Augsburg – Page 3 – eMag Uni Augsburg

Social counseling

When I started to study, I didn’t realize how many different ways of volunteering there are. Since I had to give up my voluntary work in my hometown, I wanted to get involved again. A friend took me to the Sozialreferat at the University of Augsburg. From the beginning, I was enthusiastic about their ideas and I’m convinced that if they’re implemented, they’ll benefit students a lot. But see for yourself…

Timetabling
Timetabling is not an easy task, especially when you’re starting off. Often the lectures clash with each other or you have a job. Module handbooks, professors and even fellow students from higher semesters sometimes don´t make matters better either. Through our schedule support we – the Sozialreferat – want to give you advice and help you with various issues throughout the semester(s).

The Monday meeting (an informal chat)
We offer an opportunity for an informal chat every Monday. We talk about all kinds of things (concerns, etc.) regarding university and personal things. Sometimes we just act as a sounding board so students get new ideas for their studies and replenish energy reserves. Sometimes you only need a sympathetic ear or an objective opinion to cope.

Seminars

Bafög-Seminar
In this seminar, students find out about the various ways of funding their studies. There are some sources which aren’t widely known about, such as study loans, scholarships or housing allowances. We also discuss how and where to apply for these “cash injections” and who is entitled to do so.

Future projects

Social Foundation
Up to now, students here who are experiencing an emergency haven’t been able to apply for short-term loans. In certain situations, the Sozialreferat wants to make this possible. So we’re trying to convince the responsible ministry.

Psycho-social counseling
In this consultation, we hope to be supported by the Chair of Educational Sciences: in the “Counseling for schools” training course, students have to complete a one-week internship at a counseling center. We’d like to offer this internship on our premises.

Guidelines
With regard to the increasingly heterogeneous student body, a manual with the most important contact information, as well as tips for your studies is being planned. The purpose of this manual is to create a flexible problem-solving resource for students and to complement the work of current and future counselors and employees.

The first semester can be confusing and nerve racking in every way. Receiving timetable aid, for instance, is very important in order to plan your studies efficiently and is one of many factors that will make things less stressful. I still remember exactly how confused and overwhelmed I was in the first semester when I had to create my own schedule which was in the end not very effective. I wish someone more experienced had helped me at that time.

Now being part of the team I hope that we can achieve a lot and that students will benefit from our help. We’re there for you for all concerns and problems that occur during your daily student life. We offer you a wide range of services such as consultations, seminars or lectures.

If you’d like to support us, please contact us and become part of our great team!

Author & Pictures: Carolin Steinke

Five things I hate about summer – and five things to make it all a little more bearable

Confession time: I hate summer. I know full well that I’m in the minority here, but it’s just what it is. It’s also not a very recent development for me, so I can’t really blame climate change or so. I know, though, that a lot of different things come into play which make me hate the favorite season of the majority of the population.

The most obvious reason is, of course, the heat. My favorite temperature is somewhere between 13° and 18°. In summer, it seems like it’s 30+° most of the time. There’s just no middle ground anymore. The thing is I’d be totally able to deal with it if it wasn’t so humid. This is what makes the heat so unbearable.

And this brings me to my third point. As a consequence of the heat and the humidity, I sweat. Yet I always seem to be the only one. Other people don’t suddenly have a very shiny forehead or little rivers running down their necks, slowly making their way down the back, even though they are not doing anything that could possibly lead to sweating. I, of course, do have to deal with both. All the time.

Number four on my list of most hated things about summer would be spiders and bugs. Bugs simply bug me. German bugs more than others, though. In other countries, they seem to leave me alone most of the time. In Germany, they seem to attack me the moment I step outside, but, of course, they also don’t leave me alone when I’m inside either. They’re just always there. What makes it all so much worse is that outside they find a way in my mouth, even though I have my lips pressed tight together, and inside they have a tendency to drown in whatever drink I have standing on the table. It doesn’t even have to be something sweet like orange juice or lemon water. They’re just as alright with dying in a regular glass of sparkling water. Apparently, they really like the added thrill of the bubbles.

