University of Stuttgart International Affairs Pre-departure Information for new COMMAS students Winter Semester 2013/2014
This brochure will inform you about the following: page What you need to think of prior to coming to Stuttgart First steps after your arrival in Stuttgart The Welcoming Service The Intensive German Course The COMMAS office Academic calendar The city of Stuttgart (including temporary accommodation) 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 How to find your way 8 8 Map of Campus Vaihingen Map of City Centre 9 10 2
What you need to think of prior to coming to Stuttgart What you have to do before coming to Stuttgart: Immediately: Apply for a student visa at the German embassy of your home-country with your Letter of Admission from COMMAS. If you are a citizen of an EU-country, of the USA, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand, you do NOT need a visa to enter Germany. Make sure that it is a student visa you apply for, not a tourist visa! As early as possible: Register for the Welcoming Service including pick-up service and/or help with authorities (see page 5 of this information). After having registered, exact arrival dates must be communicated to the Welcoming Service at least three weeks of the planned arrival date in Stuttgart. Until May, 31 2013: If you wish to rent a single dormitory room in one of the student halls on campus from September 1, please inform the COMMAS office. We strongly advise to reserve a dormitory room. To find a room in Stuttgart on the private market is extremely difficult and considerably more expensive than a dormitory room. (Until June 28, 2013 if you wish to reserve a room from October 1, 2013 on) Until August, 9, 2013: Your deposit and part of first month s rent (EUR 600) MUST HAVE ARRIVED IN THE BANK ACCOUNT mentioned on the housing reservation letter which will be sent to you by the Studentenwerk Stuttgart (landlord of the student dorms) by e- mail which means that you should make transfer WELL IN ADVANCE OF THIS DATE IN ORDER TO BE CERTAIN OF MEETING THIS DEADLINE). (Until September, 62013: deposit must have arrived on the bank account if your move-in date is October 1, 2013) The following papers and documents have to be brought with you to Germany: Letter of Admission Your passport with the entrance visa (see above). 6 passport photos Proof of transfer of the housing fees (EUR 600) Students from NON-EU-Countries who do NOT need an entrance visa: Proof of sufficient financial resources (EUR 670,-/month for a period of at least one year), e.g. a scholarship letter, bank statement or savings book at a German bank. Students from EU-COUNTRIES ONLY: European health insurance card (EHIC) for the proof of your health insurance, available at the health insurance company of your home country. Students from NON-EU-COUNTRIES ONLY: we urgently ask you to purchase a private travel health insurance before travelling to Stuttgart. This insurance should be valid from the beginning of your journey until September 30, 2013. From October 1 on you have to purchase German statutory health insurance in case you are under 30 years old. If you are older than 30 years of age, you need to take out private insurance. Please contact International Affairs for more information on a private health insurance upon arrival. Items of practical use: Make sure that you have enough cash available, e.g. you will need about EUR 5 for the S-Bahn ticket from the airport to the Vaihingen campus. You will also need some cash to buy food and drink in the first few days. Do not forget to bring your sleeping bag. If available, it is possible to buy bed linen and coverlets from the Hausmeister for EUR 45. Also bring clothing for rainy and cold weather and any medicine you might regularly need to take. For all electrical appliances you will need a 220 volt adapter. Please note: Living expenses including rent for a dormitory room amount from EURO 650-750 a month. 3
First steps after your arrival in Stuttgart Moving into your dormitory room: If you have booked a dormitory room in one of the student dormitories and have paid the deposit and part of first month s rent in time (EUR 600), please go to the office of the Hausmeister (caretaker of your dormitory) during the office hours mentioned on the housing reservation letter. Take along this letter as well as the proof of having paid the EUR 600 in order to receive the key for your room. Please note that you can only move into your dorm room from Mondays to Fridays, not on Saturday, Sundays or bank holidays. First check-in day for students arriving in September: Monday, September 2, 2013 First check-in day for students arriving in October: Monday, October 1, 2013 On these check-in days the Hausmeister s offices are usually open all day (from 7.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.) In case you have registered for the Welcoming Service/pick-up service (page 5), your host-partner might be able to pick up the key for you beforehand, meet you at the Stuttgart airport or railway station, and take you to your dormitory room. Please ask your host-partner to do so and give him an authorization as well as a copy of your housing reservation letter and a copy of the proof of having paid the EUR 600. In case you arrive before the first check-in date (September 2 or October 1, 2013) we suggest you to stay at one of the youth hostels (addresses see page 7). In case you have registered for the Welcoming Service/pick-up-service it might be possible to move into your dormitory room a couple of days earlier depending on the availability of the room. Please contact your host-partner about this approx. one week before your arrival. Go to Ms Raphaela Diel at the International Affairs (address and office hours see below). She will give you a Welcome package containing a list of the formalities which you have to complete during the first few days. International Affairs International Education Services Campus Vaihingen Internationales Zentrum (IZ) Ms Raphaela Diel Tel. ++ 49 (0) 711 685-68545, Fax: ++49 (0) 711 685-68600 e-mail: diel@ia.uni-stuttgart.de Office hours Mon - Fri 10.00 12.00 a.m. Mon/Wed 1.30 4.00 p.m. 4
