“Make studying the best time of your life!”

The start of a new semester is always an exciting time, full of new faces, new courses and all kinds of new impressions. Especially at a large university such as LMU, it is not always easy to find your way around right from day one. Fortunately, though, a variety of LMU services can make life at university a little easier – and a much richer experience.

Some of our teams’ service offerings – from the Buddy Program to the Queer Department – are showcased below:

The Students’ Council (StuVe): “For an unforgettable time”

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“What makes studying and university life so special? How do you make it an unforgettable time? Friendships and relationships, fairness and accessibility, enjoyable experiences and wild parties after exams all have a part to play.

In the shape of student associations, informal departments and working groups, we, the Students’ Council (or StuVe, for short) volunteer our time and energy to make everyone’s stay at university the best time it could possibly be. That is a big ask, so we always have plenty to do. Our better-known activities include organizing events such as orientation phases, parties, games nights, information events and demonstrations.

In addition, we attach great importance to close communication with our fellow students, lecturers and the university administration. We spend our time identifying problems and finding suitable solutions, making statements on what needs to be said, but also – and above all – representing the concerns of students in university-wide bodies and in respect of the university leadership.

After several online-only semesters, we are thrilled to finally be able to organize more real-life events again and to live out our commitment in many and varied ways. The active involvement of the students we represent is the lifeblood of the Students’ Council. If you, too, are interested in exciting projects, would like to represent your course or even the interests of students above and beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines, we would love to meet you!”

Go here for the Students’ Council website.

The LMU Buddy Program: “Gaining intercultural experience”

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“Every semester, something like 500 international students from a broad spread of disciplines come to LMU Munich for their stay abroad. Organized by the International Office, the LMU Buddy Program seeks to encourage dialogue between exchange students and their local peers.

LMU Buddies serve as the point of contact for one or more visiting students, volunteering for a semester to help them find their way around LMU and get settled in here in Munich.

Buddy pairings organize meetings together, attend events and help each other with daily life at the university. Both sides gain valuable intercultural experience that often leads to long-standing friendships, even after the LMU Buddy Program has finished. If you are interested in other cultures and would like to come into contact with new students, you have come to the right place!

A good LMU Buddy is committed to their task but also boasts a couple of important ‘skills’: openness toward other people and cultures, an interest in learning about other cultures, and a willingness to invest time in their Buddy.

One aspect of the program is taking part in both an introductory event and a closing evaluation.”

Go here for the LMU Buddy Program.

The Inclusion Tutors: “Overcoming barriers together”

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“The Inclusion Tutors help students who have disabilities, chronic conditions and/or mental illnesses with their university routine and are also available to provide advice. Our motto – “Studying with a disability? You are not alone!” – is about more than the number of students affected: It also means that help is at hand from Inclusion Tutors whenever you need them.

We stay in close contact with the advisory service for students with disabilities, as well as with the faculties and the lecturers. As such, we serve as both a mouthpiece and a listening ear. While we cannot provide professional advice, we do treat everything that students share with us – orally or in writing – in the strictest confidence. We will pass on what you share with us only if you explicitly request that we do so.

So, if you are looking for someone who knows your faculty inside-out, if you have encountered barriers that we can overcome together, or if you simply need a smiling face and a listening ear, we are there to help.”

Go here for the Inclusion Tutors.

The Study Information Service (SIS): “Help with all issues relating to your studies”

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The Study Information Service provides telephone support on all matters relating to studying at LMU. We serve as an interface between the Student Advisory Service and the Office of the Registrar. In this capacity, we can provide a wealth of information on issues such as:

• Where can I validate my LMU card?
• How and when can I sign back in?
• I don’t like my course. What do I do now?
• Can I change my course if I realize that I want to study something else? And if so, how do I do that?

Our team is made up of experts who themselves study at LMU. We are able to answer almost all questions ourselves. And if we can’t, we know where to find the answers you need.

Also, should you need something more in-depth, then simply arrange an appointment for a meeting with our study advisors.”

Go here for the Study Information Service.

The LMU Career Service: “Support on career matters and getting started”

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“Gathering experience, discovering talents, developing skills, seizing opportunities: The LMU Career Service can help you on all matters pertaining to your career and getting started in the world of work. Our services are available to everyone who studies at LMU, from newcomers in the first semester to doctoral researchers. We also have an array of service offerings exclusively for international students at LMU.