Finally, number five is that everybody all of a sudden flocks outside like a bunch of summer zombies. I actually spend a significant amount of time outside all year round, so naturally I wonder: where are all these people in winter?
So in case anyone feels the same way I do about summer, here are five tips to get through it all relatively unscathed:

Obviously, you should make the air condition or your fan your new best friend.
Don’t take a cold shower. This only heats up your body way faster afterwards.
Insect repellents are your second best friend 😉
Always look in your glass before you drink, you never know what’s floating on top.
Count down the days ’till September 1st, the magical day of meteorological start of fall 🙂

Finally, hang in there: it’s going to be autumn soon.

Author & Pictures: Alisa Lechky

A mole on the campus

Hi, let me introduce myself. My name is Stefie; like you, I’m a student at the university of Augsburg and I’m rather short-sighted. Please, let me assure you that I’m not one of those disabled super heroes who are often shown on TV or mentioned in newspapers. What I mean is that I’m short-sighted, but none of my other senses have developed in an extraordinary way. I’m a completely average student struggling, more or less, with the same issues as you.

Hail to the public transport service

I have to consider things that have possibly never occurred to you. Take, for example, the criteria for choosing the university you wanted to go to. In my case, I not only had to take into account the subject I wanted to study, or if I liked the city the university is situated in, but also if the university is one where everything is on the same site or if it’s easily accessible with the public transport system, or not. I’m not able to drive a car or cycle so I completely rely on the more or less (in some cases rather less) efficient public transport system, my own two feet or the help of my family for getting from point A to point B.

A mole in sheep’s clothing

What’s more, I have to tell people who I’m in a professional or close relationship with about my disability. So if you met me, you wouldn’t know that my short-sightedness is so strong. See, I’m a mole in perfect disguise; I wear glasses, but so do hundreds of other students. The difference is that many can perceive the world like completely healthy persons if they’re wearing their glasses, but for me this doesn’t work. Mine can only help me to perceive the contrast between different things more easily. And, so I’m talking about this to avoid misunderstandings like “I waved at you but you completely ignored me…”.

Communication, communication…

Of course, communication is very important for me because even when people know about my poor eyesight, I can’t expect them to think about it all the time. Take the lecturers at university, for example; the majority of them are very nice and I’ve met no one who refused to help me or to make the slides for the presentation bigger so that I could follow the course. In order to be able to help me, they have to know that I have this kind of problem; and I have to remind them from time to time because they’ve not only got me sitting in front of them but sometimes over a hundred of students to think about.

‘Inclusion’ – what a wonderful word

In general, I like studying here but there are some things that still need to be improved. For example, there’s no general information anywhere on university website for people with disabilities. Well, there is someone you can consult for questions about studying with a handicap. But, it’s very difficult to approach this person and when you finally do, don’t expect too much. He probably doesn’t know more than you do.

Author & Pictures: Stefanie Sohnle

An interview with Prof. Dr. Catriona Seth

Could you please introduce yourself and your work?

I was lucky enough to be brought up in several different countries (England, Scotland, Switzerland, Venezuela and Belgium) and to go to university in the U.K. and in France. Until 18 months ago I worked in France, as a professor at the Université de Lorraine in Nancy, which has a joint study programme with Augsburg, thanks to Rotraud von Kulessa, my colleague in Romanistik. I am now the Professor of French at Oxford, which is wonderful. I am a fellow of All Souls, a beautiful College in the centre of Oxford—and my study overlooks the iconic Radcliffe Camera.

Which role do languages play in your life?

As I was brought up speaking both French and English, languages are a way of life and a part of my identity. I also love learning new words and how they work or where they come from. I’m sorry not to have more occasions to speak some of the foreign languages I have studied—or picked up along the way. I’m happy that by spending time in Augsburg I am getting to practise some German.

What is your favourite book?

It would be impossible for me to choose a single book. A couple of French novels I find admirable are Laclos’ Liaisons dangereuses, which I have edited, and Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. I enjoy reading widely, fiction, poetry, but also non-fiction.

How did you develop your passion for literary studies?

I have always loved reading. I had some inspirational teachers at school. I really enjoy my job!

Could you please briefly explain your project (Transcultural European Literature) with Ms. Kulessa here in Augsburg?

