Experience
For students, since the blocked account is the step that decides whether your visa appointment is worth attending.
Opened the account online, approved in 2 days. The transfer was the slow part: our banks need an outward remittance approval and the education purpose documentation, and my branch had not done one before, so it sat for eight days before anybody touched it.
Total: 21 days from opening the account to the money showing as confirmed. Start it before you have your admission letter if you can, not after.
Exchange rate cost me more than every fee combined, so compare the provider rate against the bank rate rather than looking at the fee alone.
Germany