Dear first-year students,
Welcome to TH Köln!
It’s good to have you here.
And I mean that in more ways than one: I am not only glad
that you decided to enroll at TH Köln.
I am also looking forward to seeing you all on campus this semester,
when the seats
in our classrooms and lecture halls will be occupied again,
and our campus will become a bustling place of encounter,
exchange and community.
Of course, it is currently hard to tell how the pandemic will develop.
The same goes for the energy crisis.
Nonetheless, you can rest assured that we will make use of all options
and instruments that our legislators provide
to make on-site classes possible.
We asked our professors what, looking back,
the best part of their time as a university student was. And the majority of them mentioned two things:
The friendships they forged and the freedom to develop
and work autonomously on those topics they were most interested in.
Dear students,
In the semesters ahead of you you have the freedom
to discover the entire spectrum of your program.
We offer you an opportunity to look at topics with an open mind
and from different angles.
Because our university considers itself a place of diversity,
a place of inspiring and and explorative learning.
We do not see ourselves as experts trying to drill as much knowledge
into you as possible,
but rather as your partners.
We want to guide
and support you in reflecting on things and
acquiring knowledge independently, rather than just memorizing predefined material.
For some of you
this may sound new, maybe even a little unsettling.
But do not worry.
You can organize your studies at your own pace, always
supported by structures that will guide you along the way.
And you will frequently team up with your fellow students.
Soon you will realize that university studies cannot be compared
to what you know from secondary school. It is freer,
more diverse, more independent.
Enrich our university
with your opinion, your experiences and your talents.
And above all: Stay curious.
Curiosity reflects an open mind.
In this spirit, I wish you all the best for your time at TH Köln,
and, above all, a happy and successful start
to this new phase of your life.