The differences between my home university and SGU were immediately noticeable and visible. SGU is kind of small private university. Its structure is more reminiscent more like a school. A main building with 2 sides of towers. Cafes and canteen on the basement. The rooms are separated by doors and walls. On the main lobby of the building there are a few trees with benches. As the temperature in Indonesia is always around 28-30 degrees, the rooms are very air-conditioned, and during my exchange in SGU we must always have a sweater with us. There is also a dress code at SGU: shoulders and knees must not be visible, and shoes must be closed. The rule with covered knees only applies to pants – skirts and dresses may show knees but must not be too short. If a student is not dressed appropriately, the lecturer may simply warn during the lecture. The next difference during my Exchange in SGU was compulsory attendance.

You were only allowed to only be absent for 25% of the semester; attendance was checked and recorded before the start of each lecture. checked and recorded before the start of each lecture. You could view your absences online. The 25% quota was reached after 3 weeks of absence and could not be exceeded. Anyone who missed more than 25% of the lectures was not entitled to take the exams at the end of the semester and therefore had to repeat the whole semester. Furthermore, the individual semesters are split into classes of 20 students each. In my semester there are some classes, I was placed in for 3rd,5th, and 7th semester classes together with my German friend. The lecture halls at SGU are set up like classrooms, with a small blackboard and projector and a lectern in front of it for the lecturer.

The students sit on some rows of chairs with tables in front of them. During my Exchange in SGU the technology at the university has had almost problems weekly with the WLAN and the use of other media. The teaching of the subject matter was completely different from that in Koblenz. It reminded a lot of my school days; the lecturers spent a long time on a single topic to make sure that everyone really understood everything. Furthermore, there was homework, grades, group work and tests every week. this can be attributed to the Asian mentality and is the way things are done here, so that all students stay on the ball and complete the semester successfully. For It was all a big change for me, as I was used to self-study at home and really like it. But after a few weeks, I got used to it too. And all in all it is very fun and unforgettable experience.

SWISS GERMAN UNIVERSITY (SGU) is an international university in Indonesia, was established in 2000 as a joint effort between Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. We are the pioneer in offering international curricula in Indonesia. Qualified students can graduate with a Double Degree from Indonesia and Germany, which SGU provides in cooperation with partner universities; surely a valuable tool for your future careers. Ever since its establishment, SGU has been dedicated to delivering quality education in line with international standards and aims to develop skilled professionals who meet the demands of the industry. In order to achieve its objectives, SGU offers quality-oriented learning through 16 Bachelor’s Degree Programs and 6 Master’s Degree Programs ranging from Engineering, Information Technology, and Business to Life Sciences and Social Sciences. Furthermore, with small class sizes, and with English as the medium of instruction, you can look forward to pursuing your tertiary education and degree with full confidence.