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[Palculator]

I don't like sausages though. Is there plenty of Cottage cheese in Germany?

There is, it's super common. Also, don't judge sausages in general before having ours.

I have doubts I could make it into a college in Germany. I'm 25 and....it seems daunting @_@ Yesterday I was sure of it but today I wake up with doubts aaaagggh.

You can easily make it into University (and a guy in this very thread did the same when he was ten years older than you) because the entry requirements for most majors are super low (if existant at all.) The bigger problem is probably finding a place to live and making sense of the bureaucracy first, but seems like the German embassy for your country should help you out regarding that (going by the OP, at least) and as far as I'm aware official documents are generally available in English too.

English is mandatory in school too, so on top of the courses being in English you can at least expect most people to understand some English.

 

[JumpCancel]

Everything you listed is readily available.

Sounds fantastic!

I don't want to set off German-Gaf with my dislike of sausages. Pork isn't the best meat nutritionally for my needs. Taste wise it can achieve a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. Nothing beats Chicken for me!

Obviously learning German will mitigate this, along with further research on my part but I'll ask anyway: Job wise how prevalent are English speaking roles? I'd assume being mono lingual would restrict job availability severally but I may be wrong.

 

[GAMEPROFF]

The problem with our chicken is, that most the time it is mass produced under horrible conditions. So you need to get a good source for it.

 

[Palculator]

Sounds fantastic!

I don't want to set off German-Gaf with my dislike of sausages. Pork isn't the best meat nutritionally for my needs. Taste wise it can achieve a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. Nothing beats Chicken for me!

Obviously learning German will mitigate this, along with further recherche on my part but I'll ask anyway: Job wise how prevalent are English speaking roles? I'd assume being mono lingual would restrict job availability severally but I may be wrong.

Dude, we fucking eat raw pork, lol. Though, to be fair, many people think that stuff is as disgusting as you would expect. Nevertheless a common thing.

Also regarding the learning: We had a fun thread by someone learning German recently. It might help, or put you off the idea entirely!

 

[Jasup]

Dude, we fucking eat raw pork, lol. Though, to be fair, many people think that stuff is as disgusting as you would expect. Nevertheless a common thing.

Mett is fucking fantastic, one of those things I miss about Germany.

 

[Palculator]

Mett is fucking fantastic, one of those things I miss about Germany.

I agree, man. Get me a good bit of mett, some bread rolls and Maggi and I'm made for the night.

 

[GAMEPROFF]

Dont forget Hackbraten.

 

[Kill Your Masters]

Sounds fantastic!

I don't want to set off German-Gaf with my dislike of sausages. Pork isn't the best meat nutritionally for my needs. Taste wise it can achieve a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. Nothing beats Chicken for me!

Obviously learning German will mitigate this, along with further research on my part but I'll ask anyway: Job wise how prevalent are English speaking roles? I'd assume being mono lingual would restrict job availability severally but I may be wrong.

Food wise, whatever international quisine you can think of, is available in abundance.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Its naturally Just do it. The first thought is always the best

Laugh, definitely laugh, more quality work for us if people think German university education is at community college levels at best, just because it's basically free compared to the US.


I'm 30 and went back to finish my compsci degree in Germany a year ago while working part time.

Heck my current university approved all my old CPs and grades from another country in a matter of a few weeks.

It's not hard if you really want it.

There is, it's super common. Also, don't judge sausages in general before having ours.

You can easily make it into University (and a guy in this very thread did the same when he was ten years older than you) because the entry requirements for most majors are super low (if existant at all.) The bigger problem is probably finding a place to live and making sense of the bureaucracy first, but seems like the German embassy for your country should help you out regarding that (going by the OP, at least) and as far as I'm aware official documents are generally available in English too.

English is mandatory in school too, so on top of the courses being in English you can at least expect most people to understand some English.

Thanks for the encouragement. Time to finally work my ass off and gather information and apply myself, I suppose.

 

[Almighty]

If I was a younger more adventurous person I would be seriously considering this idea.

Germany sounds like a goddamn paradise compared to this republican dominated hole I currently call home.

 

[chadskin]

I was assuming the poster meant University of Illinois - you know UofI, where the I is an uppercase i not a lower case L, which unfortunately look very similar IlIllllI

This thread reminds me of the PS+ thread. "It's not free!"

