Information for first semester students
Welcome!
Dear first-year students,
On behalf of the entire civil engineering student body, we would like to congratulate you on your choice of study programme and welcome you to Faculty 3! We are very much looking forward to welcoming you personally here in the civil engineering building, the “Bau”.
We know that for most of you, the beginning of your studies brings with it many questions and perhaps uncertainties. As you will soon see, a lot of personal responsibility is expected at the university, but there are also some people whose job it is to make sure that you feel comfortable here and that you are always provided with all the important information. But that’s not quite the end of the story, first your studies have to get underway. That’s why you’ll find the most important information about the start of your studies here.
If you want to study civil engineering, industrial engineering with a specialisation in civil engineering or environmental engineering, you have to complete a pre-study internship. This lasts four to six weeks and must be completed either before you start your studies or at the latest before the end of your studies. The exact duration and type of the pre-study internship, as well as its deadlines, depend on the degree programme – so read the conditions for your degree programme again carefully.
You can and must organise your own placement, but it must not be in your parents’ company. Get a certificate so that you can have your pre-study internship recognised by the Internship Office of our faculty during the first semester. You can find more information about the pre-study internship at https://www.fb3.rwth-aachen.de/cms/Bauingenieurwesen/Studium/Beratung/Praktikumsamt/~imeq/Das-Vorpraktikum-auf-einen-Blick/.
We are looking forward to seeing you!
Your student council for construction
When you find out about the start of the semester in Aachen, you will come across many terms such as “semester start”, “start of lectures” and “RWTH-wide introductory weeks”.
The next winter semester officially begins on 2 October 2023, but it doesn’t start directly with the learning material, but with the introductory or orientation week, during which we will explain a few things about the first semester.
On 9 October 2023, i.e. one week later, things will really get started with the courses, learning and so on. In the further course of the semester, there will probably also be online lessons and learning material via our learning platform RWTHmoodle, so you should make sure you have suitable IT equipment (e.g. laptop with microphone and camera) and an internet connection.
Introduction week, freshers’ week, orientation week… There are several names for the first week that awaits you here at RWTH. However, what is always meant is a varied programme in which you will be introduced to the basics of university life and studying, but above all, getting to know each other and having fun are in the foreground.
On the first day, after being welcomed by our Rector, everyone will be given a tutorial group. This is where you will meet your fellow students and two experienced students who will guide you through the week and the start of your studies. With them, you will also create your individual timetable, which lists the courses and events of the semester.
During the freshers’ week, the chairs are introduced, the student council is introduced, there is a barbecue and much more. A special highlight has always been our rally, where you can explore Aachen in teams and get to know the city.
You can find more information at esa.rwth-aachen.de and on our Instagram account. We are looking forward to a great week with you!
You can reach us in person in the student council room in the civil engineering building (R004) or via email, phone or Instagram. We are also present for students at the “Dies Academicus” and the “Study Information Day”.
The freshers’ weekend takes place every year on a weekend in November.
Around 30 first-year students and 10 student representatives spend a weekend together in the Eifel. The focus is on getting to know each other: both the students and you!
Programme
Throughout the weekend we organise various games such as a house rally, a hike with integrated group challenges, as well as other group and getting-to-know-you games. In the evenings you can look forward to campfires and parties.
Catering
So far we have always stayed in a self-catering house near the Ruhrsee – so we will be catering for ourselves during the weekend. This means that we will provide the food and recipes and support you in cooking in small groups. Look forward to a cooking wine, music and fun cooking sessions.
We will send you a list before the trip where you can write down your intolerances, eating habits (vegetarian, vegan, etc.) etc.. We will then prepare a well-balanced and delicious menu according to this list.
Would you like to join us? Then be quick, because the places are coveted!
Registration will be activated here after the freshers’ week – in order to get the go-ahead for registration sooner, we will also inform you on Instagram when you can register.