Whenever I tell somebody that I am studying Germanistics, Anglistics and Psychology in Siegen, there is always the same reaction: "English? - Cool, it must be very interesting. But why Siegen???"
I hate this question. When people hear "Siegen", alarm-bells ring in their heads and they think of a boring, small and 'uncool' university. Yes, compared with the universities of Munich or Cologne it is very small. And - I admit - it seems to be a little bit 'uncool' that I still live at home. But if you see these arguments in relation to all the advantages of our university - especially the advantages of studying English here - you will soon realize that Siegen is on a higher level than many believe.
The best thing about many English courses is that the quantity of participants rarely surpasses the number of 35. So the chance to learn and work actively is great. As a result students are able to improve their writing skills and pronounciation, as well as to review what was learnt before to reach a higher level of understanding. Current and experimental teaching material is used in many courses; especially when learning a foreign language students must keep up with new developments (as we say: "Am Ball bleiben.").
A second advantage of Siegen is that the profs know their students, their names and sometimes even their good and less good abilities. Students are able to build up a relationship to their lecturers so that they have somebody who helps when there are any problems (for example tests or exchanges).
Although Anglistics is not my first and main subject it is my best one. Most of the profs I have got to know so far are friendly, relaxed and helpful. Of course I must admit that I love the English language. When some of the lecturers start to tell about their mother-country in their mother-tongue ... it is wonderful and in addition very interesting.
I don't regret having chosen the University of Siegen for my English studies. I don't know yet whether I will spend all eight (?) semesters here, but I am sure that I won't find a university with better conditions.
Kerstin Ohm
Leaving aside some obvious disadvantages (Siegen is simply not Munich, for example), I can definitely say that studying in Siegen has many advantages. In the schedule of a student of English here, you'll find a wide variety of courses with topics from "Madonna and Evita" to "Shakespeare in Cyberspace," presented by an interesting, mixed teaching staff from all over the English-speaking world. Since the University is not extremely big, a student can enjoy an intimate atmosphere in so far as the teaching staff knows each of its students and devotes much time to becoming involved in their "everyday" problems like tests, presentations and the new study regulations ["Studienordnung"] ( a hot issue by the way.)
Perhaps Munich inspires students to "live out" more of their ideas, but Siegen, its university, and particularly the English Department does indeed offer its students variety, expertise, and academic intimacy.
Florian Müller
"Small but fine" - that's a proverb which points out clearly my reasons for studying in Siegen.
With about 11,000 students Siegen is the smallest university in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Thus the atmosphere is very personal and familiar. Professors and teachers know your name and always have time for students' problems. In such a small university it is also easy to find one's way and become acquainted with people.
In addition to this Siegen is a very young university. Having just celebrated its Silver Jubilee it is the newest in North Rhine-Westphalia. The technical equipment such as video and computers is very modern. It has a well equipped, inviting library with expansive space to read and study.
All in all Siegen is a commendable university where studying is fun !!!
Barbara Weber
I started to study in the most beautiful town in Hessia called Marburg but moved to Siegen last year. Not because Siegen is such a beautiful town, not because my boy-friend studies in Siegen - he is still living in Marburg - and finally not because I didn't feel comfortable in Marburg. I still love that town and I still love my boy-friend.
I moved to Siegen to pass my Latin exam and also my Old Greek exam here. I had difficulties in Marburg with mastering these languages and hoped to get along a little bit better in Siegen. It worked out! I passed the exams and also discovered that the University of Siegen has a special tendency in the way the profs lecture.
Many of them understand that it doesn't only matter how many books they require students to read, it doesn't matter how many words they manage to say in one seminar or lecture. It depends on the relationship students and their lecturer establish with each other. If students always have the possibility to get into contact with their profs whenever they have questions or need to talk and can be sure to find 'an open ear', it is easier to study even the most difficult subjects and it also is simply more fun.