Shoot, in that case: Illinois is ranked #43 globally but tuition fees are also much higher at $30-35K (resident) or $46-51K (non-resident) per year. Adds up to $100-105K or $138-153K respectively over a three-year Bachelor's compared to the €24-30K in Germany.

In any case, you're not going to get Harvard-level name recognition and quality of education and living for the price of nil. If that's his expectation, I suspect he's not going to make it very far.

 

[JumpCancel]

I agree, man. Get me a good bit of mett, some bread rolls and Maggi and I'm made for the night.

Do you want some Wasser to go with your Brot?

I am 1% fluent in german already.

 

[Palculator]

Do you want some Wasser to go with your Brot?

I am 1% fluent in german already.

Immer her damit.

Also, since I didn't see the second part of your question until later: If you're looking for some part time job related to your major it's usually easy to find part time jobs on campus without having to know German (so called HiWi-positions.) Since these jobs are for students and plenty of students are from abroad, it's common that the only language they share with colleagues is English and I have plenty of colleagues whom I can only speak English with; has never really been a problem. Although depending on your major these might not be a thing at all. For example, I wouldn't know what part time opportunities there might be in philosophy, whereas for compsci there are programming jobs in abundance.

If you're talking about proper full time "Yo this is going to be my career" jobs, then I'm not sure and kind of lack the experience to make a proper judgement. I've only ever worked at research institutes where knowing only English wouldn't be any problem whatsoever, but that's obviously not reflective of the job market as a whole.

 

[Jasup]

Don't forget that every university offers language courses for foreigners.

 

[Palculator]

Don't forget that every university offers language courses for foreigners.

Yup, and those count towards your credit total even, so they contribute to your major.

 

[Greddleok]

Don't forget that every university offers language courses for foreigners.

They're not always easy times to go to. The university I work at has the German for English speakers at noon. Hardly a convenient time for a researcher or a student.

 

[Walpurgis]

I live in Canada and am in my 3rd year studying chemistry but I have recently decided to switch degrees to chemical engineering. The problem is, there is no university in my province that offers a chemical engineering degree. Thus, I have no choice but to leave my province. I was planning on heading west to Alberta or B.C. but going to Germany is very enticing. The costs would probably amount to about the same with the added bonus of living in Germany.

I've always admired Germany and its culture so this would be a big bonus for me. Learning the language, travelling the EU, feeling the culture, admiring the foreign architecture and landscapes, it's very exciting. I have family there as well so this would be a good opportunity to meet them. I'm feeling a little apprehensive though.

My question is, what is the path to learn chemical engineering in Germany? I looked at the OP's link and they only offer chemical engineering as a masters (so requiring a BSc). I want to do chemical engineering as a 3-4 year bachelors (which is what they offer in Canada).

And how hard is it to become fluent in German as an English speaker?

Also, would I be allowed to travel to other EU countries? Or is that only for citizens?

Finally, I see that Germany is the only country that has free tuition. But does anyone know how Sweden is? I have living accommodations there so that might make the costs comparable to Germany.

This is utter nonsense. One of my colleagues went to the very MIT that you mentioned. Another came from Harvard. You can hardly do that with "just a degree" that is "akin to community college."

I think this ranking of schools is an American concept that doesn't really apply in most of the world. Sure, you have some schools that are considered top universities of a country but it's not like getting into Harvard or MIT.

For example, in Canada, the University of British Colombia is one of the top universities of the country but it's not any harder to get into than any other provincial university. The reason for this is because nearly all universities in Canada are public. There are a few private universities across the country but no one goes to them and no one has heard of them. This results in tuition fees being pretty similar between universities, regardless of their "prestige". Top universities in Canada are accessible to all citizens because of this. Community colleges where I live are for people who want to learn trade skills or something. They aren't inferior, they are technical institutions that serve a different purpose. I imagine that this is how things are across Europe as well. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[oti]

Food wise, whatever international quisine you can think of, is available in abundance.

Hard to get Mexican food though.

 

[NeOak]

Subbed. I'll submit paperwork for a master in Electrical Engineering next year. I graduate from my second bachelors in December, so gotta wait.

Worst that can happen is I get "no".

 

[Phantast2k]

Ok, I'll have to postpone the op update to tomorrow.

