u/Tiny_Cartographer100

Hi everyone,

I’m a Pakistani student planning for a bachelor’s in Computer Science/IT in Germany in the next few years, and I want realistic advice from people already studying there.

My plan currently looks like this:

Complete 12th in Pakistan

Do 1 extra year in CS at University of Karachi to fulfill the 13-year education requirement

Reach B2 German before applying

Apply mostly to public universities in smaller/affordable cities like:

Leipzig

Essen

maybe Stuttgart too, although I know it’s more expensive

Financially, my total budget would probably be around:

PKR 1 crore

roughly €30k–33k

I’m not aiming for luxury or big-city lifestyle. I genuinely just want:

affordable education

peaceful/safe life

decent future in IT

ability to survive without becoming financially destroyed halfway through

I also plan to work part-time after settling in Germany.

From my research, it seems:

public universities are mostly tuition-free

biggest issue is living costs + blocked account

smaller cities are much cheaper than Munich/Berlin

B2 German improves part-time job chances a lot

My questions:

Is €30k realistically enough for a full bachelor’s if I work part-time consistently?

How hard is it actually for international students to find student jobs in smaller cities?

Is B2 German enough initially?

Are Leipzig and Essen good choices financially and career-wise for CS students?

Would you recommend avoiding Stuttgart because of Baden-Württemberg tuition fees for non-EU students?

What’s the biggest financial mistake international students usually make?

I’d appreciate honest answers instead of sugarcoating. Especially from people already studying or working in Germany.

I’m 15 years old and trying to understand what realistic options exist for students like me.

I’m talking about students who cannot afford expensive universities, huge bank statements, or blocked accounts.

Many people say “study abroad is free,” but in reality everything has some cost, competition, or risk.

I also think language requirements are a big problem for students from countries like Pakistan, where English is already a second language for many people. Learning a third language before even moving abroad can be very difficult, especially with accent pressure, lack of good institutes, and extra costs.

So I want honest advice:

Which countries are actually realistic for low-income students?

Are there countries where students can study or work without learning another language first?

Which paths are better: study, Ausbildung, or work-based routes?

What options exist for average students, not only top scorers?

I’m not looking for motivational content. I want realistic answers from people with experience.

Hey everyone. I’m a student from Karachi and I’m planning to move to Germany through the IT Ausbildung route because university abroad is too expensive for me. My plan is to complete my 12 years of education in Pakistan from a recognized college, while learning German seriously alongside my studies. After that, I want to apply for an IT Ausbildung, mainly in fields like software development or system integration.

I know this path is difficult for Pakistanis. There are visa delays, language barriers, financial issues, competition for contracts, and many companies prefer EU applicants. I also heard that getting interviews from outside Germany can take a long time unless your German level and CV are strong. Because of that, I’m trying to focus early on improving my communication skills, learning German properly, building technical skills, making projects, and creating a good GitHub/portfolio before applying.

What I want to know from people who already went through this path (especially Pakistanis or other non-EU applicants):

How long did it take you to get an Ausbildung contract?

What German level did you have when applying?

Did you apply from your home country or after going to Germany?

What were the hardest parts of the process?

Is this still realistic for someone without a lot of money?

I’d appreciate honest answers instead of sugarcoating. I want to know the real difficulties before investing years into this plan.