I experience this almost every day here at the small university in Siegen and therefore I don't miss Marburg where I got lost within the much bigger institution. And that's why I´m studying here and just like to be at this place.
Do you still think I'm stupid? I don't think so! To study at a place where you feel comfortable is never stupid; it's just the right thing to do.
Christiane Teifel
Before I finished school I had to think about what to do after my "Abitur". I decided to study Germanistics, Anglistics and Political Science. Now the question was where to study. I informed myself about the universities of Münster, Köln and Siegen. The University of Münster is very popular with school-leavers of my hometown who want to study. But I didn't want to go where I knew a lot of people. Köln was impossible as well, because there the lectures are so overcrowded that you have to sit in the corridor and listen to the reader over a loudspeaker.
So I chose the University of Siegen. It is a small university with small courses. That makes it easy to become acquainted quickly with your fellow students. You know each other, just as the lecturers know the students - a very helpful point, especially if you are learning a foreign language, for example English. I didn't realize this advantage before.
In Siegen you can go directly to your lecturers and ask questions. You needn't feel embarrassed. There is a good working relationship between instructors and students. You don't have the impression that the professors are at an unbridgeable distance.
Although I had no special reasons to study English in Siegen, I am glad about my decision today. When I talk to friends from other universities and hear about the conditions there, I know that it was the right choice - even though Münster and Köln are the more interesting cities.
Natalie Butz
Why study English in Siegen? The city itself does not at first seem to offer many thrilling... - let me think it over...Oh no! I forgot something! Certainly there is a major attraction! THE UNIVERSITY! Hey, I invite you to visit it with me! But first let me warn you that sometimes students are shocked by the outward appearance of this building; the first impression often is deceptive, however. OK, then let's go! The first stop on our tour is the most impressive part of the university: the "Mensa" or main cafeteria. Here you can have a really wonderful meal. But be careful: After lunch you'd better arrange the dishes, knives, and forks correctly on your tray; if not, you'll be in big trouble with Ms Nöh, who among students is generally known as the "Mensa Dragon"!
To continue with our sight-seeing tour, we will visit the library, the best equipped in the whole country, we think. All books are listed in computers, but do not despair! It seems to be quite normal that first-semester students have problems with these computers. There are nice older students in our department, called "Tutors," who help you handle them, like Ingo, who is responsible for English Literature.
And here we have arrived at our subject: studying English in Siegen. Ingo (or his successor) will assist you with "Introduction to English Literature," one of the compulsory courses, in which you have fun reading English books, like vampire stories (oh, creepy!), or creating your own poem! Come on, don't be shy--attend the General Language Course; here you not only will be moved into other ages in order to become acquainted with the 'English Mother Tongue' but also learn a lot of the other students. Oh damn! I made a mistake--the correct term is 'to meet'. I think I will have to go more regularly to Mr Mothershaw's Grammar lessons. Yes, there is much to be done, but I promise you, the University is a real attraction in Siegen!
Natalie Putsche
Have you ever watched the movie "Sleepless in Seattle"? They say that it rains eight months a year in Seattle. Well, in Siegen it rains even more!
Have you ever watched the "Tour de France" on TV when they are going through the Alps? Well, then you can imagine what it is like to go to the University of Siegen by bike.
Have you ever watched the movie "Groundhog Day"? You think that Punxsutawney is the most boring town in the world? Well, you are wrong. Foreign students love to take a break from Siegen and go home for some action.
If the number of students studying in Siegen should decrease, these must be the reasons. It is certainly not because of the Anglistics Department!
You want ghost stories on Halloween, pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving, gingerbread at Christmas, a valentine on Valentine's Day and watermelon on Independence Day? You want to do lots of exciting stuff like library rallies and writing paragraphs about your neighbor's eyes? - Come to the General Language Course!
You want to learn tongue-twisters like "I'll exercise my jaw till it drops off on the floor. I'm gonna speak English if it kills me."? You want to work in the language lab? - Come to Phonetics and Phonology!