Meanwhile here's some the info & links I collected:

Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (BAföG), the 50% grant / 50% interest free student loan is also available to needy int. students who meet certain requirements. This is a good summary of those requirements. Basically: marry a German ^^
If you meet the above requirements, the StipendiumPlus is apparently also available to you.

Also note that the your countries' equivalents of BAföG could also be available to you while studying aboard. It's definitely true for Germans (it's called Auslands-BAföG: BAföG abroad). For Americans I found this: Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program & this: International Schools | Federal Student Aid. Also there is this: http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) NA lists quite a number of scholarship & grants programs available to North Americans. The same is true for other countries. Just pick your region here ("Regional sites in the top right corner).
The application process must be confusing, so they uploaded a youtube video...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DAAD or rather their "Study in Germany" outlet offers a Studying in Germany in ten steps videos playlist. Their other playlists can be found here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some more articles in which Americans report about their experiences:

June 30, 2015: For Americans Seeking Affordable Degrees, German Schools Beckon : NPR

April 01, 2015: American students head to Germany for free college

24.07.2015: Leaving the US for a German degree | DW.COM

Already mentioned here:
3 June 2015: How US students get a university degree for free in Germany - BBC News

Some UK focused articles:
10 Feb 2016: Berlin named top European university city for British students - Telegraph ~ hue hue

Friday 17 August 2012: Save £25,000 at university and join the 'tuition fee refugees' | The Guardian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official websites of other European countries offering free education:

Finland Norway

And those offering education with discounted fees:

France Denmark Ireland

 

[KHlover]

Hard to get Mexican food though.

Yup. The closest you'll come to Mexican food in Germany is Enchilada and the VERY occasional Mexican restaurant. That's it.

 

[chadskin]

My question is, what is the path to learn chemical engineering in Germany? I looked at the OP's link and they only offer chemical engineering as a masters (so requiring a BSc). I want to do chemical engineering as a 3-4 year bachelors (which is what they offer in Canada).

And how hard is it to become fluent in German as an English speaker?

Also, would I be allowed to travel to other EU countries? Or is that only for citizens?

Finally, I see that Germany is the only country that has free tuition. But does anyone know how Sweden is? I have living accommodations there so that might make the costs comparable to Germany.

1) Here's an overview of available chemical engineering programs across Germany:
https://www.study-in.de/en/plan-you...ties[1]=1&admissionsemester=&sort=name&page=1

It appears, though, that the course language at all universities is German-only. While most professors definitely speak English and will accept term papers in English, course discussions will probably all be in German and written exams may be German-only as well.

Perhaps it'd be an option to do the BSc in Canada, learn German at the university there and then head over to Germany for the MSc? Unless, of course, you don't want to do the MSc.

2) German is probably easier than Arabic or Japanese just because the letters are mostly the same but it's a pretty difficult language nonetheless. Generally speaking, much depends on if learning languages comes easy to you and how much effort you put into it.

3) Once you have the visa, you're allowed to travel to other EU countries, yup.

4) Someone previously mentioned ITT that there are tuition fees in Sweden for non-EU citizens.

Also, the Canadian college/university system sounds very similar to the German/European one indeed.

 

[ScHlAuChi]

Student loans and scholarships are an option, you know.

They clearly are if you want to end up in crippling debt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8pjd1QEA0c

 

[Jasup]

My question is, what is the path to learn chemical engineering in Germany? I looked at the OP's link and they only offer chemical engineering as a masters (so requiring a BSc). I want to do chemical engineering as a 3-4 year bachelors (which is what they offer in Canada).

And how hard is it to become fluent in German as an English speaker?

Also, would I be allowed to travel to other EU countries? Or is that only for citizens?

Finally, I see that Germany is the only country that has free tuition. But does anyone know how Sweden is? I have living accommodations there so that might make the costs comparable to Germany.

1) The programmes don't require a previous Bachelor's degree. They are 5 year programmes where you get the bachelor's degree along the way.

2) I'm not an English speaker, but as I understand German shouldn't be that hard. I've met quite a few native English speakers who are also fluent in German.

3) Once you're in, you're free to travel. Especially within the Schengen area. There will be a passport control if you want to visit the UK or Ireland though.

4) Sweden is generally more expensive than Germany, but you should be able to afford living there.

