Student Life in Aachen

RWTH International Academy aims to make your stay in Aachen both as productive and as exciting as possible. For the latter purpose, we hold a whole array of experiences and activities in store for you: we provide an extensive social and cultural program starting from day one of your time in Aachen.

We organize different excursions, field trips and (social) events every semester for our international student community. Come join us and enjoy:

• frequent field trips to some of Germany’s most notable companies
• seminars that will sharpen your scientific skill set
• job searching seminars preparing you for a successful career in Germany
• soccer tournaments, casual get-togethers, hikes, holiday celebrations, barbecues, city tours etc.
• career days where you can get in touch with potential employers

Our senior students of the different M.Sc. degree programs are there to help welcome you by taking responsibility for a small group of new arrived fellow students of their study program. Your senior mentor can help you to get to know the university, the course structure, the city and the student life and will just be present to answer all questions which may come up after arrival.

Senior Mentors Responsibilities

• There are few responsibilities that a senior mentor really has. Still, most of the senior mentors take their job very seriously and they do their best to welcome you as a fellow student to the city and the university.
• A senior mentor is an experienced International Academy student that has studied in Aachen for two semesters or longer.
• He/she would like to share his/her knowledge about living and studying in Aachen with you.
• They want to start off freshmen who experience their first weeks in Aachen.
• They assist in answering questions such as: Which supermarket is the best? What courses are mandatory? Which bus goes to campus Melaten? Where is the library? How to get in contact with student unions? Which place is the best to have lunch at?
• They will get in touch via email before arrival and attend at least one Academy event with you.

Student clubs
INCAS is a student organization supported by RWTH International Academy, the International Office of RWTH and the "Akademisches Auslandsamt" of FH Aachen. Its main objective is to meet the needs of international students, trainees and participants of German language courses. Therefore INCAS organizes regular events for the newcomers in Aachen and brings together both international and German students in a pleasant atmosphere.
You can also get in contact with a student club of your homecountry. There are many student clubs from one specific country, e.g. AISA, MexAs Aachen, ColAachen, PPI Aachen or others like AIESEC, an organization for international exchange and intercultural communication.

• See a list of all international student clubs at RWTH Aachen University here.
• See a list of all student initiatives: student newspaper, students movie club, drama club, language-tandems, big band, choire, etc. here.

BeBuddy - Mix with German students
Find more info on the BeBuddy program, here.

Sport center
The university's sports center offers over 90 sports in over 2,000 instructed courses per year from aerobics to zumba. The offered courses are diverse and effordable for students. .

Evangelische Studierendengemeinde Aachen: The ESG offers are open to everyone! Everyone - regardless of confession, religion and nationality - is invited to participate.

Katholische Hochschulgemeinde Aachen: Catholic Student Community in Aachen. Offers rooms/apartments for catholic students. The KHG also owns the Chico Mendes, a bar run by students for students, where you can learn, relax, play and meet friends.

Location
The city of Aachen is the most western metropolis in Germany. It is located directly in the border triangle with the Netherlands and Belgium and in the heart of Europe. Aachen is the perfect starting point for city trips and excursions into nature, it is on the edge of the Eifel and the High Fens and close to the Cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, Maastricht, etc.
A bonus point? With your RWTH student ticket you can use the public transportation system (busses, trains, etc.) in North-Rhinewestphalia for free!

History
Aachen was the residence of the Emperor Charlemagne. Aachen's cathedral ("Aachener Dom") was build on his request and is 1,200 years old. 30 German kings have been crowend in Aachen between 936 an 1531. In 1978 the Aachener Dom was registered as the first German building on the UNESCO-World Heritage List.

Culture & Sports

• Cinemas in Aachen: The Cinecarree is the biggest cinema in Aachen. Besides that, there are others like the Apollo (that also transforms to a bar/club at some days of the week), the Eden Palast (that e.g. offers operas or theatre plays from time to time) and the CAPITOL.
• Museums in Aachen: There is much more to see in Aachen than only the Rathaus (city hall) and the Dom (cathedral), even if those two buildings are really worth visiting. Aachen has got a newspaper museum, a museum for international art and many more.
• Theatres in Aachen: There are many different theatres in Aachen: From those ones that present plays in traditional Aachen dialect (Öcher Platt) to those that offer plays especially attractive to young people. Students can get a great discount and enjoy different plays at an incredibly good price.
• Aachen Sports League (Alemannia Aachen)
• Spa / Hot Springs: Aachen is very famous for its hot springs. The European emperor Charlemagne (about 800 AD), made Aachen the capital of his empire and his residence because of the hot springs and the healing potential they have. They are a great opportunity to relax, especially after a long study week.

Events

• You can find different events happening in Aachen here
• Klenkes, the website of Aachen's city magazine

Health insurance is extremely important: It will not only guarantee you treatment from German health care providers, it's also a condition for enrollment at the University!

In order to facilitate the process we provide the opportunity to sign up for public health insurance (or apply for an exemption) with our partner ‘Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)’ at our Welcome Meetings. They will then provide you with the required insurance (or exemption) certificate.

You are, of course, free to choose an insurer. Popular choices include:

• Techniker Krankenkasse (Marienbongard 24-26, 52062 Aachen, Phone 0241/8870-777)
• Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) (Karlshof am Markt, 52062 Aachen, Phone 0241/4640)
• Barmer GEK (Theaterstr. 35-39, 52062 Aachen, Phone 0800 332060 64-0)

If you decide not to sign up at one of the Welcome Meetings, please be sure to buy statutory health insurance well before enrolling at the University.

If you a) are older than 30 years or b) will begin your 14th semester of studies or c) are a European Health Insurance Card holder or d) already have private health insurance from a recognized insurer based outside Germany and do not wish to take out any additional insurance, the insurer can issue an exemption certificate.

In this case, ask for a “Versicherungsbescheinigung” and explain that you need insurance in order to enroll at university.

Most important addresses & phone numbers

• Fire Accident (Fire Department): In case of a fire, please dial: 112
• Police (Emergency, eg. assault): Dial: 110
• Police Station, Criminal Investigation Department: Dial: 1891
• Security at the RWTH Aachen University: Dial: 113
• Emergency Services
• Doctors (German)
• Hospitals and Clinics in Aachen
• If you would like Psychological Counseling – Confidential, Autonomous, Free of Charge: Please get in contact with Ms. Irmhild Ventker.

Legal Consultation
You can find help with legal consultation at the AstA (Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss der RWTH Aachen), your student representation at RWTH Aachen University.

However, we kindly ask you to first come to our Master Office as early as possible and talk to your responsible Study Course Coordinator to discuss the problem and evaluate further strategies.