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Accepting the offer for a Master’s program at TH Köln (Technical University of Applied Sciences Cologne) as a "vanity project" is a viable, high-quality life experience if you are looking to experience European culture without the financial pressure of a typical international student. As an American tech professional with secure funding, you are in a prime position to enjoy the experience, provided you embrace the practical nature of the university and the relaxed, social culture of Cologne.
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>>2881433
If you have the money you obviously should do it. It’s great on the cv and cologne is nice enough to live in, if you avoid the shady parts. The surrounding area is also quite nice for day trips. Cologne airport also connects to pretty much the whole of Europe so there’s that as well.
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>>2881784
I'll be in Aachen all the time, I have connections to it.
>>2881788
Retard
>>2881795
What parts of Cologne are seedy? Mülheim annoyed me with the number of immigrants selling gold chains but I haven't explored much beyond that and the Dom.
I don't expect it to matter much for my CV, the master's program is in something silly. Unless Th Köln is a decent university and just having it would look good.
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I lived there what do you want to know specifically?
Generally weather is mostly rainy and cloudy with long dark winters. As with whole of Germany, the city, especially the center is in a worse state by each passing year. Urban decay is visible. Druggies, closed shops, closed restaurants etc.. Outside of the center it can be nice depending on the area you live in. Public transport is shit and expensive, most people try to drive with cars which also doesn't help a lot due to constant traffic jams and lots of unfinished road construction. Still better than the unreliable public transport. Rents are expensive and flats are hard to find. But you seem to have money, so I guess you might have a easier time finding something.
On the good side, even though its not a beautiful city, it is very green. Also it's the city with the probably friendliest people in all of Germany. Even with all the shitty aspects most foreigners that live or lived in cologne, like their time in the city simply because people are friendly and compared to the rest of Germany it is easy to make friends here. People don't see themselves as much German or whatever nationality they came from, rather see themselves als "Kölner”. Local patriotism is strong, but in an American sort of way where they like to include outsiders. The city and its people aren't fancy rather down to earth worker type of mentality. Karneval is huge thing, but it's basically just a German excuse for alcoholism and coping mechanism to release their sphincter muscles after obeying all the rules for a whole year.
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>>2883804
This all sounds great. I'm coming from NYC so I'm used to urban decay. Trains seemed to past muster while I was there at least, I'll probably be using them to get to class.
What neighborhoods would you suggest? I'm going to be a student there and don't want to blow through my savings, but I'm also in my 30s and not as interested in partying (will probably also be having a kid while I'm there).
What kinds of things do people do on the weekend for cheap? Should I get really into 1. FC Köln?
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>>2883806
Safe choices are sülz and südstadt. Bayenthal is also good and if you want it a bit calmer and more upscale then Rodenkirchen.
This doesn't mean to disregard other districts ofc, but id say these are very safe choices.
On weekend? I guess whatever you do in another normal west European city. It's not Rio or Bali Afterall. Meeting friends and getting drinks or dinner.
Regarding 1. Fc köln, if you like soccer/ football and the team spirit then it can be a good idea because the city has a very strong football culture related to its club and you'd likely find new people and friends quickly if you get into that.
If you like the idea of carneval you can also get into that, there's loads of clubs that do stuff year round. But honestly it only makes sense to join such club if you like to drink a lot of beer, dress funny and listen to traditional type of music.
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>>2881433
>What is living in Cologne like?
Cologne is our German San Francisco,
for now not enough jeets to similarly shit it up.
But make sure you learn arabic, you will need it just like in Minesoohtaah.
So the Germs there are exactly your crowd,
ask in your ANTIFA group for connections.
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Germany is by far the worst country I've been to, just a total mishmash of people from everywhere, every public space full of guys that look at you with death stares, then there's the pedo flags and antifa stickers, you will see hundreds per day, trains full of disgusting people . Total dystopia total shithole, pervasive sense of fear by every male
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>>2887132
I spent all of my time in Germany either in the most western or most northern parts, and experienced almost nothing but universally friendly and warm people who treated me to endless cookouts. The one negative interaction I had was a turkish electronics store man who sold me a scam phone. I don't know what parts of Germany you were in but that doesn't match my experience at all. It felt like a country of towns, not cities. Germany was the country that felt the most like midwest America I've ever been to.