Your checklist before starting your studies

Table of contents

You break out in a sweat when you think about what’s in store for you in just a few weeks:

New university.

New course of study.

The move.

School is behind you and you can hardly wait to start studying.

But instead of looking forward to it, you panic.

You lie awake at night and ask yourself:

Damn … Have I really thought of everything?
What if I don’t manage the first semester?
How am I supposed to manage on my own?

Here’s the answer to your questions: this article and our checklist at the end of the text will help you out of a tight spot!

Step by step, we’ll guide you through this challenging time just before the start of your studies. Let’s go!

#1 Gather all important documents

Meaning:

Letter of admission to your degree program
Certificate of enrollment from your university
Identification document (e.g. identity card or passport)
Proof of health insurance (e.g. certificate from your health insurance company)
Certificates such as language certificates

In some circumstances, other documents may be important, including proof of your bank account for tuition fees, a residence permit/visa, a CV, etc. Some universities also want to see a copy of your birth certificate for identification purposes.

To be on the safe side, check your university’s website and the faculty’s website for the required documents.

#2 Get your finances in order

This is a super important point, because: nothing happens without moss. Here are the most important steps:

Open an account

Before you start your studies, you should definitely open a current account into which you can receive money from your parents, scholarship payments etc., for example. It is also necessary for important expenses. One of these is the semester fee (see below).

Tip: Some banks offer students free accounts including a free credit card. The credit card can be particularly helpful if, for example, you want to spend a semester abroad and withdraw money locally at favorable conditions.

Compare accounts online to find the perfect current account for students.

Pay the semester fee on time

The semester fee is a contribution that students pay to the university per semester and usually before the beginning of each semester. The semester contribution is not a tuition fee, as Germany does not charge fees of this kind. Instead, the semester fee is used to fund student institutions and services.

This is what you pay the semester fee for:

Studentenwerk (runs dormitories and dining halls, among other things)
Semester ticket (low-priced public transport ticket)
Financing of teaching staff & university infrastructure

Important: The semester fee can vary from semester to semester. Therefore, find out the exact amount before you start your studies and transfer the amount or set up a direct debit in time.

Maintain a financial plan

Don’t just let your finances run on the side. Otherwise you risk losing track of your spending and getting into debt. That’s never fun, and certainly not if you’re a student on a budget.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to laboriously create long Excel lists by hand or download old-fashioned online templates to create a financial plan. We recommend using selected financial apps that provide smart support for your financial planning.

#3 Take advantage of Orientation Week (O-Week).

The first week of the semester is usually a lecture-free orientation week. Students should get to know the university and its facilities such as libraries during this time.

It is extremely important to familiarize yourself with contact points and modalities of your study program, to meet contact persons and to make first contacts with other students. Don’t miss this opportunity, because it will never again be as easy and relaxed as during the orientation week.

Typical events during orientation week are:

Introductory meetings
Course-related meetings
Excursions through the city or into the surrounding area
Pub crawls

Find out about the dates of the events in good time to make the most of O-Week. Sometimes registration is required so that the organizers can plan. Also, if applicable, bring money with you or transfer it in advance if the event has a fee.

Remember: Orientation week is a key week to help you get started in your studies. So it pays to take in as many events as possible during O-Week.

#4 Get learning materials in time

To be organized in your studies, you’ll need lots of materials:

Good Laptop
Smartphone
Tablet
Pens (ballpoint pen, fountain pen
Highlighters of different colors
Quick folders
Folders
Textbooks, journals
Study-specific utensils (e.g. tools)

Our tip: Look out for special offers and price promotions especially for students to buy study materials as cheaply as possible. Discounters, electronics retailers and stationery stores also regularly offer discounts.

Study-related material such as lecture notes is often offered by the faculties as a download. You can save a lot of money on specialist literature if you buy books second-hand. There are platforms such as Medimops, Studibuch or Rebuy for this purpose.

#5 Take care of badges and accesses

You’ll need IDs and accesses early on to participate in the day-to-day of your studies. Among the most important are:

Login for the university website
Access to your university mail client
Account for a learning management system
Access to the library website
Access to job boards (“Schwarzes Brett”)
Logins for research databases

Get your login or access data as early as possible, as they are extremely important even before the official start of your studies, especially the e-mail access, as the universities often communicate particularly relevant information such as names of lecturers, seminar rooms and event times via e-mails.

#6 Put important dates and deadlines in your calendar

There are a lot of important dates for your studies. Keeping them in a wall planner will relieve you enormously, give you planning security and ensure that you have your head free for your studies.

The important dates and deadlines in your studies include:

Enrollment deadlines
Application deadlines
Deadlines for submitting coursework (e.g. term papers)
Examination dates
Dates for lectures and seminars

Our tip: You can keep handwritten appointments in a classic calendar, but we recommend a digital calendar that you can synchronize on your laptop and smartphone. The advantage here is that you can set reminders in good time to help you meet deadlines and not forget important dates.

#7 Build a social network early on

Once the study week starts, you will be fully occupied with memorizing the course material. In other words, it is difficult to make new contacts during a full week of study, which is why we recommended that you take part in the O-week under point #3.

However, you can also start cultivating contacts beforehand by:

become active in onlinegroups and apps related to your university or course of study,
take part in online taster days,
register for subject-related or regional webinars or
attend cultural and social events (e.g., city festival or museum tour).

Especially events that take place outside of the university have the advantage that you build up a circle of friends and acquaintances alongside your studies. This will definitely enrich your view of life and everyday life.

#8 Look for a part-time job

Looking for a part-time job at the start of your studies has several advantages:

Financial independence

A part-time job gives you more money in your account that you can spend on study materials, short trips or other things. It also makes sense to start saving at a young age. In any case, the part-time job gives you an additional financial cushion.

Career opportunities

A part-time job gives you an early start on the job market. Whether you stock groceries in a warehouse, work in the back office or deliver food, it doesn’t matter: you make contacts with colleagues and superiors early on, and you never know where they will take you. Perhaps to your first permanent job after graduation?

Distraction

Your life revolves a lot around studying, of course. But with a part-time job, you can avoid unnecessary worrying. The regular change of scenery distracts you and you earn money at the same time.

Tip: Have a look at our list of cool part-time jobs, there’s bound to be something for you!

#9 Take a sports course

Sport helps you to stay fit and is also an excellent way to compensate for all the sitting around.

Most universities offer sports courses, but it is important to be quick, as the principle of first come, first served often applies. So find out about the courses on offer early on and book your preferred course online.

A sports course creates routines and gives you another social network that extends beyond the confines of your degree course.

Exercise is also good for relieving stress so that you can then throw yourself back into your studies with renewed energy.

#10 Learn to organize yourself

“Organize? I can’t even sort my playlist!”

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry: not everyone is an organizational talent, and you don’t have to become one.

It’s all about getting the important things in order. Your time management is central to this.

In our article on this topic, you will learn which apps you can use to quickly and easily create to-do lists and how to structure your tasks so that you always keep track of everything.

If you put these tips into practice, you will successfully manage your days and still have free time to enjoy. Does that sound good? Then read the article 😉

Download: Free checklist for the beginning of your studies

With our checklist for the beginning of your studies (PDF) you are perfectly organized from the beginning and during your studies. Download it now for free!