Learning German is mentally exhausting me. What finally worked for you?
I’ll be going to Germany for Winter 2026 intake (public university admit already received), and I really want to at least reach basic A1/A2 familiarity before arriving. The problem is that I’m genuinely struggling with German despite trying consistently.
I’ve gone through multiple YouTube playlists, random apps, grammar videos, and even some structured resources, but nothing seems to click. Every time I learn one rule, another exception or sentence structure appears and I feel completely lost again. I’m good at academics/technical subjects generally, so this has honestly been frustrating and overwhelming for me.
Now I’m considering Goethe courses because everyone says they’re very structured and effective, but they’re also expensive. My fear is: what if I spend that much and still feel equally lost?
For people who genuinely struggled with German initially:
>What finally helped you reach survival-level German?
Any help would be really appreciated !!