Student Life in Aachen

The great number of over 50.000 students will make your student life in Aachen vibrant and unique. No matter if you are interested in sports, arts or culture, there are plenty of options to enjoy your student life. This page will provide you with information that will help you to organize and enjoy your life in Aachen, be it regarding culture, sports or helpful institutions.

RWTH International Academy - Activities & Arrival

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.

Activities
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 Peer-to-peer program
Our senior students of different M.Sc. degree programs help to welcome you by taking responsibility for a small group of new arriving 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 serious 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 help answering questions: 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 - Buddies - Sports

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
The International Office of RWTH Aachen University offers a “Buddy Programme”, an informal mentoring program that brings together German students and international freshmen. In order to support the adjustment process, an experienced RWTH student takes care of an international student by showing him or her the campus, the city and things to be done. Buddies are socially engaged RWTH student volunteers from all faculties who would like to meet international students and support them in the process of settling into university life in Aachen and adjust to their new surroundings.

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. .

University Library
RWTH University Library (Hochschulbibliothek) is the centrally situated library. You can read or borrow books, do internet research, copy things or just read the newspaper in the entrance hall. The library has just been renovated and it is worth a visit, especially in the first days.

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.

City of Aachen

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.