The Central Student Advisory Service is the service point for future students. How would you describe the special welcoming culture at the University of Bremen?

I think it can be described as a full-service care package. First, all important information for enrollment is sent in the mail. No one has to come to campus to enroll, which is helpful since many new students are not yet in Bremen. Then we offer information events in September, which take place either digitally or at the university. In October, the big orientation week takes place, which is a sort of starting signal for beginning a degree program. This week is about setting up a schedule and passwords, learning where things are on campus, and above all about getting to know fellow students. Make sure you don’t miss anything by visiting the Uni-Start portal.

How does the Central Student Advisory Service support students dealing with challenges while starting at the university or during their degrees?

Our first and most urgent task is to find out what is going on. Often multiple problems surface at once and it is one tangled mess. We help with untangling and sorting. After that, we look at which difficulties we can help with ourselves, and then do so. A typical example when beginning at a university is deciding which degree program fits well. Some already have a clear idea of what they want to study; others are still at the very beginning of their orientation. In both cases, our counseling sessions can help to self-reflect while offering help with decision-making and providing information. For concerns that are outside of our area, we give tips on where students can get assistance and who can help. We are well networked as a service center, both within and beyond the university. We encounter both minor and major difficulties. Changes can sometimes cause a person to lose their bearings. This can happen in any phase of life. We want to explicitly encourage students to contact us. Last but not least, we try to preventively counteract many typical obstacles that are likely to occur during life-changing transitions by providing good information and advice in advance, so that major problems never develop in the first place.

Have the questions students ask changed in recent years? In the aftermath of the pandemic in particular?

My personal impression is that our consultations now involve more questions about formal procedures, such as deadlines or application requirements. There are also more requests to brainstorm together about suitable fields of study and careers. Questions about the specific content of individual degree programs have decreased. Since the pandemic, we have noticed an increase in use of our digital services, and that those seeking advice are much more likely to report their mental health problems.

What plans does the Central Student Advisory Service have to further strengthen the welcoming culture and to more fully implement our “Come as you are” campaign slogan?

We are an innovative team in the Central Student Advisory Service and have adapted a lot in recent years to make our events, advisory services, and informational materials more attractive and easier to access. Since the only constant is change, we will continue to listen carefully to those seeking advice and exchange ideas with others in order to meet changing needs.

What do you personally associate with the “Come as you are” slogan?

I associate this with acceptance. You can come just as you are, and that is just right for the time being. Here and now. This is the right time and place. You are okay. You can just be. That will help you stay relaxed as you begin your degree. The next few years will hold enough commotion, and though inner growth is expressly desired, it will come on its own without forcing it. No one stays as they are. And that is okay.