Have you heard about the Ersti-Woche?

The Ersti-Woche means the first week at the university for the students …

… who are freshly enrolled and begin with their study. The General Students Committee (AStA) is involved in the organization. In addition, there are students who have over the same course of study but from higher semesters. And it begins one week before the lectures start, to discover the university unhurriedly. If you ask yourself whether you go there. I can tell you; it is recommended because you have some advantages. This is a great chance to keep in touch with your fellow students from your course and to exchange information about life in the new city.

What awaits you there?

You have an introductory event with students from higher semesters to tell you general information about the university. For example, how you log in on the university website/app, how you change your password, how you can borrow lecture books from the university library and where you find the rooms on the campus. They also explain where and how you pay a cafeteria card and how to charge it. Another day you have an event where you undergo what the students of the department do and how you become a member. And if you have any problems, who you should contact. They also tell you whether there is an event with sports or other fun games.

Then you will be assigned to a small group of 6 students, and you have 3 students from higher semesters. Then everyone from your group becomes a name badge to write your name. After you introduce yourself, they show you the campus and where the first lectures will take place next week. And they tell you how you prepare yourself for every subject and give you some tips to learn effectively and which literature you should learn with.

After that, you receive a so-called Erstitüte, which in English means a textile bag for the new students. In this bag you become for example a shirt with the university logo notebook, ballpoint pens, pencils, and a few coupons from e.g., a bakery or a theatre etc. After an agreement, you meet them the next day and go bowling or something fun like that. 

That may be what you get when you enroll at the University of Lübeck. So, every university has its own ideas on how to welcome its future students. I found this week very helpful because I learned new information about my study, and I keep in touch with some students from higher semesters who always answer me when I have a question.