A-Z for prospective students

From A like arriving to Z like finding a room - with this small guide we from the student advisory service would like to answer some frequently asked questions around Witzenhausen.

The study guide for the Bachelor can also be found here.

When visiting WIZ for the first time, you should know that the university is spread over two locations. The large lecture halls, computer rooms and the library are located at the Nordbahnhofstr. site. The administration, the tropical greenhouse, the club and the FSR are located at the Steinstraße site on the other side of the Werra. The arrival of the new students is made very pleasant during the introductory week. After about 3 weeks, most of them already feel amazingly settled in.

In order to get through your studies more or less fluently, the state offers BAföG. To be eligible, you have to fall into a certain range of neediness, be young and ambitious, and in any case apply early enough. Tip: First check the BAföG calculator to see if you are eligible. To receive BAföG in time, an informal application in the first month of the semester is sufficient; any missing documents can still be submitted later. In addition, it is worthwhile to visit the counseling service at the Studentenwerk, the AstA socialcounseling service or the student counseling service in Witzenhausen.

Since the nightlife in WIZ is rather thin, the students have already founded the International Student Club e.V. about 20 years ago. The club is located in the building next to Steinstraße University, where students can organize parties, concerts, activities, cafés, etc. on their own initiative. There's a club board in the hallway on Steinstraße where you can sign up when there's something to celebrate - and find out what's going on.

The Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences and the Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen offer a dual study program in agriculture. Dual means that the agricultural apprenticeship and the bachelor's degree in organic agriculture are completed simultaneously. The aim is to closely combine theory and practice. At the same time, this shortens the total training period (normally 2 years of apprenticeship, 3 years of bachelor studies) by one year to four years.

"Do I want to study ecological agricultural sciences in Witzenhausen?" No one but you can answer this question. Studying is a great thing, ecological agriculture possibly the best thing ever, so the most important thing here is "now". The study is very practice-oriented, but still theoretical. If you want to experience organic farming for yourself "now", then do it! On the farm, the market garden, the commune ... the door to WIZ is always open. If you want to get a feel for WIZ first, it's best to drop by once during the semester, get a taste of a few lectures and strike up a conversation with other students in the cafeteria.

In addition to BAföG, there are the usual options for financing your studies, such as educational loans, scholarships, etc. In general, the cost of living is comparatively low, so that one can get by with the rates of the above-mentioned possibilities. The region itself is economically structurally weak, yet as a student it is usually not difficult to take on a smaller part-time job. At the university itself there is the possibility to work as a research assistant, these jobs are quite well paid, but also very sought after! Students can also contact their student advisor first in financial matters.

There has been a cooperation agreement between the University of Kassel / Witzenhausen and the University of Göttingen for some time. Attendance of courses in GÖ is therefore usually recognized without any problems. If you have any questions, the study coordinator Holger Mittelstraß is at your disposal

Holger Mittelstraß
 

There is probably no better place to bring all your animals to study. Dogs should be used to the pack. For large animals, there are many options for housing in the area. Some WGs here also have their own herd ...

For prospective students, the university offers two information days during the semester in cooperation with the student group WOW (Witzenhausen - Ortsnah - Weltweit). This is a good opportunity to get to know the faculty and Witzenhausen. http://www.uni-kassel.de/fb11agrar/studium-allgemein/informationen-fuer-studieninteressierte/infotage.html

Studying with a child is more the rule than the exception in Witzenhausen. There are numerous childcare options, a toddler group for student kids, changing tables at the university, etc.. There are several shared flats with children in WIZ and the surrounding area, and a small house with a garden is also affordable. The Studiberatung has prepared information material in case of need.

Online information on the topic of dependent care during studies / studying with a child can be found here.

The Werratal, the Kaufunger Forest, Frau Holle Land, Kirschenstadt... you can find more of them in the tourist information at the market place. In short, the area is very beautiful: There is plenty of hiking, biking, swimming, paddling, climbing. Study where others go on vacation!

