Advice needed - Magdeburg or Cottbus for an international student?
I got admitted to both BTU Cottbus and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. I strongly prefer Magdeburg personally, but I’m worried about finding a part-time job without German language skills.
My situation is pretty simple: if I can’t find a part-time job during my first year and a half in Germany, things would become financially very difficult for me.
What makes Cottbus attractive is that Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden are all somewhat within commuting distance, so I feel like I’d have more options for work there. Magdeburg is also relatively close to Leipzig, but I imagine Berlin offers far more opportunities overall.
At the same time, I’ve heard that living in Cottbus can be more difficult for non-white foreigners than in Magdeburg. I’m also wondering whether the smaller size of the city might make it harder to make friends and build a social life.
Do you think Leipzig is large enough to realistically provide good part-time job opportunities, or is access to Berlin a major advantage here? I have an EU driver’s license and I’m planning to try parcel delivery jobs if possible.