A varied programme awaits the new students at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences.

October marks the start of a new phase in life for many young people: they leave the familiar school system and begin their studies - a step that is associated with many new impressions and uncertainties. At Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, a ten-member planning team from teaching, administration and the student body has been working for around four months to organise a varied welcome programme to make it easier for first-year students to start their studies. This year's orientation week, from 9 to 14 October, not only offers students a wealth of information, but also a lot of fun: highlights include a tour of a cruise ship, the cinema premiere of the film "3 Uhr 8 Grad Ost" and a free visit to the play "Der zerbrochene Krug" (The Broken Jug) at the Bremerhaven City Theatre, followed by a meet & greet with the actors. 

The week before the start of the course is traditionally reserved for arriving and getting oriented at Bremerhaven as a place to study. Central programme points, such as a service point fair, an English-language library presentation and tutorials on the digital infrastructure, help with this. The students themselves take care of orientation in the degree programme with their own offers. "The fact that we are a small university is our great strength. Not only do we have the opportunities to welcome our new students personally and offer them a varied programme, but we also don't leave them alone with their questions during the further course of their studies. Networking with each other, with the lecturers and the staff in the service offices is particularly important to us. Studying is like a journey. It's nicer when you're not travelling alone," says Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. Alexis Papathanassis. That's why this year, together with the General Students' Committee (AStA), he will not miss the opportunity to tap the university beer "Campus-Bräu" brewed by students.

The fact that the programme is really interesting for new students is a top priority at the university. An important member of the organising team was therefore the General Students' Committee, which not only offers its own programme items, but also provides active support throughout the week. "We don't just sit our first-year students down in a lecture hall where they listen to one lecture after another and by the end don't even remember what was talked about at the beginning. Our formats are more interactive and the students can choose from various programme points those that really have added value for them," says Lina Hagedorn, 2nd Chair of AStA. 

The orientation week starts on Monday, 9 October, with two welcome events. Afterwards, campus tours and a service point fair await the first-year students. The popular "Ersti-Beutel" with a mug, notebook and other products will also be distributed. Here, a team takes care that the new students don't have to carry unnecessary things around with them - also with a view to the environment. Information brochures and flyers, which are often disposed of on the same day, are not included for this reason. 

Sustainable mobility also plays an important role at the university. Especially the switch to cycling should be made easier for staff and students through various measures. In addition to additional, partly covered parking spaces, this includes the "BikeBox", a small self-help workshop run by students. During the orientation week, first-year students can visit it and receive valuable information on the topic of bicycle-friendliness. 

In addition to numerous information offers, the leisure programme will not be neglected. For example, Cinemotion Bremerhaven (Karlsburg 1) will be showing the cinema premiere of the documentary film "3 Uhr 8° Ost" on Monday, 9 October at 1:30 pm. The documentary, which was made in the Digital Media Production (DMP) degree programme, tells the story of people in Bremerhaven who turn night into day. Another screening follows as part of the lecture theatre cinema on Thursday, 12 October, at 3:30 pm.

If you are interested in culture, you won't miss out in Bremerhaven. The university has been cooperating with the municipal theatre for many years. Students can attend the performances free of charge, provided they are not yet sold out. There is a special feature for the orientation week: after the performance of "Der zerbrochene Krug", students can meet the actors and talk to them. In addition, artistic director Lars Tietje and artistic director Sebastian Glathe will offer guided tours behind the scenes.

Full speed ahead to CO2 neutrality thanks to the Enquete Commission: a concept for the future or a pipe dream? This question will be addressed in a workshop on Friday, 13 October, at 12:30 p.m. in THP House. There, students and the interested public will discuss measures that lead to more climate neutrality in the areas of mobility and housing together with guests from politics and business. 

There will be a special offer at the end of the orientation week on Saturday, 14 October, from 10:15 am. First-year students will be able to visit the cruise ship "Artania" of Phoenix Reisen (cruise terminal, Columbuskaje 1, Bremerhaven). "Many topics that are commonplace on board will be reflected by the freshmen in their studies in the course of the coming semesters, especially in the engineering sciences," says Alexander Pahlitzsch, study mentor of the Ship Operation Technology programme, who organised the tour. 

What would an orientation week be without the AStA's popular celebrations? Once again this year, the student representatives invite you to the Bürgermove and the Weser Ferry Parties. "We are really looking forward to welcoming the first-year students to Bremerhaven and showing them what the city has to offer outside of the university," says Lina Hagedorn, 2nd Chair of the AStA.

Further information: http://www.hs-bremerhaven.de/moin-erstis-en