Admission to study in Essen does not, as it is common in other countries, automatically include the offer for a room in a residence hall. Therefore, you have to acquire your accommodation on your own. There are several options:
Apply for a room in one of the Studentenwerk's (student services) residence halls.
You can apply for a room before you have received a letter of admission. Please download the application from this page: http://studentenwerk.essen-duisburg.de/pdf/wh_bew_e.pdf.
Most residence halls are run by the Studentenwerk. You can find more information about the various residence halls at http://studentenwerk.essen-duisburg.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=22#essen.
Since there is a long waiting list, you should apply well in advance or make alternative arrangements.
Searching for a room on the open housing market
If you are looking for a furnished apartment/room or a room in an apartment-sharing community you can post your request on one of the bulletin boards ("Schwarze Bretter") on campus or inquire on the internet webforum.
More information:
SCIES (Support Center for International Engineering Students) - page of the faculty of engineering
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