Hello! It’s not so much about me, but more importantly about you. My desire to help you comes from the frustration of many parents, and especially students from families who are sometimes very modest, families who have sometimes simply stopped dreaming. Not necessarily the dream of Europe, but the dream of seeing their child become a student, giving themselves a real chance—an education, a chance to have a job, and ultimately, to compete in the realm of the greats, at least in the field of knowledge. Once the student completes their studies here in Germany with good grades, nothing will stop them from writing a dissertation with the big names in academia and/or industry. At the very least, their studies in Cameroon won’t end unceremoniously like they do for many.
As Cameroonians living and working in Germany, we are frustrated when we see other nationalities arriving in large numbers and notice the high visa rejection rate for Cameroon. It’s hard to see a visa refusal rate of up to 70% for Cameroon, while it’s only 6% for Russians and less than 3% for Chinese.
A central challenge is to ensure your success in Germany. A language course alone is no longer enough. Our bachelor’s degree has been devalued and is considered inferior. A grade of 08/20 is sometimes even advised against. You need to complement your education with a strong command of mathematics, thorough use of computer tools, and an understanding of German culture. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Landesstudienkolleg Sachsen-Anhalt in Köthen near the study school. We offer their preparatory program in Cameroon for two semesters, followed by one or two semesters in Germany. This program is called PREPA GERMANY. Asians who follow these programs have a 76% success rate in higher education in Germany, whereas only 32% of Cameroonians who don’t follow the program succeed. The preparatory program aims to significantly improve the success rate of Cameroonian students through good guidance and, above all, an upgrade in mathematics and computer science.
We say that there is room for everyone in Germany. The brightest will study medicine, the average will pursue nursing, and the weaker will become nursing assistants. These three branches all need personnel in Germany. Why shouldn’t they include Cameroonians? Visa refusals for reasons No. 3 (study capability) and No. 4 (seriousness of study intent) are the most common rejections in Cameroon. Get informed, prepare yourself, and submit a visa application file that matches your profile and your academic background.
One more thing to be aware of: studying abroad is extremely challenging. We live with frustrations, suffering, misunderstandings, loneliness, late nights studying after work, managing pressure, fixing mistakes, fear of failure, impatience to succeed or just to finish, and the desire to “keep one’s head above water,” as the saying goes. It’s important to know that success doesn’t just come; you must be prepared to succeed in your studies.
Baudouin Tameze completed his studies at the Ecole Normale Superieure de Yaoundé in mathematics and earned a PhD in statistics from the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany. He works in managing financial risks in the energy sector in Frankfurt and lives in Nidderau, Germany.