The semester date is not your first deadline
A German programme may publish an October start, yet your safe planning date is much earlier. The application might close in May or July. Certified records, language results, APS steps where relevant, proof of funds, and a visa appointment each have their own lead time.
Mark fixed dates, then dependencies
Start with the application closure, result window, enrolment deadline, orientation, and first teaching day. Label each date as confirmed or estimated. Then add tasks that depend on an earlier result: for example, final visa submission may require admission, while gathering civil records does not.
Add margins you can defend
Do not build a plan around every organisation responding at its fastest. Add time for a rejected scan, public holiday, translation correction, or request for additional evidence. If the route works only when nothing slips, it is not yet a realistic route.
Review the map weekly and replace estimates when official information arrives. Keep links or screenshots beside each critical requirement so advice from a chat group does not quietly become a “fact.”