My First Semester: School Subjects and Time in Germany

Okay, deep breath. It’s been six months since I moved to Berlin, and honestly, some days I still feel like I’m wading through a sea of German. But things are… getting better. Specifically, I’m starting to understand the chaos of the German school system, and, crucially, how to actually talk about schedules and subjects. It’s less about perfectly conjugated verbs and more about navigating the daily grind.

The Initial Confusion: “Welche Fächer magst du?”

My first week at the Sprachschule was pure panic. I was introduced to my tutor, Frau Schmidt, and she immediately asked me, “Welche Fächer magst du?” – “Which subjects do you like?” I blurted out, “Ich mag alles!” – “I like everything!” which, in hindsight, was a spectacularly confident and utterly wrong response. She just smiled patiently and explained that in Germany, you usually have to take a wider range of subjects, even if you don’t particularly enjoy them. It’s about a well-rounded education, apparently.

The basic vocabulary is getting there though. I know now that “Mathematik” (math), “Deutsch” (German – obviously!), “Englisch,” “Geschichte” (history), and “Biologie” (biology) are incredibly common. I’ve even started to recognize “Sport” (physical education) and it’s a surprisingly frequent topic.

Scheduling Shenanigans: “Um wie viel Uhr ist der Kurs?”

This is where things got really tricky. Trying to figure out class times is a mini-drama in itself. The timetable, or “Kursplan,” is a confusing, multi-colored document. I asked my classmate, Luke, “Um wie viel Uhr ist der Kurs?” – “What time is the course?” He responded with, “Der Kurs ist um 14 Uhr.” – “The course is at 2 PM.” I immediately started calculating in my head, only to realize that ‘14 Uhr’ doesn’t actually mean 2 PM. In German, 14 is fourteen. It’s just… different. I made a huge mistake trying to schedule a meeting with another student, using the wrong number. He looked utterly bewildered!

I’m slowly learning to listen for the words “Uhr” and understand that it refers to the hour of the day. I’ve started writing down the times phonetically as well to avoid any misinterpretations.

Time Expressions – My Biggest Struggle

Seriously, the time expressions are the devil. Beyond “um wie viel Uhr,” I’ve encountered “am” (at), “zu” (at/to), and “gegen” (around/against). These aren’t always straightforward.

• Am Montag: (On Monday) – I almost walked into the wrong class on Monday morning because I confused “am” with “auf” (on).
• Zu 10 Uhr: (At 10 o’clock) – I asked Frau Schmidt, “Wann ist die Hausaufgabe abzugeben?” – “When is the homework due?” She replied, “Zu 10 Uhr.” – “At 10 o’clock.” I spent a frantic half hour running around trying to find the classroom at exactly 10!
• Gegen 6 Uhr: (Around 6 o’clock) – This one’s particularly confusing. I keep misinterpreting it as “against” 6 o’clock!

Real-Life Conversations – A Small Victory

Yesterday, I was trying to explain my study schedule to a barista at the local café. I said, “Ich studiere Mathematik und Deutsch von Montag bis Donnerstag, und am Freitag habe ich einen Kurs zu 14 Uhr.” – “I study math and German from Monday to Thursday, and on Friday I have a course at 2 PM.” He nodded and said, “Verstanden!” – “Understood!” It felt like a huge win.

Mistakes and Learning

I’m making mistakes constantly, and that’s okay. Frau Schmidt says it’s part of the learning process. The worst one so far? I asked a student if he was “frei” (free) on Friday, meaning if he had no classes. He looked completely baffled, and I realized I’d used “frei” incorrectly. Apparently, it also means “free” as in, unemployed. Embarrassing!

I’m starting a little notebook just to jot down the phrases I find confusing, and I’m asking my classmates to correct me whenever I stumble. Slowly, it’s starting to feel less like a chaotic scramble and more like… well, a system. It’s still a massive challenge, but at least I can now ask for the time without completely losing my mind. “Gute Nacht!” (Good night!) – I’m going to get some sleep!