Video call home from your student dorm
A real situation from the OGIMA community · Expat Life
The scene
You're in your tiny Studentenwohnheim room, your family is on screen asking how Germany is, and you need to describe your new life in words they'll understand.
Why this moment is tricky in Germany
International students in Germany typically live in Studentenwohnheime (student dorms) managed by the Studentenwerk — shared kitchens, communal bathrooms, and rooms averaging 12–18 square meters. Video-calling family back home is a weekly ritual that practices a specific type of German: describing your daily life to people who don't know the context. Useful phrases: 'Mein Zimmer ist klein aber gemütlich' (my room is small but cozy), 'Ich wohne im Studentenwohnheim' (I live in the student dorm), 'Die Mensa ist günstig' (the cafeteria is cheap), 'Es ist kalt hier' (it's cold here). The bilingual challenge: you're explaining German concepts in your family's language but practicing how to describe them in German too. The Semesterbeitrag (semester fee covering transit pass and student services), the Mensa (university cafeteria with subsidized meals), and the Bibliothek (library) are the three institutions that define student life — and all have vocabulary that comes up on every family call.
Rehearse it before it happens
This situation is practised out loud in OGIMA: you speak, an AI conversation partner answers back, and you rerun it until the real thing feels routine.
Prefer to read first? Our guide covers this territory: How to Practice Speaking German