When you’re an International student studying in Germany, you quickly realize that your scholarship or family support goes only so far. Beyond that, you need to work hard. I’m a Pakistani studying data science here, and I know how much it adds up with all the rent, insurance, semester fees, groceries and not to mention the occasional craving for a biryani. This is where part-time work comes in. I never thought I’d be balancing studies with a part-time job when I first arrived here. But reality hits fast when you’re living in a city like Berlin or Munich, where student budgets can get stretched thin.
My first ever job here was stocking shelves in a supermarket. It wasn’t glamourous, and it wasn’t related to my degree either, but it paid €12 an hour, and the first paycheck felt like gold. Standing for hours, dealing with impatient customers, learning how to say ” do you need a bag?” in perfect German.
At first, all of it was exhausting. But slowly, I got used to it. And the money helped me cover rent without having to call Abbu for extra help. Later, I found a better gig working as a student assistant at the university. Less physically demanding, more flexible hours, and bonus: it looked good on my CV. But even that wasn’t always enough. Many of my Pakistani friends here juggle multiple jobs, tutoring, food delivery, and even freelance coding just to make ends meet.
It gets tough, especially when youre trying to stay on top of the coursework and maintain good grades. There have been weeks when I have rushed from class to my job, grabbed an on-the-go sandwich and studied late into the night. You get used to sleeping only 5 hours a day and working on coffee to survive the workload. But there’s a strange pride in it, too, knowing that youre supporting yourself, managing your own life in a foreign country. It helps build confidence and gives clarity. You learn time management, responsibility, and how to stretch a euro better than any finance class could teach you.
Sure, I dream of the day when I’ll land a full-time job with a proper salary and no more part-time hustle. But until then, this is the grind. And for now, every shift, every paycheck, is a small step toward that bigger goal.