FAU

Host University: FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Home Faculty: Electrical Engineering at Technion
Host Faculty: Technische Fakultät at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

Email: hayel.bader@campus.technion.ac.il

Courses:

• Information Theory (recognized) – I found the level of the courses at Technion to be much deeper and less focused on memorizing less important details. There weren’t too many assignments, which was a bit different from my experience in Germany.

• Deep Learning (recognized) – A fascinating and relevant course that gave me a broader perspective on the field.

• Learning Systems (recognized) – This course was another solid offering that I found very relevant to my studies.

Campus: The campus in Erlangen is really compact, and I lived close to the faculty, just across the street. The people are very friendly, but you have to make an effort to socialize and go out to meet others. If you don’t make an effort, you won’t make friends easily.

There is a subsidized cafeteria on campus, which is great, and several amenities like a gym, a cinema room, and a small bar in the dorms. The university is spread across three towns, so you’ll often end up with friends who don’t belong to the same faculty, which can be a bit challenging.

It rained and was quite cold most of the time, so I didn’t get a chance to hang out outside much, but the exchange office there organizes a lot of events like bar meetups, parties, and trips, which was a nice way to meet people.
Sports facilities are quite cheap and accessible, but they are not located on campus, and I preferred to go to the gym in the dorms as it was closer.

Cultural Experience: I had a great cultural experience since my roommate was German, and I got to experience German culture first-hand, including food, traditions, and daily life.

Advice to Future Students: My advice is to go with an open mind, especially given the current situation. Don’t take things too seriously, and if something doesn’t feel welcoming, don’t force it.
At the same time, enjoy everything you can and try to meet as many people as possible. There’s so much good in the world, and so many great people to meet.