Everything in Witzenhausen is very close and can be reached quickly on foot or by bike.
From the north train station you can reach Göttingen, Kassel, Fulda or Paderborn every hour with the semester ticket.

Info about the semester ticket

Witzenhausen is probably the best agricultural science location in terms of world improvement and creativity. Nevertheless, this is a natural science program, so you can't avoid basic lectures in math, physics, chemistry and soil science in the bachelor's degree. On the other hand, there is a high proportion of applied subjects even in the first semesters.

A lot of interesting information is still spread from mouth to mouth in the classical way in Witzenhausen. In addition, there are bulletin boards at both campuses in the entrance area for announcements, apartment requests and the like. But the people of Witzenhausen also exchange information on the Internet. The WIZ- Frosch gives everyone the opportunity to stay up to date at any time. The Unibio- Forum was also very popular. Here we are currently looking for committed students who would like to rebuild it.

Okay, 13 weeks of internship are compulsory in the bachelor's degree program, but agriculture is not just explained and certainly not experienced. In order to be able to study in a relaxed but also intensive manner, it certainly makes sense to gain further experience in agriculture before sitting down at the desk again.

In order to study for a Master's degree in Witzenhausen, you do not necessarily have to have studied agricultural sciences beforehand; a subject-related degree is sufficient. As a lateral entrant, you usually have to fulfill certain requirements. These include taking one to four modules from the bachelor's degree in addition to the regular master's modules. Those who have not completed their bachelor's degree in WIZ are also assigned a lecturer as a mentor, who is available to advise them on questions regarding their studies.

A guide has been developed for Bachelor students at the Witzenhausen location of the University of Kassel.

Study guide for Bachelor students

The StudiGarten is a lively meeting place for gardening fans and stone-baked pizza enthusiasts.

Practical applications of the teaching content can be tried out and realized in the StudiGarten itself. The student-organized community rents garden plots for one year, at the end of each year, and welcomes new members.

Contact

If you still have too much energy after a lecture, excursion, gardening... there is still too much energy, the university sport is waiting. In addition to classic sports such as volleyball or soccer, you can also attend the hula hoop group or a course in contact improvisation. All offers of the Hochschulsport Kassel can of course also be used.
Overview

The best thing to do is to see Joke-Town for yourself. Almost every other person here is part of the couchsurfing community and can surely find you a couch for a few nights. Otherwise, you can also ask at the student advisory service.

To get to the city, there are hourly trains to Göttingen and Kassel. In WIZ and the surrounding area, local transport is unfortunately only for people with a lot of time. The best means of transport here is the bicycle (with lights!). It`s countryside: during the week the cabs drive only until 24 o`clock!

The little cherry town of Witzenhausen is not a metropolis but a cosmopolitan city. The German championship in cherry pit spitting, the crowning of the cherry queen here are just a few examples of the worldwide flair of the city.

A lot of interesting information is still spread from mouth to mouth in the classical way in Witzenhausen. In addition, there are bulletin boards at both campuses in the entrance area for announcements, apartment requests and the like. But the people of Witzenhausen also exchange information on the Internet. The WIZ- Frosch gives everyone the opportunity to stay up to date at any time. The Unibio- Forum was also very popular. Here we are currently looking for committed students who would like to rebuild it.

It's your turn! Student co-determination and self-organization have a high priority in WIZ. Whether it's university-related groups like FachSchaftsRat and LeDoMo or other groups like jABL (young working group of peasant agriculture) and Transitition Town, there are opportunities for everyone to get involved for a better world or, alternatively, for even better studies.

The housing situation in WIZ is rather favorable. Numerous shared flats offer rooms for interim rent or for eternity. The standard is very different - from the country apartment with bath stove and single glazing to the ecologically renovated old building apartment with garden for everything is represented.
The unibio forum is a good place to look for a room (it will take some dedicated people to get it up and running), as are the bulletin boards. The student dormitories are a good place to first make contacts and later, for example, to start a shared apartment together. There is an international atmosphere, as many of the students of the international masters live here. http://www.studentenwerk-kassel.de/87.html