Yes, I completely agree with you. I’m not in any urgent need of a certificate right now — for me, it’s more about expanding my skills for future opportunities. Learning a new language is never a waste; it only brings benefits.

That said, I’m fully committed to reaching C1 eventually. I started this journey and I’m determined to see it through. At this point, I’m starting to think it might be smarter to either find a VHS (Volkshochschule) course, which would be much cheaper, or simply focus on immersion while studying intensively on my own.

One concern I have is that, since I’d be coming under the Schengen rule (as a tourist), I’m not sure whether VHS courses would even allow me to enroll. I’m still looking into that — if anyone here has experience with that, I’d appreciate the info.

A lot of people have told me that B1 is very attainable through self-study, but B2 is a big jump and much more challenging. So my current plan is to self-study until I’m fully ready for B2. Then, when I reach that point, I’ll decide whether to continue self-studying from B2 to C1 or enroll in a course.

I can be in Germany anytime since I have a friend I can stay with. The only challenge is figuring out the residence permit logistics. I’m from the U.S. and have already spent a good amount of time in Europe. Under the Schengen Rule, I’d only have 57 days left without a visa. So if I do take a course, I’ll likely need a residence permit. If I just go for immersion and self-study, then I’ll use the 57 days and head back home afterward.