 

[Greddleok]

Hard to get Mexican food though.

That's not a big deal, Mexican style is trash tier food. Americans destroyed it, then exported it.

 

[Palculator]

It appears, though, that the course language at all universities is German-only. While most professors definitely speak English and will accept term papers in English, course discussions will probably all be in German and written exams may be German-only as well.

Good post. Regarding the quoted bit: It would appear so from that site alone, but I checked what my University's compsci programme lists and they state that it's in German as well, which isn't entirely the case. There are basically German courses you have to do for the first two semesters, but afterwards you can generally pick and choose which courses you do and focus on English ones. If it's similar for chemical engineering and considering Walpurgis isn't new to the field, maybe those few German ones won't be too bad and they can get by relying on prior knowledge and not be too troubled by the added language barrier. Hell, considering they are in their third year of chemistry, maybe they can even get some of the basics acknowledged and skip them.

I've also seen professors teaching German courses offering the exam sheets in English as well, but that's probably the exception. In any case, I wouldn't conclude all of the six semesters from a Bachelor's to require German just from that bit on the site alone and probably inquire further as to how much is actually required / how much they assist foreign students.

 

[Walpurgis]

1) Here's an overview of available chemical engineering programs across Germany:
https://www.study-in.de/en/plan-you...ties[1]=1&admissionsemester=&sort=name&page=1

It appears, though, that the course language at all universities is German-only. While most professors definitely speak English and will accept term papers in English, course discussions will probably all be in German and written exams may be German-only as well.

Perhaps it'd be an option to do the BSc in Canada, learn German at the university there and then head over to Germany for the MSc? Unless, of course, you don't want to do the MSc.

2) German is probably easier than Arabic or Japanese just because the letters are mostly the same but it's a pretty difficult language nonetheless. Generally speaking, much depends on if learning languages comes easy to you and how much effort you put into it.

3) Once you have the visa, you're allowed to travel to other EU countries, yup.

4) Someone previously mentioned ITT that there are tuition fees in Sweden for non-EU citizens.

Also, the Canadian college/university system sounds very similar to the German/European one indeed.

Chemical engineering only being taught in German is a real shame. What does 6 semesters mean? In Manitoba, we have 2 semesters per year and one summer semester that is more like a speed/crash course (instead of 4 months of instruction, it will be 1-2 but more hours per week). Is it 3 years?

1) The programmes don't require a previous Bachelor's degree. They are 5 year programmes where you get the bachelor's degree along the way.

2) I'm not an English speaker, but as I understand German shouldn't be that hard. I've met quite a few native English speakers who are also fluent in German.

3) Once you're in, you're free to travel. Especially within the Schengen area. There will be a passport control if you want to visit the UK or Ireland though.

4) Sweden is generally more expensive than Germany, but you should be able to afford living there.

Are you referring to those master's programs for chemical engineering? Or do you mean it takes 5 years to get a bachelors in Germany?

I was hoping for less years like 3 or 4 since I've already wasted a few on a useless degree.

And damn at Sweden, I just looked at their tuition costs and it's like 20k/year over there.

 

[Palculator]

Chemical engineering only being taught in German is a real shame. What does 6 semesters mean? In Manitoba, we have 2 semesters per year and one summer semester that is more like a speed/crash course (instead of 4 months of instruction, it will be 1-2 but more hours per week). Is it 3 years?

Yup, six semesters = three years, two semesters per year (winter and summer.) Regarding the German bit, check out my post above. It might not be as bad as it sounds and you might even be able to work something out with your prior work in the field.

 

[scamander]

Chemical engineering only being taught in German is a real shame. What does 6 semesters mean? In Manitoba, we have 2 semesters per year and one summer semester that is more like a speed/crash course (instead of 4 months of instruction, it will be 1-2 but more hours per week). Is it 3 years?

Yup!

Edit: too slow again

Are you referring to those master's programs for chemical engineering? Or do you mean it takes 5 years to get a bachelors in Germany?

5 years is for combined Bachelor and Master programmes. So you get both degress, the bachelor usually after three years.

And damn at Sweden, I just looked at their tuition costs and it's like 20k/year over there.

Keep in mind they don't have the €uro there. 20,000 SEK are about 2000€ (which is, of course, still way more than what you have to pay in Germany).

