Getting to know the university, your fellow students and the city: what first-semester students can expect

During Student Orientation Week from 19 to 23 October, even before lectures begin, first-semester students will have the chance to get to know their university, familiarise themselves with their new home and place of study and get to know their fellow students. Students will be welcomed online and a digital lecture programme is scheduled with everything you need to know about organising your studies.  New students can meet in-person starting at noon every day and student tutors have created individual programmes for each degree programme.

Every faculty has its own programme designed to give first-semester students a good start to their studies following Student Orientation Week. Each programme is aimed at offering as much in-person teaching as possible, especially for first-semester students.

Faculty of Media: responsible classroom teaching supplemented by live streams and interactive online content

Personal interaction between students and instructors and a strong supervision relationship is the cornerstone of the Faculty of Media’s philosophy. This means that some of the 2020/2021 winter semester courses will be taught in-person while adhering to corona regulations. This applies in particular to introductory events, where instructors welcome new students to the various departments and which will take place on campus again this year. The events, as well as courses during the lecture period, will take place in rooms large enough that distancing and hygiene regulations can be observed. The hygiene concept applies to all seminar rooms, lecture halls and the Medieninformatik labs – which will be available for students to use starting in November. For larger lectures where students from various courses and semesters come together, digital concepts have been developed, from live-stream lectures to interactive seminars on Moodle.

» Information on the Faculty of Media

Workshop introductions: Faculty of Art and Design opts for small, fixed groups

Studying during the coronavirus pandemic poses a particular challenge to the Faculty of Art and Design since many of the teaching formats in design studies are only possible in-person. The Faculty has thus given a lot of thought as to how in-person (or at least partially in-person) instruction can take place in the 2020/2021 winter semester, with some aspects online. The major goal is to give new students the opportunity to study, work and get to know the university on campus. Orientation courses (including in the workshops) for first-year students have been organised together with instructors and will take place in small groups. This means that new designers will be able to get familiar with the wood, plastics, plaster, mould making and metal workshops in weekly alternating groups of five.

» Information on the Faculty of Art and Design

Interactive opportunities for students to start their studies in the Faculty of Civil Engineering

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is also paying special attention to first-year students; the official orientation will take place in the first week of lectures, beginning on 2 November and the Faculty of Civil Engineering is offering online tutorials and assignments on Moodle for the first time in order to facilitate the start of the semester. »The interactive ›Einstieg ins Studium‹ is for all first-year students who are looking for a refresher on the basic subjects of math, mechanics and construction chemistry«, explains Dean Prof. Conrad Völker. »Our newcomers can contact instructors and fellow students via chat, phone or e-mail. In addition, student tutors are available for advice during Student Orientation Week«, he continues.

» Information on the Faculty of Civil Engineering

Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism organises joint orientation course with final performance

First-semester Bachelor and Master students in Architecture and Urbanism and Master students in MediaArchitecture will be supervised in-person during this semester project. Studio space will be shared and will comply with hygiene and distancing regulations. This will enable all newcomers to interact directly with instructors and fellow students. In the international Master’s programmes of Integrated Urban Development and Design and European Urban Studies, the core courses have been organised to be taught in-person. During Student Orientation Week, the individual programmes will be offering subject-specific orientation and information events. First-semester students in the Bachelor programmes of Architecture, Urbanism and Mdia Culture will be welcomed to the joint orientation course from 26 October to 5 November, getting them ready for Weimar »as Genius Loci«. This year, a final performance will be choreographed under the coronavirus-compliant motto of »DIS–TANZ–DER–DER–SITZ–GEISTER«.

» Information on the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism

We wish all first-semester students a good start to their studies at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and we are looking forward to seeing you!