Finding My Initial Footing with DEGIS
When I first arrived in Germany as an international student, I joined DEGIS as a beneficiary of their buddy program, and with volunteering set in mind. If this is the first time you’ve heard about DEGIS, it is Germany’s coolest community of international students and talent, and the buddy program is one of the first support systems offered to newcomers.
You get paired with someone who has been here longer and can help you figure out bureaucracy, city life, and where to actually meet people.
It was more useful than I expected initially. My buddy helped me navigate the early chaos of settling in. From Anmeldung to bank account, it helped me overcome all the hurdles. More importantly, Germany started to feel a little less unfamiliar with that.
Saying Yes to Volunteering!
However, just a few months later, I got the opportunity to volunteer for the DEGIS Berlin team. I joined as a volunteer in the partnerships team. I had a vague idea of what it would look like, filled with meetings, tasks, reaching out to universities and like-minded organisations, a hectic undertaking. The reality, however, was more demanding, and also more rewarding.
I worked with a team of international people who were also figuring out Germany, being part of the same Berlin community, and also putting real effort into building something meaningful for the community. The shared context reduces a lot of friction. There’s less performance, more actual collaboration.
In those six months, I learnt: Collaboration in an international environment, how to pitch ideas and approach stakeholders, how to build things from scratch, and how to function in a team where everyone’s a volunteer with their own lives running in parallel.
The Jump to the National Team
After six months with DEGIS Berlin, I got a chance to work with the DEGIS national team as a Community Operations Working Student.
I still think about the arc of it. From someone needing help navigating the landscape of Germany, to now helping run the infrastructure that supports people in the exact same situation, I have treaded an amazing path. It has been a surreal experience and a truly amazing journey.
The national team is different in scope. More moving parts, wider reach, being part of a much bigger picture. But the core of my journey in DEGIS has remained the same, i.e., making Germany more accessible for international students and talent trying to settle here, helping them find a community.
What Volunteering has Actually Given Me
Through DEGIS, I’ve met amazing people across Germany, including students, working professionals, people building their own organisations, and people searching for a community to belong to. Some of them are now friends. Others have opened doors I did not know existed when I first arrived here.
The skills I learned surprised me. Being part of the Partnerships team in a volunteer organisation pushed me to think outside the box, work with limited resources, and still produce meaningful results. You cannot fake your way through that. It sharpens your thinking and your instincts.
Working with a larger team and collaborating with presidents of various City Chapters helped me understand the ground realities in different settings. It trained me to identify problems, develop actionable solutions, and adapt to different situations.
And then there is something harder to put into words. You could call it confidence, breaking out of your shell, or simply a sense of place. Taking on real responsibility in a country that is not your own, in a setup where nothing is guaranteed, changes how you carry yourself. I noticed it gradually, but the shift in perspective is real.
Why You Should Consider Volunteering With DEGIS
I am not going to tell you it is always easy. There were weeks where I was balancing my volunteering responsibilities with hectic coursework, and everything else that comes with student life in a new country, even more so after joining the national team. It takes actual time, effort, and energy.
But here‘s what I would say to any international student and talent in Germany trying to find their footing: DEGIS is one of the best places for you to start; it has been for me. You start as someone who benefits from the community. If you stay and put in the effort, you become the part of the engine that runs it.
You build a network that spans cities and fields. You pick up skills that your syllabus doesn‘t teach you. And you figure out slowly that you belong here too.
That shift has been groundbreaking for me, and I really think it would be for you as well!
Not only do you get all these valuable benefits, you also get a certificate after just 2 semesters of volunteering which demonstrates your impact! Perfect for your CV and future employers.
So are you ready to volunteer? Find out more and click here to register!
Can’t wait to see you soon 🙂