Rotraud von Kulessa and I have worked together quite frequently. Our most recent venture is an anthology of Enlightenment texts about Europe (originally written in French, German, Spanish, Italian and English) which are freely downloadable.

We put the anthology together in French, very rapidly, for it to come out before the French elections. My colleagues and 121 students in Oxford have translated it into English and we managed to have it ready for the first anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which many of us consider to have been a very regrettable day for Great Britain and for Europe. You can read The Idea of Europe. Enlightenment Perspectives free online here:

There will also be a German translation with the help of students from Augsburg.

Which topic have you worked on so far?

I have done a lot of work on the novel and poetry in the eighteenth century, but also on women’s memoirs. There is a cultural history aspect to some of my research: I have written on Marie Antoinette as a literary and historical figure, for example. I also have an interest in medical humanities and have looked at smallpox inoculation in the eighteenth century and its impact on mentalities.

What are your goals for your stay at the University of Augsburg?

I’m looking forward to learning about how teaching is organised here. I enjoyed the Aktionstag called Gegen einfache Wahrheiten, which brought students and teaching staff together in a less formal way, to discuss wide-ranging social concerns, and involved engaging with the wider public.

What relevance does the work with the students have for you?

As I mentioned, I enjoy teaching. I always learn new things when preparing my classes. I enjoy the contact with the students, which is intellectually stimulating.

Why did you choose Augsburg for the guest professorship?

I was invited to Augsburg and am delighted to be here. I very much enjoy working with Rotraud von Kulessa. I am looking forward to looking into some of the bibliographical treasures in the Augsburg libraries. I also hope to visit some of the parts of Bavaria I do not know and to take advantage of the natural and cultural resources of this beautiful part of Europe.

Author: Janina Girschick, Andrea Schneider

Pictures: Catriona Seth, Jakob-Fugger-Zentrum

Augsburger Sommernächte

Thousands of people in the streets. The streets turn into stages. Different squares turn into dancing areas. In the centre of the city people, feast and dance to various sounds. Well, let me tell you what I’m talking about: the Augsburger Sommernächte. This event took place for the second time this year from Thursday June 28th until July 1st. For those of you who participated this year it should be crystal clear why it’s definitely worth a visit. For all those who don’t know why they should actually go there, I’ll give a few convincing reasons. But first of all, some of you may not even know what the Augsburger Sommernächte are…

What is it?

Augsburger Sommernächte is probably the largest party in the whole of Augsburg and the surrounding region. Some restaurants and bars spill into the streets, and sell all kind of foods you’ve never dreamt of. The nightly entertainment also keeps the place bustling: all over the city thirteen areas present nearly every imaginable kind of music! From mainstream to HipHop straight to Indie – everybody of all ages get their money’s worth. From the Königplatz over the Maxstraße to the Rathausplatz – the whole city is a party, and takes place from 5pm to 1am.

A few reasons why..

It’s not just like one party, but many morphed into one! You can spend quality time with your friends under the clear night sky, because who doesn’t prefer a party under the stars instead of spending the night in a muggy club? The Sommernächte also gives you the chance to meet new people. Everybody’s in a good mood and always ready for a chat! Apart from this social aspect, what is really cool is that the Neue Szene presents newcomers. Not only young bands try to entertain the people with their music, but also poetry slammers who try to catch the listener’s attention with their own texts.

Next to the small stages that are spread all over the Maxstraße, you’ll find delicious food from all over the world. It’s like a mini street food market. These smells of freshly made falafel, curry and burgers make you think you’re on holiday in Ibiza. All of these new impressions are so overwhelming that you will need to go there again in order to see everything! Unlike an expensive holiday, the Sommernächte don’t cost anything (but you’re not allowed to take any kind of food or drinks with you).

Save the date!

So, I’ve not completely convinced you? Take a look yourself! Next year the Sommernächte will take place from 28th June to 1st July. So what are you waiting for? Take out your calendars and mark the date!

Author: Chiara Leick

Pictures: CIA Veranstaltungs GmbH

What goes on behind closed doors?

On Thursday, 6^th July, the Anglistentheater premiered their latest play “Speaking in tongues”, by Andrew Bovell.