 

[Walpurgis]

Yup, six semesters = three years, two semesters per year (winter and summer.) Regarding the German bit, check out my post above. It might not be as bad as it sounds and you might even be able to work something out with your prior work in the field.

Thanks. That sounds promising.

Yup!

Edit: too slow again




5 years is for combined Bachelor and Master programmes. So you get both degress, the bachelor usually after three years.



Keep in mind they don't have the €uro there. 20,000 SEK are about 2000€ (which is, of course, still way more than what you have to pay in Germany).

5 years doesn't sound so bad in that case.

As for Sweden, I converted 140,000 SEK to CAD and it was $20k CAD. It's crazy. o.o

 

[scamander]

Wow, in that case it's crazy expensive. oO

 

[Palculator]

Thanks. That sounds promising.

Since it seems like you still got plenty of time to make your decision, I'd recommend looking into a bunch of Universities that offer the programme you want and then checking for some contact info for the respective faculty. There are people on staff getting paid to answer questions like that in great detail for people interested in attending like you, and those would also be the ones to negotiate having credit from your prior major acknowledged for the one here. I can't guarantee that is possible, but from three years chemistry I'd certainly hope some of it to carry over to chemical engineering.

And I'm 100% certain they are all fluent in English, so you can just shoot them a mail in your native tongue and ask them about the actual German requirements and how forthcoming the lectures are to foreign students.

Wow, in that case it's crazy expensive. oO

Guess they really don't like Non-EU students, lol.

 

[Pryce]

So what's the catch?

I'm 20 getting ready to go to school and this is rather interesting.

Spoiler

I can go to fucking Germany to go to school but they can't even get Community Colleges to be free, lmao.

 

[Walpurgis]

Since it seems like you still got plenty of time to make your decision, I'd recommend looking into a bunch of Universities that offer the programme you want and then checking for some contact info for the respective faculty. There are people on staff getting paid to answer questions like that in great detail for people interested in attending like you, and those would also be the ones to negotiate having credit from your prior major acknowledged for the one here. I can't guarantee that is possible, but from three years chemistry I'd certainly hope some of it to carry over to chemical engineering.

And I'm 100% certain they are all fluent in English, so you can just shoot them a mail in your native tongue and ask them about the actual German requirements and how forthcoming the lectures are to foreign students.

Guess they really don't like Non-EU students, lol.

Thanks a lot! I'll do more research and email a bunch of schools with any questions that I have.

 

[Jasup]

So what's the catch?

I'm 20 getting ready to go to school and this is rather interesting.

Spoiler

I can go to fucking Germany to go to school but they can't even get Community Colleges to be free, lmao.

Well the catch is that there really isn't one.
Education is seen as a right and this is just an extension of that notion. Tuition fees, even for only foreign students, are seen as making education a priviledge. It's just how things are.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

Bizarre question, but my surrogate younger sister is currently 16. She wants to go to uni but her mother is decidedly against it because of the cost.

I suggested Germany, but, here's the catch:

She's a Korean/Japanese national. She'd be applying from Japan.

Is it doable?

She has fluent English and is looking for a bachelors.

 

[Palculator]

So what's the catch?

I'm 20 getting ready to go to school and this is rather interesting.

Spoiler

I can go to fucking Germany to go to school but they can't even get Community Colleges to be free, lmao.

The biggest one would be having to check if a University degree in the field you're going for is actually recognised in the States. As pointed out earlier in the thread, a German psychology degree isn't going to enable you to practice psychology in the States, because both fields are just much too different and not standardised. Other things like having to have a minimum income of like ~670€ a month/~8k€ a year (through parental support, loans, BAFÖG, work, whatever) for the visa application to ensure you aren't a burden for the state are listed in the OP and "catches" like you having to find a place to live here and probably having to learn a bit of German to get by should be obvious. More specific things you'll find in the thread or can just ask (getting late though so I'll be checking out soon.)

Bizarre question, but my surrogate younger sister is currently 16. She wants to go to uni but her mother is decidedly against it because of the cost.

I suggested Germany, but, here's the catch:

She's a Korean/Japanese national. She'd be applying from Japan.

Is it doable?

She has fluent English and is looking for a bachelors.