Our job mart has internships, jobs for working students, part-time jobs and opportunities to launch a career straight from university. At our careers events and careers fairs, you can use a variety of formats to establish personal contact with companies and get to know HR staff, decision-makers and other people who work in your target industry or career. Alternatively, you can sign up for career mentoring, where you have the chance to talk to an experienced person from your target industry and discuss your career plans and objectives.

Alternatively, how about an internship abroad to gather the international experience that is so important these days? But don’t worry: We are there to help you plan, prepare and finance your stay abroad. We also run exciting workshops and seminars to help you improve your hard and soft skills and add to your knowledge about applying for jobs in different lines of work.

We would be happy to talk to you in person about careers, applications and internships abroad. We look forward to seeing you!”

Go here for the Career Service.

The Queer Department: “Shaping a university where everyone feels at home”

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“We are here, we are queer, we are the LMU Queer Department! Together, we are striving to make the university a place where everyone, irrespective of their sexual or gender identity, feels at home.

During the semester we meet on a weekly basis, alternating between Monday and Thursday meetings. The Monday meetings are dedicated to university policy issues, where we plan specific events. We have, for example, held talks providing tips for LGBTQIA* students and lecturers. And last year we took part in the Christopher Street Day parade. We were also involved in introducing gender-neutral toilets in the main building.

The Thursday ‘Queer Hour’ meetings give students a chance to talk and share their experience. To do so, we usually meet in the StuVe facilities. But we also organize trips out to the Isar, to bars for drag queen bingo sessions, or visits to the Christmas market. Throughout the online teaching phase, we continued to meet on Zoom and arranged a Christmas party and a ‘crime thriller dinner’.

Our objective for the coming semester is to facilitate more dialogue among lecturers and students, raise awareness of queer issues and, of course, have a whole lot of fun when we meet! Like last year, we will again organize activities for new arrivals at the university. One will be a rally through Munich’s queer district and a bar-hopping tour with a chance to get to know other queer students. These events are open to everyone – not only to newcomers!”

Go here for the Queer Department.

The Writing Center: “Learning to write academic papers”

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”There are times when you are working on a term paper and you get the feeling that every word you have written belongs in the trash can! But don’t despair: Everyone feels like that at some time or other. Which is why we are here! In every phase of study, the team at the Writing Center help students, doctoral researchers and lecturers get to grips with the subject of academic writing.

Having a hard time formulating your text? Maybe you suddenly have to use citations in a new way? Or perhaps you are uncertain about how to structure an essay? Or even how to get started on your bachelor’s thesis? If that is you, feel free to contact us.

Simply book a writing consultation with one of the tutors. Alternatively, visit one of our Friday workshops on various topics relating to writing. Although the Writing Center is officially part of the Faculty Language and Literature, our services are open to all LMU students on any course. The Writing Center is always there for you and your writing projects!”

Go here for the Writing Center.

The Language Center: “From tongue-tied greenhorn to language connoisseur”

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”Always wanted to be able to order your pizza in perfect Italian? Follow your manga heroes in the original language? Watch the latest telenovela without subtitles? Know what Stormzy is really singing about? Then the Language center is just the thing for you! We have courses in over 40 languages, from Arabic to French, Italian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Every student can attend our language courses, both during the semester and in the vacation period. There is something for everyone, from the tongue-tied greenhorn to the language connoisseur! Our language courses are open to anyone and everyone who studies at LMU, whatever subject you are reading.

Our team of language teachers is a colorful mix of passionate people who would be thrilled to get to know you and quickly bring you up to speed. We are happy to advise students about everything to do with learning languages, answering every question from “Which course is the right one for me?” to “How do I get the language certificate I need for my stay abroad?””

Go here for the Language Center

Central Student Advisory Office – “Your first port of call for any questions about your studies”

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Are you trying to decide what to study? Need help with your application and/or matriculation? Want to get more organized in your studies and learn how to deal with crises? Are you studying with a disability or while raising a child?

The Central Student Advisory Office is your first port of call for any questions to do with your studies – whether you do not yet know what you want to study, are already halfway through or are approaching graduation. We are happy to provide information, advice and support at any stage before and after you begin your studies.

All kinds of information events are ready and waiting for you, dealing with issues such as access to higher education, choosing a course, admission to the university and how to finance your studies. Feel free to visit our workshops on doubts about studying, study skills, self-confidence and being the first generation of your family to study. You can choose from an array of online services or contact us for a one-on-one advisory session.

We also take special needs very seriously. Our advisory service for students with children is there to help anyone who has one or more children and is interested in studying (or is already studying). And we have a similar service for students with disabilities, chronic conditions or mental illnesses. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Go here for the Central Student Advisory Office