Have you ever wondered how other people cope with their problems? How they seek a cure for their emotional wounds? This play starts by showing us a pretty drastic way of handling an unstable marriage: cheating. Jane is married to Pete and Sonja is married to Leon, yet here our play starts with everyone in a cheap hotel room with the other’s partner. But only Leon and Jane go through with it. Disaster unfolds and Pete leaves Jane and Sonja leaves Leon and as the guys meet each other in one bar and the girls in another, they find that judging and forgiving is harder said than done.

At this point, I was kind of bored, thinking “Great. Another modern play about adultery. So innovative…”, but as the play unfolded it left me speechless. It’s about so much more than just that. It’s a play about mutual love and unrequited love. About unconditional love and doubted love. About trust and betrayal. About therapist and client. About murder and innocence. About sanity and mental illness. About past and present. And about cruelty and kindness. It’s a play about Leon, Sonja, Pete, Jane, Valerie, Sarah, Nick, Neil and John. Each with their own story but still intertwined through all these elements.

I won’t go into further detail, since I don’t wanna spoil the fun, but let me tell you: it’s shocking and mysterious. I also found it devastating to see what horrible things people want to happen to their “loved ones”, just for the sake of their own convenience… enough said.

Andrew Bovell has written an amazing play about the depths of human relationships and the enormous impact apparently small acts can have. The Anglistentheater has done a great job performing it. The actors were marvelous and the stage design really paid attention to detail and came up with great concepts. You could really see how much time, effort and practice everyone had put into making a fabulous premiere.

I recommend you go and see the play for yourself – it’s amazing. But make sure to borrow one of the cushions (the play takes about 2:15 hours, and, let’s be honest, a lecture theatre isn’t that comfy.

Speaking in tongues will be performed on Tuesday 11^th and Thursday 13^th July 2017

At 8 p.m. in Hörsaal II

Author: Michaela Lappler

Picture: Anglistentheater

Summer in the city

Are you still looking for cool things to do in Augsburg to enjoy this wonderful weather?

There are tons of fun things, like sitting on Rathausplatz and having some ice-cream, going strawberry picking, visiting the zoo, lying by the Lech, taking part in the Augsburger Sommernächte, and so on. So here are my top four summer destinations in Augsburg…

Lechflimmern

If you want to watch a movie, but you feel bad staying inside when it’s hot, Lechflimmern is right for you. It’s an open-air cinema at the Familienbad am Plärrer, which shows movies every day in July outside on a big screen. Unfortunately, you can’t take any food or something to drink, so you have to buy it there. Chairs are set up for you, but you can also bring a blanket to sit on. The doors open at 8pm and the movie starts when the sun sets. This summer, there are movies like Die Schöne und das Biest, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 or Baywatch (they’re all in German only). You can look up their complete programme on the website.

Wertach + Kulperhütte

Cycle to the Wertach, which flows through Augsburg. You can relax and have something to eat and drink at the Kulperhütte, a beer garden in Göggingen with deckchairs, cool drinks and delicious food, such as vegetarian cuisine, traditional Bavarianand pastries (I recommend their fries, which are really good!) Or you take your own food and have a picnic at the Wertach. Tip: take some home-made iced tea and impress your friends.

Sonnendeck

This is where I really get into the summer mood, a kind of holidayfeeling, with my feet in the sand and a cocktail in my hand. Every summer the roof terrace at Parkhaus Ludwigstraße is filled with sand. There are deckchairs, music, food and cool drinks for a perfect mix of rooftop- and beach party without having to pay admission.

Kuhsee, Proviantbach, Plärrerbad

If you like swimming and sunbathing, you should definitely check out these three places!

First there is the Kuhsee, a lake in Augsburg-Hochzoll, which has a large lawn, where lots of people, young and old, enjoy sunbathing, having barbecues or playing frisbee, badminton and volleyball.

Then there is Proviantbach, which is a cold-water stream. You get in and don’t even have to swim because the current takes you as far as you like. Every fifty meters you can get out by climbing up a ladder. I recommend only going there when it’s very hot outside because the water is really chilly, which is perfect for hot summer days.

If you prefer heated water, I recommend the Familienbad am Plärrer, which has five different pools for every age.

So go for it! And have a great time!

Author: Julia Messing
Images: Julia Messing and Eva Sitzberger