Welcome to Reutlingen: Next Steps Welcome to Reutlingen University! We know that the first few days and weeks of your semester in Germany are an exciting and challenging time, so we in the RIO office have put together this checklist to guide you through your next steps. Please come see us if you have any questions, and we hope that you enjoy your time here! • Buy bedding if you need it. If you live in Litt-Haus or Reichwein-Haus, you may buy a pillow, blanket, and sheet set for €35 from the RIO intern, Will. Please arrange an appointment with him if you are interested ([email protected]). • Register with the city of Reutlingen (Anmeldung bei der Stadt Reutlingen). This must be done within 14 days of moving in. If you are taking one of the intensive German courses, you will do this together on one of the first days. If not, you can get a copy of the Stadtanmeldung form from the RIO office. • Acquire health insurance If your health insurance policy does not cover you in Germany, you will need to get German health insurance. There are various statutory and private health insurance providers offering student health insurance. Monthly fees vary from roughly €35 to €90 per month depending on the type of health insurance. You can find more information at https://www.1averbraucherportal.de/versicherung/krankenversicherung/international PLEASE NOTE: Under German law, a student’s private health insurance (whether foreign or German) may not put a limit on their benefits. For example, travel-insurance often includes a maximum payment of 30,000 EUR or 100,000 USD for medical treatment. This type of health insurance policy will not be accepted for enrolment as a student, your policy must offer “unlimited” benefits. Moreover, your health insurance must cover both in-patient and out-patient treatment. If the policy stipulates that you must pay a certain amount yourself towards any medical treatment, this amount must not be higher than 5000 EUR. Other benefits included in the travel package (for example, accident insurance or transport back home,) may be limited to a certain sum. If your private health insurance meets the above mentioned requirements, you will be given a document exempting you from paying for German state health insurance, and you must present this exemption certificate to the university before you can register as a student. Your coordinator can assist you with this. • Buy your semester ticket for the NALDO transportation network This is generally valid starting on March 1/Sept. 1. NALDO tickets can be purchased in the stationary store called “Papeterie Tran” located on Pestalozzistraße on the “Walter-Gropius Platz 3.” It is a 5-10 minute walk from the campus in the opposite direction of Penny Markt. There are other places to buy it, but the people here are usually the nicest. The cost is approximately €80, and you will need to show them your student-ID card or a copy of your “Naldo Bescheinigung” from RIO as proof that you are a student. • Fill out your Einschreibung (registration forms) Please ask your study programme coordinator for assistance. In addition, you will need to include a proof of health insurance, proof of enrollment at your home university and a payment of €87.80. • Open a bank account We recommend to choose a bank offering student bank accounts for free or at very low price such as Postbank, Comdirect, Deutsche Bank, Kreissparkasse and various others. In order to open an account, you may need to make an appointment. Remember to bring your approved registration with the city (the above bullet point) and/or signed rental contract, your passport, and a proof of enrolment stating that you are a student at the university for the year. • Activate your university WiFi, email, RELAX and BSCW accounts When you get your student ID card, it will come with a sheet that explains how to activate these accounts. If you take part in the intensive course, you will do most of this on the first day of the course. Other Info • Sport: Reutlingen University organizes a Sports programme for students and staff. Activities range from A for Aerobics to Y for Yoga. Further information at http://www.reutlingen- university.de/en/while-studying/life-on-campus/sport/ or on facebook (Akademisches Sportforum Reutlingen). Reutlingen and the surrounding areas offer a wide range of leisure activities. Here are a few suggestions: • Reutlingen indoor swimming centre (city centre, Albstrasse 19) • Reutlingen outdoor swimming centre (Markwasen, 5 minutes’ walk from campus • Outdoor running tracks and soccer fields are situated close to campus in beautiful surroundings (also excellent for walks and biking tours). • Students4Students: is a group of very helpful and energetic Reutlingen University students who are paired with new incoming international