27-year-old American moved to Germany for scientific faculty and can pay $97 a semester: ‘I think in point of fact glad right here’

While Erika Roberts was once a highschool scholar rising up within the suburbs of Philadelphia, she participated in a two-week change program that took her to Munich, Germany. She did not are aware of it on the time, however that have would form the remainder of her lifestyles.

Fast ahead to 2016, when Roberts was once a freshman in faculty, finding out biochemistry with a pre-med center of attention in Massachusetts. Even as she labored against incomes her Bachelor’s level and attending scientific faculty, she was once feeling unfulfilled.

“I was a young adult who wanted to experience the world and all that came with it,” she tells CNBC Make It. “All the places I toured in high school promised diversity, community and personal growth but the reality felt different. I decided I needed to seek out my own challenges if I wanted to truly experience this. I just didn’t feel like I was working towards a future that I was excited about.”

At the similar time, Roberts began to take into consideration what lifestyles would in point of fact be like if she transferred to another faculty, in particular one again in Germany.

Unlike the United States, in Germany, you do not want a Bachelor’s level to wait scientific faculty. Instead, scholars sign up in a six-year program this is divided into 3 levels, with tests administered after every one.

Most public universities in Germany are both loose or be offering decrease prices in comparison to the ones in different nations.

All of those components persisted to persuade Roberts’ pondering. She regarded as this transfer to be her most suitable option as a result of she may just develop into a dermatologist with out extra long training.

Roberts began to select up the German language once more after in brief taking categories in highschool.

“I set out to challenge myself and to meet people from all over the world. That’s definitely not something that you necessarily get in the States unless you’re in a major city,” she says. “I feel like Europe does a better job of treating young adults in a way that gives you the responsibility so you’re exposed at a younger age, and you know what to do versus in the States it’s more waiting until you’re 21 and then all of a sudden all hell breaks loose.”

Roberts tried to talk about attending scientific faculty in Germany along with her dad, however he pushed aside the speculation. He sought after her to complete her training within the United States. But when Roberts ended her freshman yr with a 3.9 GPA, her dad modified his thoughts and gave her the golf green mild to proceed her research in Germany.

“My dad was like, ‘Okay, if that’s what you think is really the right direction. You gave the typical route a try and if it still feels like you need to go and figure that out, then sure you can try it out’,” she says.

Roberts finished her freshman yr of school in 2017 and registered at a language faculty the place she additionally deliberate to reside whilst getting settled in Germany.

Just a couple of weeks after registering, Roberts were given on a aircraft and headed to Germany. She lived in a dorm on the language faculty for not up to a yr ahead of transferring in along with her boyfriend on the time’s circle of relatives. That residing association ended when the 2 broke up. She moved right into a shared rental with two folks the place she lived for roughly a yr.

Eventually, Roberts landed in an rental with roommates and lived there for 5 years. When she first moved in, she paid 565 euros or $648 a month. By the time she moved out, her hire was once 659 euros a month or $751.

Today, Roberts lives on her personal however is not relaxed disclosing what she can pay in hire. Instead, she shared that her overall bills out of doors of hire are 749 euros or $859 a month.

According to paperwork reviewed through CNBC Make It, the ones per thirty days bills come with 230 euros for groceries, 144 euros for medical insurance, 24 euros for a fitness center club, 28 euros for her mobile phone invoice and 38 euros for transportation. She additionally can pay 85 euros for scientific faculty tuition and normally spends 200 euros going out to devour or putting with pals.

“Taxpayers make it possible to keep the fees of public universities so low, so I’ll have the chance to properly pay back my share once I am working here,” Roberts says.

Roberts has spotted that since residing in Germany, she constructions her days another way, has fitter consuming conduct, and overthinks issues so much much less.

“I think coming from my Philadelphia experience of wanting to be really individualistic and seeing how people exist here in that universe of not trying to do that has been balancing me out,” she says.

“[It’s] making me confront who I genuinely am outside of what the world around me is telling me I’m supposed to be.”

Roberts has been in Germany for just about 8 years now, she says she loves the sense of protection, get admission to to just right meals and accessibility. Being there has additionally pressured her to learn to adapt.

“Recognizing the environment that you’re in and the rules that dictate that environment is really essential for understanding how to succeed,” she says.

“What I have definitely noticed is how slowly over the years, I’ve adapted the German culture more. I’ve grown up here in so many ways. I’ve grown into the person that I am now.”

Roberts’ circle of relatives is most commonly all in U.S., so transferring again there’ll all the time be an opportunity, she says. But for now, she will be able to see herself in Europe for a very long time to return.

“I would not have thought 10 years ago that I would be living in Germany for as long as I have and how everything’s turned out the way it has. I wouldn’t have been able to predict where I am now 10 years ago,” she says.

“I don’t try to strictly predict where I’m going to be 10 years from today but right now I feel really happy over here and I could see myself staying here.”

Conversions from euros to USD had been completed the use of the OANDA conversion charge of 1 euro to 1.14 USD on April 23, 2025. All quantities are rounded to the closest greenback.

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