The Welcoming Service The first step is always the most difficult. This is true, too, when you start your studies at the University of Stuttgart: a foreign culture, a new language and a different study system. With our Welcoming Service you will be given the help with initial difficulties like completing the necessary formalities (residence registration, foreign registration, enrolment at university, etc.). If you wish, one of our students will offer you assistance. You will be contacted before your departure and if you arrive between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. met at the Stuttgart airport or railway station and taken to your accommodation. Your host-partner will also show your way around the campus and Stuttgart, too. Participation is free of charge. Please apply online as soon as possible. www.ia.uni-stuttgart.de/internat/studierende/services/welcoming/index.en.html Please do not forget to communicate the exact date and time of your arrival three weeks before you come to Stuttgart. Otherwise we cannot process your application! The Intensive German Course The Intensive German Course is designed specifically for the needs of Master s students and is taught by the staff of the department Interkultureller Unterricht of International Affairs. Classes from level A 1 to B 2 according to the Common European framework of Reference for Languages are offered. The course starts on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 with an official welcome and ends Friday, October 11. The obligatory placement test will take place on Wednesday, September 4. You will be informed about the exact time and place of the official welcome and the placement test through e-mail by the department Interkultureller Unterricht Please note: If you do not participate in the obligatory placement test (even if you are a complete beginner, you have to take this test), then you cannot participate in the course! Please consider punctual arrival for the Intensive Course in your travel plans. The COMMAS Office Please also visit the COMMAS office after you arrival: COMMAS Office Campus Vaihingen Institut für Mechanik (Bauwesen) Mr. Gautam Ethiraj, M.Sc. Pfaffenwaldring 7, Room 3.168 (third floor) 70569 Stuttgart Tel. ++ 49 (0) 711 685-66131, Fax: ++49 (0) 711 685-64909 e-mail: mscinfo@commas.uni-stuttgart.de 5
Academic calendar with current dates Monday, September 2 Tuesday, September 3 Wednesday, September 4 Friday, September 6 From October 1-11 Friday, October 11 Students arrival Official Welcome of the Intensive German Course Obligatory Placement Test for the Intensive German Course Information Session on Living and Studying in Stutttgart Student s arrival in October Last day of the Intensive German Course Winter Semester 2013/14 Classes start: October 14, 2013 Classes end: February 08, 2014 Christmas holidays: December 24, 2013 until January 06, 2014 Summer Semester 2013 Classes start: April 07, 2014 Classes end: July 19, 2014 Whitsun holidays: June 10 until June 13, 2014 Classes do not usually take place from mid February to mid April and from mid July to mid October. However, many examinations and block courses take place during these periods. The city of Stuttgart Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, is with about 600,000 inhabitants the sixthlargest city in Germany. The metropolitan Stuttgart region has a population of about 2.7 million people. Situated in the valley of the Neckar river, between the hilly environments of the Swabian Alb and the Black Forest, it is often called "the city between forest and vineyards". Being one of the most prosperous centres of industry in Europe, many renowned companies such as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, IBM, have their factories in the greater Stuttgart area. In addition, numerous smaller companies which produce machine tools, textiles, precision instruments and luxury items are also situated in and around Stuttgart. Stuttgart offers a large variety of cultural highlights including the state opera, ballet, theatres, concert and musical halls, art galleries, the Mercedes-Benz Museum with an exhibition of 160 fascinating vehicles, the Porsche museum, museums of ethnology, natural history and viticulture. Stuttgart hosts the Wilhelma, the largest zoological and botanic garden of Europe, and mineral bathes famous for their medicinal effects. The Weissenhofsiedlung which was erected in Stuttgart in 1927 is one of the most significant landmarks left by the movement known as Neues Bauen and the Fernsehturm is the world's first TV tower built from concrete. For those who prefer peace and tranquillity, the extensive parks offer the ideal opportunity for walks and relaxation. Stuttgart hosts every year top-level sporting events and Stuttgarts major football club VfB Stuttgart is one of the top German teams and won the German football championship in 2007. Stuttgart experienced an unforgettable sporting world event in the summer of 2006 - the 2006 FIFA World Cup. For four weeks millions of fans from all over the world celebrated a happy, gripping and unforgettable football festival. The state capital also welcomes thousands of visitors to its annual festivals - the elegant Summer Festival, the convivial Stuttgart Wine Village, the traditional Cannstatt Beer Festival and the nostalgic Stuttgart Christmas Market. The magnificent castles and palaces, historic towns and splendid vineyards in the Stuttgart region entice visitors to enjoy wonderful walks, cycle tours and boat trips on the River Neckar and the many idyllic lakes. 6
