What does everyday life as a student actually look like? And how can students know whether a particular city or course of study truly suits them?
Many secondary school students ask themselves these very questions when contemplating their future. It is precisely to such uncertainties that “Student for a Day” seeks to provide answers. The Umbrella Organisation of Luxembourg Student Associations (ACEL) has once again this year offered secondary school students the opportunity to experience student life first-hand.
This year, students could choose from a broad palette of 24 different cities across six countries, allowing them to discover whether they like a city and whether it offers the right studies for their future. Approximately 300 students registered for at least one city. 20 of them went to Heidelberg, where the Luxembourg Student Circle in Heidelberg (LSH), together with ACEL, organised a varied programme. Diana Da Silva Lopes, President of the LSH, explains:
“We want to show the students the university aspect for once, and of course student life as well. Heidelberg is a beautiful city, and it’s not just about studying – everything around it is also an important aspect of having a cool university life.”
Over the course of the day, students were shown the classical university, the universities of applied sciences, and the campus. They exchanged ideas with current students and had the opportunity to experience the city and its student atmosphere.
Preparations for “Student for a Day” run months in advance. Each year, the associations gather feedback from participating students in order to continuously adapt their programme and offer a day that is tailored as closely as possible to their needs.
The goal is to give students a realistic and authentic insight into student life and to familiarise them with all the important aspects – from the studies themselves to everyday life and living in a new city. Emilia Maar from ACEL explains: “We basically want to offer the students guidance for their studies, so that they know better where they can study what, what it looks like in that city, what a university looks like. We want to help them on their way to their studies.”
For the students, it was an opportunity not available every day. Instead of informing themselves solely through brochures or websites, they were guided, had their questions answered, and – above all – could experience student life and the city for themselves.
As part of “Student for a Day,” current university students also explained to the secondary school students what they need to look out for – from important registration deadlines and housing prices to everyday costs and the organisation of student life.
To round off “Student for a Day” properly, the group went to a restaurant together in the evening, bringing the day to a cosy close. At 9pm, the excursion to Heidelberg ended, and they headed back to Luxembourg. Just a few hours later, the next bus carrying students had already departed in the direction of Zurich.
