The summer semester of 2023 has begun: On Monday 3 April, Paderborn University welcomed 845 (provisional figure, final enrolment totals to be confirmed at beginning of May) new students to the campus during the first semester welcome. Professor Birgitt Riegraf, University President, was pleased to welcome the new arrivals in lecture hall G. ‘Today is a very special day for you all. I am extremely pleased that you have chosen to study at Paderborn University. From now on, this is your university. Get involved and engage yourselves’, she encouraged the students.
For the new students, this is a new phase of life as they start their lectures. A new everyday life, new fellow students, and for some, a new city awaits them. Many students have decided to pursue a teaching degree at Paderborn. During orientation days, students get the opportunity to explore the university, as well as getting to know other students and their lecturers.
First steps for new students
During a round of discussions, the new arrivals learned what is so special about studying in Paderborn. The session was moderated by Elizabeth Hartmann, who herself studies media studies at Paderborn University and is a presenter for the campus radio "L’UniCo". At the same time, Riegraf reflected back to her first day of studies. Despite the initial disorientation and anxiety, it was an exciting time that she enjoys looking back on. ‘Paderborn University is a young, dynamic, modern, yet compact university. You have made the right choice’, said Riegraf. ‘Don't just use your time here to acquire new skills, you should also use it for personal development’, she told the students.
Professor Volker Schöppner, Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Quality Management, also provided some top tips: A key point being that teamwork and the help of other students is an important building block for successful studies. He advocated taking advantage of the university's extensive range of support services in order to make the transition from classroom to lecture halls as smooth as possible.
Mayor Michael Dreier also gave the new students a warm welcome. As a university, sports and cultural city, Dreier stressed that Paderborn's average age is very low and that it has a lot to offer for young people with its numerous events. ‘Make yourself at home in Paderborn and really get into it‘, said Dreier.
On behalf of the Student Council, Tim Aßbrock, Chairman of the General Student Committee (AStA), also welcomed the new arrivals. ‘At this university you will meet people who have the same interests, same desires and same thirst for knowledge as yourselves. And that is something truly great’, said the physics student. He referred to the various points of contact at AStA, including the social welfare office, the copying service and the bicycle workshop. He also invited the students to celebrate at the AStA Summer Festival on 1 June, which is the largest student-organised festival in Germany, allowing students to experience the campus from a different angle.
Starting the semester with a 'bang'
The University's Event Physics team also put on a show of spectacular experiments, which allowed the students to participate. The team entertained the new students by introducing them to the phenomena of physics and showed them what can be done with air alone. Among other things, they presented a vacuum canon, an explosive ball and a foam explosion – bringing the audience to an applause.
