Not in any particular order
So every apartment/household in Germany has to pay this Rundfunkbeitrag, which is essentially a monthly tax that is charged for Deutsche Radio, TV, and News. It is rather frustrating as the cost is 17,98 Euro/month. What I did was send a letter stating why I thought I should not be responsible for paying this fee: I am a student, no real income, on scholarship, don't use a TV or Radio or German News.
So for any student that is living in the Studentenwohnheim: After the initial meeting with the Studentenwerk, which is in charge of the service, you receive your keys. Each apartment is slightly different but for the most part it was a bed, table, and some chairs and storage space. Nothing special. You can receive your keys after you move into your apartment but you still need to register with the Hausmeister (which is basically the Landlord/Maintenance man of the buildings). They will give you a sheet where you can write down anything that is wrong with the apartment so as you will not be responsible for it later. In every apartment building there is a type of RA or student ambassador and one for international students. I found mine via a bulletin board at the entrance to the building. Trash is separated into plastics, biodegradable and un-recyclable materials, paper. The mattresses here are semi-comfortable. After being babied in my Queen size pillow top, the hard foam mattress took some time getting used to. I definitely would recommend a mattress top to help ease those joints. For those who live in apartments, you probably will need to buy utensils and the like. One of the easiest ways is via Ikea about a 1 hr away via train. They also have a TKMaxx (TJMaxx) here. Both are decent places where one can buy what you need for cheap. You can also look at the student Facebook groups which often have students selling their own things.
Stores: There are a few choices in Heidelberg and fortunately they are not too far apart from each other. The high end supermarkets are Kaufland, Rewe, Bio-markt (organic store). They are the largest and offer the most in terms of choices. The biggest Rewe is in Handschusheim, while Kaufland is near the Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof. Bio-markt is also in the same plaza as Rewe in Handschusheim. The discount stores are Aldi, Lidl, Pennymarkt, and Nahkauf. These also have reasonable prices, though Aldi and Lidl carry their own brands of foods not found in other stores. Personally we shop at Penny and Lidl the most, with supplemental shopping at Rewe and Aldi as needed. Whats interesting is that sometimes Aldi and Lidl have things for home, however they are only available for a limited time and tend to be of cheaper quality. But for living abroad for only one year it most likely will last. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but the best bet will be to shop at whichever is closest.
Get a bike! Heidelberg is a bike city. Make no doubt about it, you will wish to have one. Taking the bus is easy enough, but they don't always run and don't run when you might need them to. Also it helps to transport groceries. I bought my used bike at Ruprecht Rides. They have a good variety and stock some every week. They are also the cheapest bike seller around. Its a trek to get there but usually worth the trip. And they do speak English!
