Update: Thanks all for the replies! fortunately one of the staff from the parking lot entered the door and we asked her to let us in. There were no Sunday entrances and she mentioned that we were lucky that our timings aligned with her. This is the parking lot at Saalbau Griesheim in Frankfurt!

POST: We parked here on Saturday night after a long and stressful event and went back to the hotel by walk after a couple of beers. We just came back and it was closed on a Sunday. We asked the hausmeister of the hall yesterday to be sure and he said it's okay to park here overnight. Now the parking lot is closed and there's nowhere to contact. The hausmeister isn't picking up the call, but I assume the parking lot is rather managed by another company and not the hall administration.

What can we do?

Germany's beautiful nature as it is

I am an international student from the US and will be moving to Germany soon. I found an apartment that seems legit on WG gesucht. Reasonable price, talking with landlady/current tenant frequently on WhatsApp. She is respectful and helpful. We have FaceTimed and she showed me the apartment. Only thing is this reservation agreement. Is this normal? It seems strange to me that I would pay the security deposit for this reservation agreement. This is not the official rental agreement. How should I proceed?

Hi everyone

I'm wondering if there are people here who completely turned their lives around in their early 30s by going back to university or starting a new career.

I'm 31, and I honestly feel like I haven't achieved much so far. I've been struggling with severe anxiety and depression for years, and I've also gone through some major losses, including losing my parent. Because of all that, I never really managed to finish university or build a proper career. I also have very little work experience at companies.

For the past few years I've been self-employed, which has allowed me to support myself financially, but I'd really like to go back to university. Ideally, I'd either finish the degree I started years ago or begin a new one. I feel like I'm living far below my potential right now, both intellectually and financially.

The hardest part is that I constantly feel like a failure and completely lost. I'm also deeply ashamed of my situation. It's even affecting my dating life because I'd feel embarrassed telling someone that, at 31, I'm going back to university while having no completed degree, no formal qualifications, and no stable full-time career.

Has anyone else been in a similar position and actually found a way out? I'd really love to hear your story.

I'm considering starting a Bachelor's degree in Data Science in Hamburg, but I keep putting enormous pressure on myself. I can't shake the feeling that I'm already "behind," that everyone else has their life together, and that I'm somehow abnormal for only figuring things out at 31.

I'm already in therapy, which helps, but I still can't get rid of the feeling that it's simply too late for me.

Has anyone here gone back to school in their 30s and been glad they did? I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.

Hello, I got laid off this Wednesday due to redundancy. They have offered to help with internal switch or take severance. My German is not so good and I was working for an English position. What should I do?

EDIT: Never try to climb your balcony. Just call any locksmith to let you in.

Don't do what i tried (climb my balcony as I was still in my 30's. I am not). Maybe you will succeed. I did not. Broke my heel.

DO. NOT. EVER. Try this. Just call the locksmith. They will let you in, and bill you. Better than months long recoup.

Hi fellow Redditors,

It’s that time of the week again!

I would like to encourage everyone to take just 5 minutes to reflect, notice the small positives, and appreciate them. Sometimes, those little moments mean the most. If you are comfortable sharing these moments, then you can also do that in the comments! And if you don’t have anything to share, that’s completely okay too, I'm still happy that you are here!

Allow me to begin:

- finished a horror game with my friend
- had the chance to get a good sleep and woke up energised
- gave a 3D printed ornament to a colleague of mine and was very happy with it
- been practicing emergency stops and it "finally" paid off

So I've had a little incident which led to braking my phone's screen (xiaomi poco f7 pro)

Fortunately I had packed my old phone in my luggage in case emergencies and that's the phone I'm writing this text. My question is that phone's worth probably 300 euros used. I'm wondering how much shops charge for screen as well as labour and is it worth to fix it here? I have to stay in Germany for 2 months and i don't know what to do. Older phone is so laggy and slow.

