Tips for starting your studies

Have you got a place at university? Congratulations! We have put together a checklist with tips and advice to help you get off to a good start and plan for the first few weeks of your studies. The sooner you get to grips with it, the better.

Take care of accomodation

Foto: Tilman Weishart
A red i for information is printed on a glass wall

If you are leaving your home town for your chosen degree programme, it is advisable to start looking for accommodation early. As soon as you have shortlisted a study place, you should find out about the local housing market and apply for a place in student accommodation. You can also search online for available flats or rooms in shared flats and arrange appointments for viewings once your place has been confirmed. You can find more information on this topic in chapter 5.3 ‘Accommodation’.

Arrange the financing

You should think about financing your studies in advance. The student services organisations can advise you on BAföG and scholarships, among other things. Find out about the relevant applications and deadlines. You can find more information on financing options in chapter 5.2. 

Enrol at the university

As soon as you have received an acceptance letter from the university, you officially enrol - only then are you sure of your place. Upload the required documents online or send them by post. Be sure to observe the deadlines.

Get to know the university location

Make sure you familiarise yourself with your university and the university location before the first week of your studies. It will slow you down immensely if you have to find out in the first few days of term where which institute or lecture theatre is located, where you have to register for courses and what services the student union (https://www.studierendenwerke.de) offers. If there is an ‘Introduction to using the library’ event, you should definitely mark it in red in your diary. The contact point for this information is the General or Central Student Advisory Service and, of course, the university website. Orientation days are often organised at the beginning of the first semester. This is a good opportunity to get to know the university, city, student council and fellow students.

Use preliminary courses

To supplement and refresh your school knowledge, e.g. in maths or foreign languages, some universities offer so-called pre-(semester) courses. You can find out about current courses on offer at the universities. For applicants from abroad, there are also some comprehensive preparatory courses that start in the semester before admission.

Attend first-year events

(Compulsory) introductory events take place in the weeks before the start of lectures. Here you will find out from students in higher semesters how to create your timetable and register for courses and get lots of tips and experience. You will also make your first contacts with fellow students.

Stand: 09.07.2025