in the morning and catch the 8:00 bus up the hill to class. I have to get off the bus at the University stop and then walk about 4 or 5 blocks or I have to wait for another bus to get to my class each morning. It has been terribly cold in the mornings here and in the afternoons it's about 80 degrees. It's kind of difficult to prepare for such drastic weather changes when you have to walk or wait for a bus to get almost anywhere, but I'm enjoying myself.

The start kurs feels very elementary to me and I'm waiting for the hard stuff to be taught. Frances-Kate and I are extremely bored in class for lack of a challenge, but I'm sure that will end soon once we get into the swing of things. The international students have spent a lot of time filling out paper work.

Culture Clash #5: Immatriculation
In order to study at any university in Germany, one must matriculate. Immatriculation is basically enrolling in the university and letting the city know your whereabouts and how long you plan to stay.

Step 1: Obtain your "packet" of documents; including your original acceptance letter, visa application, bank information, health insurance information, etc.

Step 2: Fill out a seemingly endless supply of paperwork.

Step 3: Go to the Aufenthaltsgenehmigung to register your address and notify the city that you are there in Germany and how long you plan to stay. A copy of your passport is made and you get a sheet with a stamp notifying you when you have to return for an extended residence permit and pay for your visa.

Step 4: Open a bank account. You are required to have a bank account in Germany because most monthly bills (rent, cell phone, etc.) are drafted from the account (much like the states). I was lucky that I did this last week when I arrived so that's one last thing I have to do :).

Step 5: Pay your student fee. You have to go to the Universtätkasse Tübingen to pay this fee each semester. Each and every student has to pay it; no exceptions.

Step 6: Go to the Krankenversicherung to deny the Universal Health Care. Universities of North Carolina Exchange Programs requires that I purchase the global healthcare through the exchange program so I have to sign a document saying, "no, I do not want to pay for the universal German healthcare."

Step 7: Take all these signed documents to the Studentensekretariat so that I can Immatriculate.

Step 8: Wait for the document packet to be mailed to me along with my student ID card so I can have internet access, use the library, the gym, etc. (Much like a 1card at ECU.)

Step 9: Go back to the Aufenthaltsgenehmigung with my matriculation forms and proof of funds and proof of a German bank account to get my resident permit and my visa.

...I should be done with all this by October...