What should someone know before moving to Berlin, Germany and studying at TUB?

TU is located around Ernst-Reuther Platz, thus, if you want to live close to the Uni you might want to look for a flat around ERP. Personally, I would not want to live there. Sure, it's convenient to get to the Uni, but there are many much more exciting places for a student to be in Berlin than ERP and from most places it wont take you longer than a 30-40 minutes ride with U-Bahn or S-Bahn to get to ERP.  While it is still possible to get a shared flat for around 300 Euros (expect a maximum of 20 square meters room size then) those places get very rare. When someone offers a shared flat for 300 Euros on one of the portals Bastian Kröhnert mentioned you can expect around 100 inquiries within the first 2 days. Your chances for being chosen as a roomy while not being in Berlin and visiting the guys offering the room are equal to zero. There are about one hundred other guys desperately wanting the flat who will come over for the "WG-casting" (WG=Wohngemeinschaft, casting = invitation of potential flatmates for getting a first impression - almost a standard procedure today) and try their best to make a good impression. A strategy that might work: Come to Berlin early before your courses start (couch surfing might be a good first starting point for sleeping and finding someone who can give you some good advice) and look for a room (while getting to know the city) for a few days. Getting accepted for a WG is much more easier when you are here. A few days before you arrive, apply for several WGs in different areas, you might want to go for: Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Neukölln or Schöneberg. Make sure you get invited to as many WG as possible. While you are here, you should be constantly busy visiting WGs or exploring places where you might want to live or you might not want to live. The situation for single apartments is similar: applying from a distance without showing up in person reduces your chances to zero (at least districts within the S-Bahn circle. You don't want to live outside the S-Bahn circle). Fun places for students: where should I start? Berlin is like a very large playground for grown-ups. You'll find every weird culture, subculture and counterculture you can or can't imagine (today, on my way to work I saw an ad for "genital meditation" …). Be more specific about what kind of fun you are seeking.

Where TU is situated isn't really a student area and it's also not the most vibrant part of Berlin. As long as you live near a U-Bahn or S-Bahn station, it's pretty easy to get around anywhere in Berlin. Also with dedicated bike lanes pretty much everywhere you go, cycling is a great alternative. In terms of which district to live in, it really depends on what kind of person you are. Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln are quite popular with the younger crowd. You can find cafes, restaurants, and bars right outside your doorstep. There's a great mix of cultures and subcultures, so it's never boring. Prenzlauer Berg and Schöneberg on the other hand are much more quiet and attract an older demographic (late 20s to 30s). The suburbs are filled with cafes and boutique stores, as opposed to bars and clubs. Prenzlauer Berg is very gentrified, so you're not going to see much of the grungy and raw side of Berlin. For <300 Euros a month, you're better off sharing an apartment with others. If you're looking to live alone, you probably need at least 500 Euros for a studio in one of the more popular districts. There are lots of things to do in Berlin, and most of the stuff are free! It depends what floats your boat.

It is easy to find a cheap apartment, but it is really hard to find a nice place in a "cool" area for a decent price. So better start looking early! Use http://www.wg-gesucht.de. Apart from well-located apartments, Berlin is really cheap. You might consider moving to the East of the city, even though this is not right close to TU. Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, an Prenzlauer Berg are the most popular areas for young people though. For under 300 euros, you might find a room in a shared apartment, but better plan on spending a little more.