Temporary accommodation for young people Should you come to Stuttgart at a time when you can not move into your dorm room in one of the student halls immediately, you can stay a couple of nights at one of the youth hostels or low-budget hotels. Jugendherberge Stuttgart Haussmannstr. 27 Phone: ++49 711 664 74 70 E-mail: info@jugendherberge-stuttgart.de www.jugendherberge-stuttgart.de Jugendherberge Stuttgart Neckarpark (Bad Cannstatt) Elwertstr. 2 Phone: ++49 711 664 74 70 E-Mail: info@jugendherberge-stuttgart-neckarpark.de www.jugendherberge-stuttgart-neckarpark.de Alex 30 Hostel Alexanderstr. 30 Phone: ++ 49 711 83 88 95-0 E-mail: info@alex30-hostel.de www.alex30-hostel.de Inter-Hostel Paulinenstr 16 Phone: ++ 49 711 66 48 27 97 E-Mail: info@inter-hostel.com www.inter-hostel.com Internationales Studentenhotel Neckarstr. 172 Phone: ++49 711-41 43 00 E-mail:studi-hotel@sws-internet.de www.studentenwerk-stuttgart.de/wohnen/internationales-studentenhotel Addresses of further hotels and hostels in Stuttgart can be found at: www.stuttgart-tourist.de 7
How to find your way How to get to the dormitories in Vaihingen By train: You will arrive at the Central Railway Station in Stuttgart called Hauptbahnhof. Buy a ticket at one of the orange ticket machines: 2 zones. Go to the S-Bahn station which is on the bottom floor. Take the S-Bahn S1 travelling in the direction of Herrenberg or the S2 or S3 travelling in the direction of Vaihingen or Flughafen. Get off at the stop marked Universität. Take the exit Universitätszentrum. See the map of Vaihingen on page 9 for further assistance. By plane: In the Arrival Hall at Stuttgart Airport you will see the sign directing you to the S-Bahn. It is a white S on a green background. Buy a ticket at one of the orange ticket machines: 2 zones (EUR 2,45). Go to the S-Bahn station which is on the bottom floor. Take the S-Bahn S2 going in the direction of Schorndorf or the S3 travelling in the direction of Backnang. Get off at the stop marked Universität. Take the exit Universitätszentrum. See the map of Vaihingen on page 9 for further assistance. By car: If you are arriving from Munich or Karlsruhe, take the motorway A 8 to Stuttgarter Kreuz. Then, follow the sign to the City Centre Zentrum/Vaihingen via the A 831/B 14 till the exit showing Universität. Turn left at the first traffic light and you are now in the Universitätsstrasse. See the map of Vaihingen on page 9 for further details. If you are arriving from Zurich/Singen, take the A 81/A 831 till the exit Universität. Turn left at the first traffic light and you are now in the Universitätsstrasse. See the map of Vaihingen on page 9 for further details. If you are arriving from Mannheim/Heilbronn, take the A 6/A 81 till you reach Autobahndreieck Leonberg. Then take the motorway A 8 in the direction of Munich until you reach the Stuttgarter Kreuz. Follow the sign to the City Centre Zentrum/Vaihingen via the A 831/B 14 till the exit showing Universität. Turn left at the first traffic light and you are now in the Universitätsstrasse. See the map of Vaihingen on page 9 for further details. How to get to International Affairs in the International Centre (IZ) and the COMMAS Office on Campus Vaihingen International Centre (IZ): From the underground S-Bahn station Universität : When you leave the S-Bahn take the exit Universitätszentrum. When you get out of the underground station walk towards Pfaffenwaldring. You will see a small pond and stairs to its left. Cross the street and walk up the stairs. Then go over the shaky bridge in front of you. Once you have crossed the bridge you will see a building on your left hand side, this is the Internationale Centre. Enter the building and go to Floor 1 where you will find the department International Education Services. COMMAS office: From the underground S-Bahn station Universität : Take the exit Universitätszentrum and above ground follow the sign Pfaffenwaldring 7 (Bauingenieurwesen). Enter the building Pfaffenwaldring 9 (just across the S-Bahn station) and turn right. Walk through the cafeteria which will take you to the building Pfaffenwaldring 7. Then take the stairs or the elevator to the third floor. Look out for room 3.168. See also page 9 for directions. 8
Map of Campus Vaihingen Student dormitories Allmandring Student dormitories Pfaffenhof Student Dormitories Straußäcker International Affairs Internationales Zentrum (IZ) Pfaffenwaldring 60 1st floor Tel. 0711/685 68545 COMMAS Office Pfaffenwaldring 7 3 rd floor, room 3/168 Tel. 0711/685 66131 9
Map of the City Centre Hauptbahnhof Main train station Office of Admission (Enrollment) Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 24, ground floor 10