You want to get to know computer programs for learners of English? You want to test these programs and work with them? You want to learn things which might be useful for you as a teacher ? - Come to the Fremdsprachenwerkstatt!
You want to view all kinds of English videos from Shakespeare's dramas to Monty Python's Flying Circus to improve your English? You want to find out what Humphrey Bogart really says to Ingrid Bergman where his German voice says: "Ich schau dir in die Augen, Kleines"? - Check films out of the video library in our Media Center (MZ)!
Going away from Siegen to study at another university? Well, I might change university to gain further experience and to finally move out from my parents' place. But I am already afraid of the day when I have to say to "my" Anglistics Department: "Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Julia Albrecht
Some universities in this part of Germany, like Münster or Cologne, are very popular; other have a rather provincial image. Siegen is one of the latter. Often when I tell someone that I study here, he says, "Why do you study in Siegen rather than Münster or Cologne?" I must agree that is a good question, and I have to say, like many of my fellow students that, I did not really think about the image of the university in Siegen - I just decided to study here because it is not as far away from my hometown as other universities and so I can still live at home. (It took me a long time to decide whether I should study or start an apprenticeship. By the time I had decided to study, I had no time left to look for a room or a flat to live in...)
Now I'm in my second semester and have developed my own opinion about the University, and I must say that I am enthusiastic about it. Right at the very beginning of my studies, the "Introduction" for first-semester students ("ESE") gave me a good feeling, because I knew that I was not alone with my problems and I met some nice people. The introduction of the "Anglistik crew" was especially amusing, because all the teachers introduced themselves personally and created a relaxed atmosphere.
In my first seminars I learned a little bit more about some of the teachers. I attended "Introduction to Modern Linguistics" as well as "Introduction to English Literature"; the instructors did a commendable job of making the classes as lively as possible despite the necessarily dry material. I had a lot of fun in "General Language Course I," although it took place at 8.30 on Tuesday and lasted three hours; there was a great atmosphere in the course and I think we all became well acquainted with each other.
But the University of Siegen has much more to offer than just the regular English seminars. In both the new Multi-Media Digital Language Lab and Foreign Language Workshop ("Fremdsprachenwerkstatt"), for example, every student is able to use modern technology to improve his mastery of English and try out teaching techniques for his later career.
So, as you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to study in Siegen, although the city is in some ways a step-sister to Münster or Cologne, and sometimes, especially in the winter, you can get very sick of the hills and gray weather. But then you sit down in the cafeteria or the Bistro and drink coffee with friends. Who knows, you may even talk about phonetics and different types of literary criticism?!
Martin Möser
(Warning: Some of my fellow students think I might raise your expectations too high with this text; on gray wintry days I myself am less enthusiastic about the city of Siegen. But why not hear the positive view?)
What a perfect location! Siegen is quite centrally located in Germany, and Germany is the geographic heart of Europe. There is thus easy access to different regions of Germany and to many foreign countries. This makes Siegen a wonderful starting-point for multicultural interaction.
But one does not need to leave Siegen for multiculturality. Just look at the multi-culti, very successful Siegen soccer team, the "Sportfreunde"! The city also provides its 100,000 inhabitants with urban institutions such as large international banks and specialized hospitals as well as technology or cultural centers. Siegen offers a spectrum of jobs, is good for shopping, and has a big variety of pubs and restaurants.
Many of the residents live in small villages in the countryside, just a few minutes away from the city, own their own houses, and have comfortable gardens--yet city conveniences are within easy reach. They enjoy the "best of both worlds," urban high-life and country space!
And let me tell you: The landscape is wonderful. It is green everywhere, hilly, with picturesque valleys. Except for the villages, there are forests everywhere. Hiking and mountain biking are just two of the many activities popular in this most wooded section of Germany.
In deciding where (s)he should study, the future student should not only consider the quality of the university, which in our case is really good, but should have a look at the environs as well, for only the combination of good education and pleasant environment will guarantee a successful time of study.
Dirk Neumann