students to support them and ensure that they feel at home in Germany. All international students receive a student buddy via Students4Students with the exception of incomings in the IB or IMX study programmes. They receive their buddies directly from the study programme. • StuPA: (student’s parliament): They often organize events and excursions such as: • Welcome Dinner • Movie Nights • Trip to Wilhelma (the Zoo in Stuttgart) • Trip to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart You will be informed via email. Shopping and Eating in Reutlingen Einkaufen und Essen In Reutlingen Close to the dorms you have banks, In der Nähe von den Wohnungen gibt es supermarkets with fresh food, bakeries, and Banken, Supermärkte mit frischen butchers. There is a small post office located in Lebensmitteln, Bäckereien, und Metzgereien. Es the AGIP gas station in the Gustav­Schwab- gibt ein kleines Postamt in der AGIP Tankstelle Straße, but the main post office, also with bank in der Gustav-Schwab­Straße, aber das services, is downtown near the train station. The Hauptpostamt mit Bankdiensten liegt in der Penny Supermarket, which is on Innenstadt beim Hauptbahnhof. Der Penny Markt Pestalozzistraße, is a cheap and easy place to in der Pestalozzistraße ist ein günstiger shop for groceries. There is also an Aldi nearby, Supermarkt. Es gibt auch einen Aldi in der Nähe as well as two Edekas. For lunch or dinner, you sowie zwei Edekas. Zum Mittag-und Abendessen can go to the Campus Döner near Penny Markt kann man zum Campus Döner neben dem Penny or the bakeries in the area. On Thursdays, you Markt oder zu den Bäckereien in der Nähe can purchase delicious fried chicken in front of laufen. Donnerstags kann man auch leckeres the Edeka in the Friedrich-Neumann-Str. Please Hähnchen vor dem Edeka in der Friedrich- refer to the attached maps for the locations of Neumann-Straße kaufen. Die genannten Orte these places. sind auf der beigefügten Karte eingezeichnet. The city centre is a 20-minute walk, or you can Zu Fuß brauchen Sie ca. 20 Minuten in die take the bus numbers 4 or 11. Without a Stadtmitte. Sie können auch mit der Buslinie 4 semester bus pass, it is 2,40€ for a one-way oder 11 fahren. Ohne eine Semesterkarte kostet ticket or 4,20€ for a day bus pass. Downtown, ein Einzelfahrschein 2,40 € und ein Tagesticket you will find an array of shops. Kaufhof is a huge 4,20 €. In der Innenstadt gibt es viele Läden. store where you can buy clothing and houseware Kaufhof ist ein großes Geschäft, in dem man items. lt is across from the main train station Kleidung und Haushaltswaren kaufen kann. Es (Hauptbahnhof). There is also a TK Maxx in the liegt gegenüber vom Hauptbahnhof. Es gibt auch lower level of the Müller Galerie on einen TK Maxx im Untergeschoss von der Müller Wilhelmstraße, where you can buy second- Galerie in der Wilhelmstraße, wo man Kleidung choice clothing. lf you are looking for electronics, zweiter Wahl kaufen kann. Wenn Sie Elektronik, computer Computergeräte, CDs oder Filme kaufen devices, CDs, or films, MediaMarkt, which is möchten, gibt es den MediaMarkt „Unter "Unter den Linden," is behind the train station. den Linden" hinter dem Hauptbahnhof. Every Tuesday and Saturday (and in the Jeden Dienstag und Samstag (und im summer, also. Thursday), there is a weekly Sommer auch donnerstags), gibt es einen Obst- market in the town center's Marktplatz. Fora und Gemüsemarkt auf dem Marktplatz der wider selection and specialties, you can take the Stadtmitte. Für eine größere Auswahl kann man train to Stuttgart. In Stuttgart, you will be able to auch mit dem Zug nach Stuttgart fahren. In find almost anything, particularly Stuttgart können Sie fast alles finden. In der clothes, in the Königsstraße pedestrian zone at Fußgängerzone (Königstraße) gibt es eine große the main station. Auswahl an Kleidung. Wenn Sie etwas Besonderes suchen, fragen Sie lf you are looking for something in particular, am besten die anderen Studierenden nach Tipps ask the other students in your dorm or in class oder nach dem Weg zu größeren Supermärkten. for any hints they might be able to give you or perhaps for the bus directions for the bigger Sie können Ihr NALDO Semesterticket beim supermarkets in the surrounding Papier/Schreibwaren Metzler auf dem area. Walter-Gropius Platz kaufen. Schauen Sie nach dem gelben „Lotto“-Zeichen! You can buy your NALDO semester ticket at the Papier/Schreibwaren Metzler near the campus at the Walter Gropius Platz. Look for the yellow “Lotto” sign! 1. Penny Markt (Pestalozzistraße, grocery store/Supermarkt): M-Sa: 8:00 -22:00 2. Papeterie Tran (Gropius Platz, NALDO ticket sales/Ticketverkauf): M-F: 8:00-18:30 and Sa: 8:00 -13:00 3. EDEKA (Friedrich-Neumann-Str., fresh food market/Supermarkt): M-Th: 7:30-19:00, F: 7:30-20:00, and Sa: 7:30-18:00 4.