GELSENKIRCHEN WEATHER

GELSENKIRCHEN AT A GLANCE

Gelsenkirchen is a city that lies in the heart of the Ruhr metropolitan area in the North-Rhine Westphalian state. What was once the largest mining town in Europe has slowly transformed throughout the years into a contemporary location with an artistic flair. Old colliery buildings and factories are now turned into modern places for comedy, music, and theatrical events, inviting locals and guests of Gelsenkirchen to enjoy the vibrant cultural scene of the city. Gelsenkirchen is a great place for living and studying as it provides a bit of everything to its citizens. With numerous awards for pretty much every aspect of a good lifestyle, Gelsenkirchen is environmentally friendly, sporty, and a creative place to live in. Furthermore, the surrounding region of the city creates multiple opportunities for leisure activities allowing people to contemplate and spend time within nature all year round. Gelsenkirchen has a somewhat oceanic climate influenced by the Ruhr region with warm summers and mild winters. During the summer months the temperatures can go as high as 25⁰C, whereas during the coldest month being January, they can drop as low as 1⁰C. Gelsenkirchen has a well-established infrastructure allowing its citizen to travel within the city by car, bus, tram or metro. In addition, Gelsenkirchen is one of the major cities in the Rhine-Ruhr region, which makes it an easily accessible point with bigger cities like Essen, Duisburg and Dortmund surrounding it. Although German is the official language spoken throughout the city, due to the presence of students from different backgrounds one can hear other languages being spoken around as well.

Academic Year

Summer Semester: March – July / Winter Semester: September – February

Official Language

German

Higher Education Institutions

Population

259645

Living Costs

750 – 800 EUR

STUDYING IN GELSENKIRCHEN

Gelsenkirchen is home to the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (WH) and the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Management of North Rhine-Westphalia (HSPV NRW). The Westphalian University is fairly young as it was founded in 1992. Nowadays, a modern higher education institute, WH offers more than 40 different Bachelor, Master, and Dual study programs to nearly 9,000 students from all over the world. With its two other campuses in Bocholt and Recklinghausen the university offers high teaching quality in the fields of Business, Engineering, Chemistry, Media Informatics, Journalism, and others. The HSPV is the other higher education institute with a central administration in Gelsenkirchen. There around 2,600 students are being trained to their careers as civil servants. The university offers dual Bachelor degree programs with alternating theoretical and practical studies. At HSPV students gain not only the required theoretical knowledge but also vocational training that will endow them with the right set of skills for a successful career in the administrative and police enforcement services. Student life in Gelsenkirchen is very pleasant and affordable for students especially international ones. Students can choose between living in a student dormitory or finding something on the private housing market. Located within a close proximity to the Westphalian University the student dormitory offers both rooms and apartments for prices ranging between 217 EUR and 277 EUR depending on the type and size of the room. All of the rooms are in shared apartments with fully equipped kitchens and modern sanitary facilities, however, the rooms themselves are not furnished. Due to the limited availability of rooms some students might need to look for alternative housing options.

GELSENKIRCHEN LIFESTYLE

Gelsenkirchen is a great city to live and study in and students can expect to have lots of fun during their stay here. The vibrant atmosphere offers many cultural and leisure activities all year round available not only to locals but also to students and visitors. Although Gelsenkirchen is the eleventh-largest city in the region it is a perfect place for those who want a bit of both worlds in terms of the metropolitan city flair and the relaxed atmosphere of smaller towns. This has to do with the fact that Gelsenkirchen is one of the cities with an above-average proportion of green space, making it ideal for students who want to cool off after a busy day at the university. At the same time, there are a number of great shopping opportunities around the city along with various restaurants, cafes and bars where students can gather for a drink during the week or at weekends. For those who wish to explore more of the German culture, Gelsenkirchen has a calendar filled with cultural events all year round including festivals, concerts, and markets. Join the celebration, meet new friends, and get to try local foods and drinks.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN GELSENKIRCHEN

Gelsenkirchen’s economy was once based on coal, steel, glass, chemistry, and clothing industries. With time the city’s economy transitioned gradually and lead to a more innovative and sustainable one. Nowadays the city’s economic focus falls more on the service sector, the creative and innovative industries, logistics, and more. Graduates from both universities can easily place the foundations of the professional careers in Gelsenkirchen as there are multiple companies that are ready to offer them internships and placement even during their studies. Yet, the process of preparing for the job interview is often harder than finding a job role itself. This is why students who might be experiencing difficulties or are unsure of what career path they should choose can turn to the professionals working at the Career centres located in their campuses. Moreover, students are also advised to participate in workshops, lectures, and seminars or other career events organised by the Career centre throughout the year.

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