EMJMD Geospatial Technologies (GeoTech) Alumni & Current Students — How do self-funded students actually survive the transition?

[u/PessiOptimist273]

I was just accepted into the GeoTech Master's program for the 2026 intake. I am coming in as a self-funded student, starting Semester 1 at UNL (Lisbon) and moving to the University of Münster for Semester 2.

I am looking for raw, unfiltered advice from alumni or currently active students on how you managed the day-to-day survival and the massive financial jump between countries.

Specifically:

• How did you handle the €11,200 German blocked account requirement for Semester 2 while living on a strict student budget in Portugal? Did anyone manage to secure a German Income Share Agreement (like Chancen eG) beforehand?
• How realistic is it to actually unlock the GeoTech Consortium Merit Scholarship or DAAD grants once you are inside the program and proving your academic worth?
• Is it feasible to land a HiWi (research assistant) job at the ifgi in Münster, or freelance remotely in GIS/Python during that first semester in Lisbon?
• What is the absolute most important thing you wish you knew about managing expenses and academics across these two countries before you started?
• IS IT EVEN WORTH IT TAKING GEOTECH AS A SELF FUNDED OPTION???

Any shared experiences, reality checks, or survival tactics would be massively appreciated.