"The first time welds us together"

Thousands of students are currently applying for places at German universities. But what is it like to be a first-year student? Regina Wall, Rita Sonnenberg and Rachel Hänßler began their studies at the University of Oldenburg last winter semester and share their experiences.

Finding rooms, locating the toilets, applying for a library card and putting together a timetable – and, for the truly brave, learning how to use the photocopier in the library: “To be honest, the first few weeks were quite hectic,” says Regina, who is now in her second semester studying in Oldenburg. “But after a few weeks, it all becomes routine.” Now she can’t even imagine that things were ever any different.

Perhaps that’s also because Regina met Rita and Rachel right in the first week. They got talking during an introductory seminar on Dutch Studies and have been navigating university life together ever since. Take the timetable, for example: after initially struggling to put together her own schedule of seminars and lectures, Rita simply asked a student from a higher year for help. Regina and Rachel benefited from this too. “As we hadn’t got a clue either, we just copied Rita’s timetable,” adds Rachel with a laugh. Literature, language and cultural studies are on their timetable for the first and second semesters.

All three are studying Slavic and Dutch Studies and attend their classes together. This is very handy, not least because they’ve become good friends in the meantime. Making friends and establishing contacts isn’t difficult with so many first-year students around. “The early days really bring you closer together,” says Rachel. Commuting to uni also brings the three of them together: Regina and Rachel travel by train from Wilhelmshaven every day, whilst Rita comes from Cloppenburg.

The students also share a passion for languages and cultures. Regina and Rita are native Russian speakers. For Rachel, this means she has to cram a lot more Russian grammar and vocabulary. But she takes it in her stride: “I really enjoy the course. Of course, especially at the start, I have to study a lot because the native speakers are quite a bit ahead of me. But I’m enjoying it.”

To gain some practical experience as well, Rachel has decided to take part in an excursion to Minsk during the semester break. “The excursion gives me an extra incentive to improve my Russian by then,” she explains. And in a year or two, Rita and Rachel also want to spend a semester abroad in Groningen.

When planning your studies, it helps to set manageable goals. The same applies when putting together your timetable: less is more. After all, you have to prepare for the seminars and lectures. For the three students, this means above all reading academic texts. “40 pages for a seminar is nothing. You need enough time to get through it all,” says Regina.

The three also speak from experience when it comes to writing seminar papers. “Writing an academic text is something completely new,” says Rita. Hence her advice: “It’s best to start early, go straight to the professors’ office hours if you have any questions, and avoid procrastination right from the start.”

As well as all the organisation and planning involved in their studies, the three of them have realised one thing above all: “You can only study what you really enjoy; otherwise, you won’t stick with it,” says Regina. The sheer volume of new material can only be tackled with a certain amount of enthusiasm. This is also the reason why she has decided to switch one of her subjects: instead of Dutch Studies, she will be studying philosophy from the next winter semester onwards. “I simply realised that philosophy interests me more, and it’s still early enough now.”

To recharge their batteries and find some peace and quiet between seminars or on hectic days, the three of them like to go to the library or the Slavonic Studies building. “The atmosphere there is special; it’s quieter, and there are Russian posters and signage everywhere. We like that,” says Regina.

By the time the next freshers arrive in the winter semester, the three students will already be in their third term. “It’s hard to imagine now just how confusing those first few days were,” reflects Rita. “In any case, there’s only one thing that helps: ask questions, talk to lecturers – or simply talk to us.”