Wait, Why Don't I Have A "Real" Summer Vacation From German University?
What comes to mind when you think about "summer" as a university student? Probably something like hanging out in the warm weather all June and July, packing yourself back up in August, and starting classes again in September, right? Well if you wondered why the paperwork from your home university said that you can either study in Germany in the "spring" or for a full year, you're in for a bit of a surprise if you're making plans to travel when Summer is in full swing!
In the German university system, the academic year is separated into two 6 month semesters, the Wintersemester and Sommersemester. The Winter semester runs from October through the end of March, with the exam period being sometime in January or February for most programs. The Summer semester runs from April through the end of September, with the exam period usually being sometime in July or August. The lecture period for each semester is typically around the 14 weeks that most universities and colleges in the U.S. would have. However, if you are in a science program, the lab course may be entirely after the exam period, with the lab taking up either a couple of whole days, or up to a week(s), depending on the particular module.
For someone planning to study abroad in Germany, you can see the obvious issue with only studying for the Winter semester, if they are planning to return for the American Spring semester. However, regardless of whether or not you might be planning to study for a semester or a year, you are eligible to live in the student housing during the entirety of your studies. Therefore, if you are able to take some time between the lecture periods of the semesters, you can take the opportunity to explore more of Germany or Europe as a whole, you can keep a little "base of operations" in the city you're based out of!