13 Oct 2026
Your first lecture, your first visit to the library: What makes the new semester so special, where you can find support and what even long-time LMU staff and faculty members are doing for the first time.
As the winter semester begins, members of LMU share what the coming weeks will be like and provide some tips for all new students:
Fabian Mayer works at the Central Student Advisory Office | © Dean Causevic
“Starting your first semester at university is of course an exciting time, but it can also be pretty overwhelming: You’ll need to register for courses, find the right lecture rooms and, of course, you’ll want to make new friends to go out for drinks with in the evening. And you’ll also still want to finish furnishing your new room. The great thing is that everyone else is in the same boat. So when you first arrive, take your time, attend the introductory events, and give yourself a chance to settle in. And if any problems do arise, remember that you’re not on your own. Feel free to contact us at the Central Student Advisory Office. Whether you’re having doubts about your choice of subject, struggling with exam stress, dealing with a disability, or facing entirely different challenges, we’re here to help. You can contact us whenever you want via the Central Student Advisory Office website.”
Fabian Mayer, Central Student Advisory Office
Central Student Advisory Office: your first point of contact for any questions you might have about studying at LMU
Anna Axtner-Borsutzky | © LMU/Florian Generotzky
“On 12 November 2026, the traveling exhibition from our collaborative research project Lost in Archives. Auf der Suche nach unsichtbaren Frauen im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert (Lost in Archives: In Search of Invisible Women in the 18th and 19th Centuries) will open at the Schopenhauer Studio at Goethe University Frankfurt. From 29 April 2027, the exhibition will then also be available to view here at LMU.
We have been working on this project for almost two years and are really looking forward to finally seeing the exhibition panels chronicling the lives and works of selected female playwrights, literary critics, and women involved in military affairs around 1800 in person and in full color.
As the project’s name suggests, one of our main areas of focus is archival research. We visited numerous archives not just in many locations in Germany but also right across Europe, searching for traces of these women writers. The exhibition presents a selection of examples to show how we approached our research and what we discovered.
The project is a collaboration between Professor Isabelle Deflers (Bundeswehr University Munich), Professor Marília Jöhnk (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg), myself (LMU), and our academic staff and student assistants. To make this exhibition a reality, we are working with OPAK and illustrator Julia Bernhard, with whom we will also be publishing a graphic novel on the subject.”
Dr. Anna Axtner-Borsutzky is an academic lecturer at the Chair of Modern German Literature and leads the “Theater” subproject of the BMFTR-funded collaborative research project Lost in Archives.
For more information on the project, please see: Lost in Archives
“This year, it’s coming to LMU Munich for the very first time! I’m talking about the final of the EUGLOH PhD Pitch, which we at the GraduateCenter are hosting as part of our “GC Speed Slam” science slam series to mark the start of the new semester. I’m really looking forward to welcoming doctoral candidates from the EUGLOH network to LMU in just a few weeks.
But what makes this such a new experience for me? I have of course already organized and helped run workshop weeks for EUGLOH doctoral candidates. We’ve also selected LMU participants for previous EUGLOH PhD Pitch finals at our own public events before sending them to the universities of Porto and Alcalá. But we’ve never combined these elements before. For the first time, I’m planning and organizing a public event where doctoral candidates from other European universities come to LMU not just for a workshop, but to present their research projects to a university-wide audience of nonspecialists. Incidentally, the topics will cover everything from microbiology to literary studies. And they will do this in an entertaining and concise way, because the twelve slam contestants have just three minutes each to give their presentations and can make use of only one PowerPoint slide. They won’t have access to any costumes or props. This means they’ll have to rely entirely on their own public speaking skills. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing this unvarnished form of entertaining science communication.”
Dr. Florian Kniffka, Advisor at LMU’s GraduateCenter
Anyone interested in watching the EUGLOH edition of the GC Speed Slam is welcome to attend on 22 October at 7 p.m. at Professor-Huber-Platz 2. Further information is available on the GraduateCenter website
Lars Bülow is Professor of German Linguistics | © LMU
“There’s something magical about every new start. What I’m most looking forward to are those moments when we discover something new together. When a question in a seminar sparks a lively discussion, or when we can suddenly see something that we’ve always taken for granted from a new perspective.
Be curious, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to share your own ideas. I hope you’ll find people here that you can explore ideas with together and grow beyond what you thought possible.”
Lars Bülow, Professor of German Linguistics
Klaus-Rainer Brintzinger | © LMU
“Your first term paper? Your first presentation? Your first university exam? Starting a university degree marks the beginning of a new chapter in life, with lots of new things to experience for the first time. The University Library is there to support you from your first day of studying to your last.
With more than five million printed and electronic volumes covering all fields of study – available to borrow, scan, or read online – as well as more than 4,500 individual study spaces, group study rooms, and group study areas across 14 subject libraries and five learning centers throughout Munich, it offers plenty of opportunities for focused study and learning.
Our online workspace finder and online study space reservation system make it easier for you to find an available space. Our courses on efficient literature searches, academic writing, and the responsible use of AI tools help students get off to a good start as they embark on their degree. Do you have any questions about the library? We’re here to help – in person, on the phone, and online!”
Dr. Klaus-Rainer Brintzinger, Director of the LMU University Library
Communication science student Charang | © LMU
From how to make friends to dealing with your first failed exam: Communication science student Charang has compiled her five most important tips for starting university on Instagram