Buddy Guide Bernburg Dear students, The guide that you are holding in your hands is meant to give you some direction for your we are glad you decided to be part of the task as a Study Buddy. It will tell you what is Buddy-Project initiated by the International expected of you, what you should prepare Office and that you are interested in taking care before the guest students arrive and will tell of one or more students. you the order of steps you should follow with the students after their arrival. You will also find important people to contact, addresses If you have spent part of your life abroad, you and opening hours. Please follow the steps in know to appreciate good mentoring and an the suggested order, to avoid problems when introduction into living in a new town during going to the local authorities. the first weeks of your stay. You might still remember how difficult it was to find your way around. Your job now is to help the We wish you lots of fun as a Buddy and would international guest students at the Anhalt like to thank you in advance for your University of Applied Sciences in order to make commitment. their life easier. This includes accompanying them to local authorities and giving them a glimpse of student life in Bernburg and at other Your International Office (IO) locations of the university. Content General Information General 4 Buddy: We understand "Buddies" as committed Tasks 5 students interested in international contact who are voluntarily helping one or more international Overview of the most important 7 students to cope with everyday issues during the applications semester especially during the often difficult Move-in or search for 8 beginning of their stay. accommodation at the location Feedback: At the end of the semester all of the Registration at residents' 12 Buddies are asked to give a feedback to the registration office International Office. Opening a bank account 13 • Each Buddy will receive a questionnaire. Conclusion of a health insurance 14 • If the opportunity arises we will ask individual Buddies to talk about their Paying the semester contribution 16 experiences during a presentation. • Each Buddy will receive a certificate of Pick up enrollment certificate / 17 participation signed by the President of the student card University. This certificate will show the intercultural activities and the duration of Report to the 18 participation. It is also in German and in Foreign Office English. Using the E-mail 20 Problems: If problems with contacting your incoming student before or after the arrival Use of the sports offers at 21 Anhalt University occur we ask you to contact the International Office immediately. Re-registration for 22 the next semester Tel.: 03496 - 67 5114 E-Mail: [email protected] Renewal of 23 residence permits Completion of studies, 24 cancellations Emergency services, doctors, pharmacies 26 4 Please Consider: • Imagine the situation of your Buddy: What will Responsibilities and profits: be unusual for him/her? What else should he/ If you wann be part of the Buddy-building she know about? programm of the Anhalt University, you should: • Please remember that you are acting as a • take an intercultural Buddy Training at the representative of the university, of Bernburg beginning of your Buddy-activity and of Germany. Please be a good host! • log in at [email protected] and fill • The intensity of your support (meaning in the formular (download here: http:// beyond what is necessary) depends only www.hs-anhalt.de/international/ on your sympathy for each other and on interkulturelle-begegnungen/buddy- your Buddy's need for information. programm/kontaktformular- • It is not forbidden but also not expected of buddy.html ) you to help your Buddy with studying for • confirm the successful contacting with the exams or with writing papers. That depends internationals students who you look after as a on you. Buddy, at studybuddies@hs-anhalt. de or What a Buddy does NOT need to do: contact Nicole directly Of course we expect you to take your job • participate in the feedback-request at the seriously and that you are reliable and beginning oft the Buddy-activity (approx. 4 responsible when it comes to contacting your weeks after beginning of the semester) Buddy. But it is by no means expected of you to (made per mail-form or online), offer help that goes beyond your level of information and competence, for example legal • Participate at the analysis- and reflection questions, problems with official authorities and discussion through the Buddy-activity at the banks. end of the semester. You are also NOT responsible for: If you wanna participate in the Buddy building-programm of the Anhalt university • helping the Incomers with financial problems you receive: • taking them into your private homes • a certificate as evidence of the interculturell, integrative work, • helping them with their tasks for the university • offering translation services • a training to sensitization for cross- cultural work as well as • In cases of doubt, please contact the International Office right away. • the posibility to train your language skills and to become familiar with other cultures and people. 5 Tasks 1 4 Contact the incomer "First steps" in the city Help your Buddy to get accustomed to You will receive your Buddy's contact the city and the area like shopping information from the International facilities, spare-time facilities and Office via email. transportation system. Please also help Please contact the Incomer as soon as him/her to organize necessary items possible and explain who we are and such as bed sheets, dishes, etc. Please why you are contacting him/her. If inform the Incomer that there will be no possible give your phone number so semester ticket at the University Anhalt. that you can be reached at all times if necessary. Clarify the arrival details. If you do not receive a reply or notice that the mails are not received, contact the International Office right away! 2 Arrange arrival time and place 5 The Buddies can of course arrange the "First steps" on campus details of their first meeting themselves, Additional "first steps" at the university minimum is to pick the Incomers up at are surely helpful. You might want to the train station. Most guest students of give your Buddy a little tour of the the winter semester will arrive during campus, show him/her the computer the first week of October. labs, the cafeteria and explain the university vocabulary: lectures, seminars, practices etc. Please accompany your Buddy to the first meeting with the 3 persons in charge at the individual Moving-in/finding department to clarify which classes, accommodation in Bernburg courses and projects that he/she will have to take part in during the stay. Buddies should help their Incomers with all formalities concerning living and renting. This might include the search for an apartment, the handing-out of the key, the signing of the contract etc. 6 Guide for Public Authorities In most cases it will be good and helpful to accompany your Buddy to register at the city's registration office, to open a bank account or to the foreign office. In order to make this easier we have put together the necessary contact information as well as useful information. It is important to follow the steps in the suggested order to make sure that you are not missing important papers that you would have received at a prior step. Step What to do? Sorting out dormitory or apartment issue 1 Bernurg (Saale)/ Strenzfeld Registering at the city's registration office (present rental contract or proof of rental) 2 Bernurg (Saale) Opening of bank account (present registration from city's registration office) 3 Bernurg (Saale) Signing of contract with health insurance 4 Bernurg (Saale) Paying semester contribution 5 Bernurg (Saale) Pick up enrollment certificate / student card 6 Campus Strenzfeld Report to the Immigration Office 7 Bernurg (Saale) Use of E-mail and WLAN 8 Campus Strenzfeld Registration for university sports 9 Campus Strenzfeld Re-registration for the next semester 10 Campus Strenzfeld Renewal of residence permits 11 Bernurg (Saale) Completion of studies, cancellations 12 Campus Strenzfeld 7 1 Student residences Contact Finding Accommodation Studentenwerk Halle Wohnplatzvermittlung für Köthen, Dessau und Bernburg Buddies should support their Fasanerieallee 1a, Mensa 1. OG students at all formalities concerning 06366 Köthen accommodation. That includes apartment searches, hand-over of Contact Person: keys, conclusion of contract etc. Ms. Schillinger Tel. 03496 6764-24 Ms. Berger Tel. 03496 6764-25 contact for placing students in dormitories of the Studentenwerk Halle: E-Mail: [email protected] or The employees of the Studentenwerk Halle [email protected] in charge of placing students will answer for general questions your and your Buddy's questions concerning renting. In most cases, for Office hours: international program students (study residence without degree) a accomodation tu: 1pm – 5pm will be reserved in advance. th: 12.30pm – 3pm Dormitories in Bernburg If your student has got no accommodation when making contact, ask him to register • Wohnheim 1 for a room/ a flat at Studentenwerk Halle. Theodor-Roemer Straße 3 (Campus) • Wohnheim 2 The registration mask (in two languages) Theodor-Roemer-Straße 5 (Campus) and the lending criteria can be found at: • Wohnheim 3 https://tl1host.eu/SWHAL/#home Theodor-Roemer-Straße 7 (Campus) • Wohnheim 4 Application deadlines