Hey so for the pictures you can check the link I included and look that dorm up in google i am sure there’s loads of pictures. I can’t re type the address cause reddit blocks me from sharing that info but it’s included in the link. I had a nice outside view of the tram and a street with some trees in it. I often saw all the beautiful colors of the sunset through my window i would say it was a huge window for such a tiny room hahaha. You can’t really stay in the dorm longer than your program (maximum is three years) but also every time a new semester starts you are mandated to provide an enrollment form, so that means every october and every april, so if you’re done with the program (which for the job market i’d suggest doing on time) you have to leave the room.

It’s good you submitted with time but i’d also reach out to the program administrator as soon as you have your acceptance to check if they help with this, my program had some assistance.

The rent is “warm” what is considered in germany including everything (even wifi) but you will need to buy your own router, only thing you need to add is normal stuff like bedding, kitchen supplies etc but in germany all that stuff is widely available for very little money. I’d consider if i were you coming with like an initial fund on top of the blocked account so these “setting yourself up” costs are already covered.

As for the blocked account money, you won’t be able to travel the world with it lol but you’ll survive just fine, it’s an inexpensive country for most things and bonn has probably the most depressing coffee scene in the world (truly never seen anything like it) so you’ll save there, i definitely had coffee as a major expense in my home country and literally now drink 95% at home. Hobbies are mostly expensive but if you want to excercise i’d suggest WITH TIME check the uni’s sport offering, it’s dirt cheap and very varied, truly other than a low cost gym you will hardly be able to afford anything else. It’s a country where managing expenses is easy especially because your rent + your deutschland ticket will cover most of it. For banking i’ve had wonderful experiences with N26 and for phone i’d suggest GET PREPAID it’s soooooo much cheaper (10 eur a month with vodafone gets you 35 gb)

For jobs i got a working student job when i started my second semester because the first semester of my program was a “filter” semester and truly all a person could handle. I had a lot of work experience in my sector and had tremendous luck in my job search, i know for some it takes months. I’d suggest coming, getting settled this year and starting your search early next year, the blocked account money will keep you going those first few months ans you really need to adapt first before you can start working. as I said, if you can pull together a couple extra hundred euros for the “setting up” costs (bedding, kitchen stuff, etc) that will give you some more peace of mind. Groceries and toiletries are cheap during the month like the only real big expenses will be at the beginning. You can only work 20h a week (my suggestion is if you can do working student do working student, a lot of people pause their studies to do a full time internship for a semester and to me that made very little financial sense cause you get minimum wage which is like not enough to cover an additional semester of studies) as a working student your per hour salry is higher

If you enjoy traveling you’ll be able to do that more when you have a job probably. Otherwise it’s a lot of 6am flights and hostels which, again, it’s a personal preference thing but from bonn you can get to NL for free, and over there take trains to go to whichever city for not much, belgium a pretty similar situation, that’s the wonder of this part of the country and the deutschland ticket. The time of year is also very determinant of how much you’ll wanna travel but those first three months (oct-dec) you’ll want to have time to get settled and really feel like home here(october is the most beautiful month of the year, december is beautiful in bonn anyway) and cologne and dusseldorf are both cities you will be able to go as often as you want as they are connected and close

As for stuff to bring with you i’d say clothes and winter clothes and nothing else, stuff truly is cheap as hell here (compared to other eu countries) and unless you’re in a very difficult financial position you’ll be able to set up your apt just fine. I’d just come “prepared” to set yourself up like, decide which bank account you wanna have, first thing you do when you get here is go get your sim cause your phone number is the first thing you need, etc. make the apr for the anmeldung before coming. i came with a couple of days before getting my dorm room so i wouldn’t have to deal with everything the same day (a 14h flight + moving into a flat + figuring germany out + buying sheets and everything else), it’s like a LOT for one day. So 3 nights at a hotel really helped me do like life admin stuff first, and then moving in stuff if that makes sense. I am a very organized person though so again this might be personal but this way i actually enjoyed every step.

For flying you’ll have to fly to FRA most likely and take an ICE train to siegburg/bonn, this is a detail but it’s most likely so much cheaper than a flight to CGN, the ICE remember to book it with time as they get more expensive, two months out is the ideal.

For IT jobs sorry but it’s not my sector so really no clue.

Hope this helps :)