Tag 4/ Day 4 : Noch Langsam

 Today all students had to go to an obligatory course meeting which gave us important registration info and such about the university. I'm so used to hearing at Purdue that we better not miss a meeting because it's super important information and then just have them say "be sure you know where your passport it, and never travel alone- especially at night" So I was pleasantly surprised that for once I can agree that the information actually was useful!

  In Stuttgart, you don't need to register for classes- unless they are in the architecture department because apparently that one is ridiculously complicated- but you do have to register for exams. Thank goodness Helly knows what I will have to do, because I will be asking for her help when it comes to that in the next month.

   There's also a very complex agenda of how to get paper work completed. I apparently have done things in the wrong order and thus I find myself in a mess of stress. I will probably be bald by the time I return.  From pulling all my hair out in aggravation.

 

 Today's PLAN:

 

  9:30-11:30 go to 78 Boeblinger Strasse for the info session

 

  1:30 meet Suzanna (helly's friend and also a welcoming buddy, since helly was out of town today) at the Hauptbahnhof exit Koenigstrasse and go to the student admissions office to register.

 

 2:30 be back at the Vaihingin campus at the IZ (international student center) to register to go on a field trip.  Also- buy ticket to a party this weekend at a fancy club downtown.

 

 sometime in the afternoon- print off bank statements for the Foreigners office so I can get my residency permit when I go back to the office tomorrow or Friday.

 

7pm - go to the IZ to discover when I have class: either in the morning from 8am-1:15pm OR afternoon from 1:30pm - 6:45pm

 

9pm- go to sleep early

 

How today ACTUALLY went:

 

 9:30- 11:30 course meeting. made it fine, but discovered that the paper I had that I thought was my proof of insurance was actually just a copy of my application. SO,

 

12pm- back in the vaihingin campus, had to find the insurance company office in the student mensa (cafeteria) and ask for a written proof statement - luckily that was pretty easy.

 

1:45 - the train was late, so I was freaking out that Suzanna wouldn't be there when I finally arrived, but actually we got there around the same time, so ok no big deal.

1:55 - arrive at the student admissions office. Wait in line for 30 minutes. Sit down at the desk, give the lady all my paperwork, wait for her to look through my applications, and 2 minutes later tell me "Oh, you need to have a student visa."  This was the absolute worst part of my day.

 Mostly because guess what all of my travel guides from the study abroad office say:  ... If you are traveling to Germany (to study) you do NOT need a Visa!  I told the lady that and she said "no, I checked with a collegue and yes, you need one. You are not the fiIrst Amerikan who has said that." So of course I started to panic and I think I made the lady feel bad for me. But good, she should I don't think they realize just how much work we have to do to get officially recognized! So anyway, she told me I have to go back to the Foreigners office and sort things out.

 Come to find out that I don't actually need a visa according to our student welcoming guide. What I need is the residency permit, which is the thing I still need to acquire from the foreigner's office!

...

3:00pm - get back to the Vaihingin campus. Go back and forth from the computer lab to the copy store 3 times because the pages weren't printing right. But finally get most of what I needed.

 

3:50pm- get to the IZ ten minutes before closing for the day and manage to register for one of the field trips (More on that below)

 

4:10pm arrive back at my dorm and chill before going to check on my class information.

And finally get my day back on schedule!

 

I found out that I have afternoon class, which I think has both benefits and negatives, but we will see how it goes.

 

The end of today.

 

But, listen to this everyone (mostly Emily because I know you would love this):

There are fairly often trips and events offered by the IZ and the AEGEE program which is basically just a program foreign students. Yesterday we were given information about 3 field trips, and told that we can only register for 1 unless there is a low registration number and then we can sign up for more.

 Trip #1) Schwarzwald! (Blackforest!)

     I so desperately want to go, but I decided that it would be better for me if I go with just a couple of people so as not to ruin the magicalness and fairy tale like look with a group of 20 students wandering around.

Trip #2) Lake Constance.

    I may be mistaken but I believe in German it's known as the Boden See and is the biggest lake in Germany. This trip is not until sometime in late April, I think with the intent that there might be warm enough weather for swimming. Oh and also theres a Zeplin Museum.

   Trip #3) Tuebingen and the Hohenzollern Schloss.

    In the end, I chose this trip: Castle tour, walking through the super old city, and also getting to see the town Tuebingen which is a college town, but apparently has lots of super old buildings in it. Also we are going to lunch somewhere.

 

The best part is that these trips only each cost Euro 15! The 3rd one includes bus fare ( 1 hour ride each way) guided tour, castle ticket, lunch and a drink.

 

So there is at least one thing I have to look forward to to keep my mind from fretting the paperwork and formalities that still have to be completed.

 

Tomorrow I am going with my Australian friend to get biometric photos taken. I have no idea what that means, but apparently they are data incripted passport photos??? So I've heard. They're super fancy and I guess we can only get them in Germany. Also the Foreigner's office requires we have one before they will give us a residency permit, therefore we have to get them as soon as possible!  Wish me luck! I will need it for the next couple weeks for sure.