Arriving at ease: the International Welcome.Lounge
Yesterday on 1 October, this year’s International Welcome.Lounge began unusually early. Shortly before 20:30, Marina, 25, stood at the doors of the Campus.Office. The Russian Media Art and Design student had found an earlier flight and reached Weimar at dawn. She was the first person that the colleagues at the International Office greeted this academic year.
International Welcome.Lounge, which sounds a laid-back atmosphere for relaxation, is primarily an advising and orientation service for international students. These students, some of them travelling from far-flung corners of the world, are received personally after their arrival and supported in completing important tasks and formalities.
»International students can’t register from abroad like German students. First they must organise a few things. And we help them with that«, explained Anke Schulze from the International Office.
»We help them apply for health insurance, open a bank account, go with them to the registry office and organise an appointment for the city immigration office. Often we also already have the keys to their rooms in the student halls of residence.«
Formalities or not, since the students are in small groups on the road and are taken to the most diverse locations in the city, such a day can be a great deal of fun. The tour is perfect for becoming acquainted with the city and meeting a few new people.
»After that, most of the students are exhausted and can finally recover in the Welcome.Lounge while having coffee and cake«, Schulze says, laughing. The lounge is open until 11 October.
International Welcome.Lounge
Campus.Office
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 15
daily from 10:00 to 16:00
You can find all information about the International Welcome.Lounge here:
www.uni-weimar.de/de/universitaet/international/nach-weimar/welcome-events/
Contact:
Anke Schulze
International Office
Tel.: +49 (0) 36 43/58 23 65
Email: welcome-days@uni-weimar.de
You can find more information about this year’s student orientation at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar from 7-11 October here:
www.uni-weimar.de/de/universitaet/studium/studienstarter/studieneinfuehrungstage/