Kostenlos abonnieren

Werden Sie regelmäßig per E-Mail über neue Ausgaben der campuls informiert. Sie können Ihr kostenloses Abo jederzeit einfach online über den Abmeldelink im Newsletter kündigen.

Weitere Infos zu Datenschutz & Widerrufsrecht finden Sie hier.

Ready for the start of your studies: The checklist for freshmen!

Leaving home and taking your life into your own hands: for many, the start of a course of study is a serious break in life that requires good preparation and, above all, sufficient information. We have compiled a list of what you should think about before you start your university career!

Before they can really get started with their studies, first-semester students have a lot to consider; Image: pixabay.com;

Especially the area of finances causes some headaches, especially if the monetary perhaps everything was still regulated by the parents and you feel insufficiently prepared yourself.

Finances and insurances

First of all, of course, you need your own account in order to be able to carry out transactions yourself. Some banks offer special student accounts with particularly favorable account management fees – a comparison may be worthwhile. In the next step, you should find out exactly what income you can expect and what expenses (e.g. semester contribution, private provisions, insurance, food, gasoline, etc.) you have to calculate. This also determines, for example, how much money you can invest in an apartment with utilities or for leisure and fun. Of course, you should also clarify whether you can apply for BAföG or whether a scholarship is possible. Especially in the last point there are a lot of very different possibilities, where it can pay off to inform yourself comprehensively. Of course, it is especially advisable to take out liability insurance when starting out on your own.

Apartment or dormitory

Not all students can or want to afford their own apartments. In this case, a student dormitory might be the right choice. In Hof, the two dormitories “Am Saalepark” and “Am Eichelberg” are available for this purpose, both of which are operated by the Studentenwerk Oberfranken. At the Eichelberg, i.e. directly on the university campus, 70 apartments with just under 20 square meters are available. The housing complex “Am Saalepark” consists of 11 houses with a total of 227 apartments. Current prices are always available directly on the website of the Studentenwerk. In any case, you get to know many students in the dormitories and quickly get into conversation.

The dormitory “Am Saalepark” is one of two dormitories operated by the Studentenwerk Oberfranken in the city of Hof; Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;

If you are aiming for your own apartment, either alone or as a shared apartment, a little more work awaits you: in addition to certainly a number of apartment viewings, you then have to check the rental contract, carry out the registrations (water, electricity, possibly GEZ or streaming services, internet, waste disposal, etc.) and set up according to your own budget. Especially with electricity, it can be profitable to watch the market and change providers every now and then. Before signing a rental contract, you should also have an eye on how you can best supply yourself, i.e. where, for example, the nearest bakery or discount store can be found – long distances are not only annoying here, but can also add up to money. Many other valuable tips for your first own apartment are also available on the Internet

Mobility and transport

Speaking of long distances and transportation: students are very often dependent on public transportation. Student tickets, or in Hof the semester ticket, ensure that mobility is not too much of a burden on the budget.

Communication

Of course, communication tools are also indispensable for prospective students. Laptops, cell phones and Internet access are indispensable, even in the private sphere. But be careful, especially here it is worth comparing: Many providers of mobile phone and Internet tariffs grant particularly favorable conditions upon presentation of the student ID.

Ready to start at university

The best way to find out about basic questions about studying is, of course, to contact the Central Student Advisory Service. For more detailed questions, however, the Student Advisory Service is also available. In addition, it is advisable to take part in the information events offered and especially in the introductory days at Hof University of Applied Sciences. Here you will not only receive important information, but you can also make first contacts with your fellow students. You should also attend guided tours of the university or introductory courses for the library in order to know right away where to find which materials.

In the study program itself, there are compulsory events (lectures / seminars) and voluntary events. Together with the individual elective modules, this then results in the respective semester timetable. What is required is different in each study program. So you have to inform yourself well, which study achievements have to be done in the first semester. Among other things, for the bus ticket, the loan of materials, access to certain areas and laboratories or simply for the payment function in the canteen, you need the Campus Card and the corresponding access data. These will be sent to you directly from the study office during enrollment.

Of course, learning also makes you hungry. That’s why there is a cafeteria at each of the Hof and Münchberg campuses, where you can find out what’s on offer on a daily basis.

All done? Great, we wish you an exciting and successful 1st semester at Hof University!


Rainer Krauß

Weitere Themen