Life in Brandenburg

One might guess that a Brandenburg student's most precious possession is his or her semester ticket for public transport. It's valid for the entire state of Brandenburg - and also for Berlin. This means it can be a ticket to nightlife and a ticket back home from a night spent in the big city.

Student life in Brandenburg mostly consists of commuting to the nearby cities of Potsdam and Berlin. Only a few students live in Brandenburg itself, even though rent is very affordable there, and there's plenty of student accommodation.

Nightlife for students?

All of this commuting is due to Brandenburg's shortcomings in the area of nightlife. However, the city has a lot to offer in terms of culture: countless music festivals and theater shows, as well as bars that host live gigs. Despite these highlights, student life is mostly confined to the campus.

This situation is obviously a disadvantage for those who are keen on regular nighttime escapades, but an advantage for those who want to seriously concentrate on their studies without many distractions.

Living on campus

Many foreign students choose to live in the designated dormitory and even have an advantage over the locals in the application process. This accommodation offers a view of the university buildings and the beautiful campus. However, this doesn't mean that studying is the only thing you can do here. The Academic Foreign Office organizes regular parties and excursions to give the students a break from the books.

In the pipeline: a student district in Brandenburg

In light of everything, Brandenburg is doing what it can to make itself more attractive for students. The city is cooperating with the university on a project called "Studentenviertel" or "Student Quarter," which aims to create more bars, more student-only accommodation and more recreational alternatives in the next few years. Until then, 1,000-year-old Brandenburg will remain a commuter city for many students - albeit a beautiful one.

Author: Christine Watty