Fresher Guide
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
Yes, as is well known, every beginning is difficult. New city, new people, new life… and you're right in the middle of it! To make your first steps a bit easier, you'll find 8 tips here on how you can get your bearings more quickly in the confusing university everyday life.
1. Attend the introductory events
No matter what combination of subjects you have, introductory events take place in every department, where you get a rough overview of your studies. Topics such as the enrolment plan and other organisational matters are clarified!
2. Structure your everyday life
So that you don't get lost in the confusing university everyday life, a structured semester plan is virtually essential. Through your own responsibility, you have many freedoms regarding how you spend your day. But that can be quite tricky, since the newly gained freedom also requires a certain adjustment period. Ask yourself the questions: What do I want to achieve today and what do I want to look back on at the end of the semester? And then make yourself a plan.
3. Learn to assess yourself
Especially in the first semesters, you'll occasionally stumble over yourselves. But don't panic! You first need to gather experience so that you can then assess whether something went well or rather badly. Try to adapt to your characteristics instead of forcibly changing them. What type of learner am I? Self-taught or communicative? At home or in the library? Take the time to get to know yourself better and then consider whether you might want to improve something.
4. Get involved in working groups and departments of the university
Whether it's university sport, student politics or theatre, there's really something for everyone here! It's not only fun to get involved, but it also helps you enormously in your studies. By getting involved in a department or working group, you find connections and gather valuable experience to develop further. You also integrate yourself more strongly into the community. Under https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/stuv/gremien/fachschaften/ you get a perfect insight into which departments and opportunities there are to get involved at the university.
5. Ask as soon as you have questions or problems
Those who don't ask, die ignorant. As students, you shouldn't shy away from asking questions. For this, the student councils are the first point of contact for general and organisational questions specific to your studies. You'll find your representatives in the student council offices of the respective faculty, where you can drop by in person during the stated office hours or you can simply send them an email. You'll find the address and telephone number online at https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/stuv/gremien/fachschaften/
6. Attend parties and get-to-know-you evenings
Probably the most popular and unconventional way to mingle with people. An absolute must to relax and forget your worries in everyday life for a brief moment. Especially at the beginning of your studies, you'll meet a lot of people at the various parties who are in the same situation as you. And who better to deal with the initial stress than fellow students who are in the same boat. But be careful! If you party so much that you can't keep up with your seminars, you'll have lost more than you've gained in the end. So always in moderation and conscientiously, then nothing can go wrong.
7. Get to know your place of study
And I'm not talking about the typical sights that you can save for when your parents or friends visit, but about the places that you might not see at first glance. Take the time and immerse yourself in the scenes of the clubs and cellars of the city. Inform yourself about the diverse range of culture, art and opportunities in Würzburg and the surrounding area. Your semester ticket allows you to explore your new place of study in detail.
8. Don't panic
If something doesn't work out and goes wrong, don't panic. There's always a solution for everything and you'll find plenty of people you can turn to with problems or questions. If you want to make sure you're not misinformed, fall back on the institutions mentioned and ask your student advisory service. Feel free to visit the Student representation page as well. Here you'll finally find all the important information about studying: https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/stuv/startseite/
Now have lots of fun and welcome to your studies!
Marcel Dinkel