Introduction Days
- Meeting with the International Office staff and the student advisers
- Distribution of an information package
- Registration in the city
- Meeting with health insurance companies
- Enrolment (upon proof of health insurance)
- Opening of a bank account
- Purchasing a mobile phone card
- Information about the technical infrastructure: copy machines, printers, intranet, Internet, emails, class material etc.
- Information about sports and events
- Walking tour through Karlsruhe
- Social activities with the International Office staff and the student advisers
Student Advisers
The student advisers are a group of volunteer students who help incoming international students adapt to life in Karlsruhe and at Karlshochschule. Along with the International Office, they are the first contact for international students and help them with practical matters in order to start their new life in Karlsruhe. Contact is already established before the international students arrive in Karlsruhe so that advisers and advisees get to know each other and exchange information about arrival details and living in Germany. During the Introduction Days, the advisers help international students filling out forms, opening a bank account, purchasing a mobile phone card, provide them with information about the technical infrastructure at Karlshochschule, inform them about sports and events and show them around the city. Throughout the semester, get-togethers and, supported by the International Office, trips are organized so that international students get to know each other and their student advisers and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.
In short – the student advisers make sure that students feel at home at Karlshochschule International University from the very beginning!
“It is very important to me that new international students quickly adapt to student life and to living in Karlsruhe. Also, I find it fun to get in touch with new students and learn more about foreign countries. Besides, I am aware that a new study environment abroad is not so easy, and hope that the help I offer will bring international students more easily to their goal – success and fun with their studies and leisure time in Germany.“ Christian Castelo Branco, Student Adviser Coordinator
Excursions
The International Office regularly organizes excursions to various destinations such as to Strasbourg, Heidelberg or Speyer. However, the excursion to Berlin is always the highlight for our international students. Besides a guided tour through “Berlin´s new center” including sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, the new government district and the Potsdamer Platz international students have free time to explore the city on their own and can also get to know their student advisers better. In addition, students have the opportunity during the weekend program to take part in a guided tour through the Bundestag, the German Parliament, and to visit the wall museum “Checkpoint Charlie”.
Another popular excursion offered international to students each semester is a visit to Strasbourg. Only two hours from Karlsruhe, the students can climb up to the top of the Minster tower, Strasbourg’s Cathedral, go on a sightseeing tour by boat and visit the European Parliament, including a meeting with one of its representatives.
The trip to Speyer, one of the oldest cities in Germany takes our international students from the Old Gate, the “Altpörtel” to the Medieval Jewish Courtyard which was built in 1104. The most impressive sight in Speyer is probably the Cathedral of Speyer, world cultural heritage and biggest Romanic church in the world.
During the excursion to Heidelberg, our international students start off with a guided tour through the city and then later on have the opportunity to take the mountain railway up to the castle to “explore” the castle, park and the observation platform.
Another popular destination is Landau, where the students can experience a ride on a “draisine” (handcar) on a 13km long railway track between Landau and Germersheim. This interactive and funny recreation requires a big physical effort and consists of riding a special rail vehicle a long a railway track very like riding a bicycle in a group.