I know the thread title says "Americans" but this isn't just exlusive to them. We have tons of Asians here and I play Smash and other games with foreign Japanese students all the time (though one Japanese guy once asked me what the fuck my arcade stick was so I think he might've been fake.) It should basically work just the same, especially if she's fluent in English.

 

[Jasup]

Bizarre question, but my surrogate younger sister is currently 16. She wants to go to uni but her mother is decidedly against it because of the cost.

I suggested Germany, but, here's the catch:

She's a Korean/Japanese national. She'd be applying from Japan.

Is it doable?

She has fluent English and is looking for a bachelors.

Same rules apply, so yes.

 

[AxelFoley]

Seriously cool, how have I never heard of this?!

Took 26 posts, this is what I came for.

 

[oti]

Bizarre question, but my surrogate younger sister is currently 16. She wants to go to uni but her mother is decidedly against it because of the cost.

I suggested Germany, but, here's the catch:

She's a Korean/Japanese national. She'd be applying from Japan.

Is it doable?

She has fluent English and is looking for a bachelors.

How is that a catch?

 

[Barajas_201]

I've debated myself whether I should peruse a German or Japanese scholarship for my masters, since both countries offer pretty good incentives but the Japanese scholarship (MEXT) seems way better because they give you a living allowance once a month, plus Japan seems way cooler

Spoiler

(dat anime and JRPGs)

but Germany looks much more welcoming. I still have 4 years to decide though. How hard is a masters in Software development/computer science or alike GermanyGAF?

 

[Kwixotik]

Man, I really want to do this. But I just don't see how I could. I'm 24 and halfway through a clinical doctorate. When I graduate, I'll be around 100k in debt so I'd have to pay that off before doing anything abroad. Plus, I'd have to take like 2 years off work, which would make it harder to get work when I came back. Plus, I have a fiancee who would have to come with me and she doesn't have a Bachelor's, so she would have to do a 4 year program. Plus, the Master's would be in a field that I'm interested in rather than one that would advance my current career.

I wish I knew about this before.

 

[Necromanti]

Guess they really don't like Non-EU students, lol.

It used to be free for everyone until fairly recently.

 

[yanipheonu]

Maybe we should just commit and make "Meanwhile in America" a meme.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

Can you study without paying that fee?

No. Paying the fee actively counts a statement that you want to continue your study.
If you don't pay it you are exmatriculated automatically.

For me, I study in munich, the semester(6 months) fee that includes public transportation is less than I would usually pay for public transportation for a single month.

If you don't want to call it "semester fee" just call it "dirt cheap public transportation".
I actually heard of some people abusing it by enrolling at uni just to get the cheap public transportation. They never attend of course and after a couple of semesters they get kicked out automatically because they obviously fail mandatory finals if they never attend, but then they just enroll again for something else.
I don't even think thats illegal.

 

[Hypron]

I've debated myself whether I should peruse a German or Japanese scholarship for my masters, since both countries offer pretty good incentives but the Japanese scholarship (MEXT) seems way better because they give you a living allowance once a month, plus Japan seems way cooler

Spoiler

(dat anime and JRPGs)

but Germany looks much more welcoming. I still have 4 years to decide though. How hard is a masters in Software development/computer science or alike GermanyGAF?

There's a German scholarship for masters that provides a living allowance and covers some other costs including German courses for a Masters, my brother got one.

 

[MisterHero]

Ugh. I would jump on this but I'm not sure I'm qualified after looking at one of the links. Do I have to pay for college here to improve my grades to qualify over there?

 

[whipihguh]

I don't really see anything there for my Bachelor's, so unless I'm using this search wrong, this doesn't seem like much of an option for me. Damn.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

How is that a catch?

I wasn't sure if it was a unique german-american set up.

You guys might have just lit up a little girl's life. Thank you for the help.

 

[PdotMichael]

I think this ranking of schools is an American concept that doesn't really apply in most of the world. Sure, you have some schools that are considered top universities of a country but it's not like getting into Harvard or MIT.

The problem is that the rankings are about research. But it doesn't really matter if you learn your basics from a German or English text book especially if you are still stuck at bachelor level.
And Germany has also a different culture with its Fraunhofer, Max-Planck and DLR institutes etc which do a lot of the cutting-edge research here, but don't appear on such rankings.