After coming to Germany, there were aspects of German universities that I really liked and thought—if only these facilities had been available during my Bachelor's, how wonderful that would have been!
Firstly, their time consciousness and time management. People living in global north understand the value of time down to the seconds. All their tasks are bound by a specific schedule. For many, following this might seem difficult, but believe me, you can get used to this lifestyle over time — and you should. No sudden plans; instead, plan at least a week in advance, and you’ll see — you won’t regret not rushing to do things anymore. You’ll notice this behavior in Germans in all aspects. For instance, if you take a 6-credit course at the university, they specify exactly how many hours you need to dedicate to studying. So, it never feels unmanageable! But yes, if you come from another country and don’t have prior knowledge of the subject being taught, your journey might not be that smooth.
Secondly, their examination system. Back in our country, we only had written exams, with a little bit of speaking during viva. But here, there are various types of assessments. Some courses have written exams, some oral exams, some only presentations, and in some courses, evaluation is based solely on homework — and there are many others! They arrange it in such a way that, whatever you do, you have to learn! And most importantly, it's not just about learning — your communication skills, public speaking, and confidence will all increase. Isn’t that amazing?
Thirdly, the opportunity to choose preferred modules in most Master’s courses. Though not always, this flexibility is available in many programs. So, if you carefully select your modules, you can shape yourself into a specialist in a particular field. And if you face any difficulties, you can take fewer courses in a semester and complete the rest later. This makes it easier for many students to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Fourthly, the strong emphasis on research. One of the key goals of university education should be to develop your ability to think logically. Every statement must be backed by reasoning and evidence. Unfortunately, in our country, this aspect is often neglected—as if earning a degree and getting a job is enough, and research doesn’t really matter. But is that really true? Even if you want to become a successful farmer—a job many consider purely physical—research is still essential. Foreign universities take this very seriously. Professors often use graphs and data from recent studies in their lectures. When doing presentations or homework, you're expected to cite your sources. Even to speak knowledgeably on a topic, you need to refer to recent research, not just rely on class notes. It might feel overwhelming at first, but it soon becomes a habit.
Fifthly, the wide range of facilities for students. Here, the support system is so well-structured that you rarely feel a lack of anything. For example, right after admission, you’re given a university email ID—not just for communication, but for accessing nearly everything: logging into the university website, selecting or dropping courses, checking updated grade sheets, downloading books from the library, reading academic journals—it’s all integrated. No need to download pirated books anymore. You’ll also get support for publishing research, and job-related information is regularly shared.
In addition to all that, there’s well-developed infrastructure, strong logistical support, a large alumni network, and much more!
Just imagine—if you had access to all these facilities during your Bachelor’s, surely you could have progressed even further, right? But how difficult is it to incorporate these features into Bangladesh’s current academic structure? Of course, not everything is possible immediately, but I believe that with just a few structural changes, a lot can be achieved!
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