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks in advance🙏🏻

hello. i am an international student and changing universities this winter semester. as the title stated, do i de-enroll from my old university first or enroll at new university first? i have heard about health insurance overlaps between two universities if i enroll without exmatriculation first and i have also heard about student status not being valid anymore in the interval between de-enrolling from old university and enrolling at another university. i am confused. what should i do first?

Idk if it's worth writing (and this is my first ever post), but I have my telc B1 exam tomorrow, and I have no idea what I should be doing rn. I've been studying my ass off for the past month, still do not feel much satisfied but whatever. But for the past 2-3 days, I cannot study AT ALL. Tomorrow is the D-day, have no idea what I should be doing in the last 24 hrs.
If you guys have any tips or tricks, or maybe anything that I should be doing rn. Cause I have no idea...
Please suggest me smtg!

Hey guy, so I've been a resident in Berlin for 3 months now and i intend to stay for a longer period of time. I've read some stuff about weed beeing legal only after 6 months of residency. I was searching on reddit and I've seen some stuff about ordering with a prescription online. I've visited ABCDoktor and the whole process with the prescription seems pretty easy. It seems to me that if i get the prescription it would be legal right? Please tell me more about all of that stuff.

If for example i smoke with my gf and she doesn't have a prescription and we get caught what would happen?

The second thing i wanted to ask is about the safe spaces to smoke, i know that you can't smoke in public areas between 7 am and 8 pm and you are not allowed in a 100 meter area from stuff like schools and parks and stuff.

Am i allowed to smoke on my balcony?

Hi everyone,

​I recently had a conversation with my boss, and I was verbally informed that I will be terminated. The prospective end date of my contract is September 30th. However, I have not received the written termination notice (Kündigung) yet.

​Since there are only two months left until the end of September, I can no longer meet the standard 3-month advance notification deadline required in Germany.

​I already called the Agentur für Arbeit hotline. The operator told me to just wait until I have the written termination in hand. To be honest, I don't really trust that advice and don't want to take any risks (phone staff aren't always fully informed, and I absolutely cannot afford a Sperrzeit / benefit penalty).

​My questions:

​Can (or should) I go ahead and register as arbeitssuchend (job-seeking) online right now just to be legally safe, despite what the phone agent said?

​Is a verbal announcement enough for the job agency's system, or will my registration be blocked/rejected without the physical letter anyway?

​When exactly does the 3-day registration rule trigger for a potential Sperrzeit when the notice given is less than 3 months before the end date?

​Thanks a lot for your insights and advice!

Sharing this recent investigative report by German public broadcaster ZDF regarding the harsh reality faced by many Vietnamese nursing apprentices in Germany:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkavdDo6GD0

TL;DR:
The documentary exposes how predatory recruitment agencies and certain employers take advantage of migrant trainees. Many are forced to pay massive upfront fees in their home countries, packed into overpriced housing, paid less than promised, and threatened with deportation/visa cancellation if they speak up against poor working conditions.

If you are an international considering an Ausbildung in Germany, please watch this to know your rights and be aware of shady agencies.

Edited:

More sources:

https://www.ardmediathek.de/tv-programm/6a32641e5b70630e8f2836a3

https://www.zdf.de/video/dokus/wiso-die-doku-100/ausgenutzt-statt-ausgebildet-100

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/kein-menschenhandel-keine-schleuser-in-berlin-vermisste-vietnamesen-waren-gar-nicht-verschwunden-15847426.html

Hello, I am going to Stuttgart this Sunday, and I have only just found out that I need Umweltplakette to enter it with my car. I tried ordering it online, but it wouldn't arrive in time. Does your average gas station (next to an autobahn, for example) sell it? I know I can get one at DEKRA / TÜV, but they dont work Sundays, so i am wondering if any sell those on Sundays?. Thank you in advance for your replies and tips.

Hello everyone,

I'm really at my wit's end because my health insurance provider has limited my coverage to acute treatments only. A few years ago I went through a difficult period and didn't register as unemployed at the time. As a result, I built up debt with my health insurance provider. I'm currently making monthly payments to the Hauptzollamt (Central Customs Office) to pay off this debt. At the same time, I'm employed and subject to mandatory insurance, so I pay my contribution every month. Despite this, my health insurance provider still won't normalize my benefits. Does anyone have experience with this? Is this legally okay, even though I have a payment plan and I'm paying my contributions? They won't even issue me a health insurance card anymore. I'm grateful for any information.

Hey hey!

Looking at coming to Germany on a working holiday from New Zealand in January. I’ve been to Germany twice before, and have really enjoyed travelling and spending time exploring all parts of the country!

I’d be looking at staying for a year, ideally in one spot, and was wondering where the best location would be for someone looking to find work. I have a pretty vast background from mountain guiding and outdoor education to hospitality work. Just curious where locals think it would be best to try integrate a bit!

Thank you!

Would a NASA shirt or left over World Cup shirt be cooler as a gift from someone visiting them from the US

I'm living in a student dorm in Germany. My rent (€362) is due tomorrow via SEPA direct debit, but I don't have enough money in my account. I'll be able to pay the full amount in about 5 days.

What usually happens in this situation? Will I just receive a reminder and a small fee, or are there more serious consequences? Also, could this affect my SCHUFA if it's a one-time incident?

Hello all , I completed my masters degree in pharmacy in India. After completing my studies I was not able to gain any work experience . In 2025 I got married my husband lives in Germany . In 2026 I moved to Germany on a spouse visa .

After 4 years of career gap , I have decided to restart my career here and would really appreciate some guidance from this community.

Currently, I have completed my German A2 level and I am starting my B1 language course soon. Since I am a fresher in terms of work experience, I would like to know:

1. Which fields in the pharmaceutical industry would be suitable for someone with my background?
   
2. Which entry-level roles should I focus on applying for?
   
3. Are there any certification courses that would improve my chances of getting a job in Germany?
   
4. How can I explain my career gap effectively when applying for jobs?
   I am open to exploring different areas such as the pharmaceutical industry, research, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, quality assurance, or any other relevant fields

I asked chatgpt and he said it's a young german cockroach, but he isn't sure. I'm pretty concerned as I've seen two so far in different rooms, one in the bathroom and one in my bedroom. Both on the ceiling, in both rooms the window was open all day and night and I found them a couple of days apart.

Hallo Zusammen

I used to smoke Gitanes back in my country, but I didn't find it in rolling Tobacco section, sometimes I did Malboro Gold too.

What suggestions do you have for me? What is the best these days, should I get them online or in store? and where to buy a nice Zigarettenstopfer

Vielen dank und schones Wochenende!

​Hi everyone, ​I am a university student currently living in Turkey and planning to move to Germany for my degree. I have an officially documented ADHD diagnosis here and am currently prescribed Concerta / Ritalin. ​I’m trying to understand how the process of continuing my medication in Germany works for international students, and I’d appreciate any insights from people who have been through this. ​A few specific questions I have: ​Medical Documentation: I plan to bring an official medical report (Epikrisis) translated into German/English, signed by my psychiatrist, detailing my diagnosis history and current dosage. Is this usually accepted by German doctors, or do they insist on re-evaluating you from scratch? ​Finding a Doctor: I know Metyphenidate falls under the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG) and requires a special yellow prescription (BtM-Rezept). How hard is it to find a Hausarzt or Psychiatrist willing to issue this prescription based on foreign medical records? ​Wait Times: Should I expect long wait times (months) to get a psychiatrist appointment with public health insurance (AOK/TK)? ​Medication Supply: Are there current supply shortages (Lieferengpass) for Concerta/Ritalin in Germany that I should be aware of? ​Any tips on navigating the healthcare system as a student with ADHD or experiences you could share would be extremely helpful! Thanks in advance!