Study start
On Friday, 18 August, DTU welcomed a new cohort of students, who got through the eye of the needle.
Groups of vectors (freshers’ instructors) and Coordinators of the Bachelor Study Start (KABS) are standing by in orange T-shirts to welcome the new students at both Lyngby Campus and Ballerup Campus.
From the podium in the auditorium in Building 421, Natasha Hougaard, President of PF, talks about how the student association’s highly committed board members and volunteers have long been preparing to give the new students the best possible start to their student life.
“You have a lot to look forward to here at DTU! Not only have you been admitted to a world-class technical university. You’ve also been admitted to a university that values your opinion highly because it knows how important your voice is. At the same time, you’ve been admitted to the university with Denmark’s largest, oldest, and best student association—Polyteknisk Forening—which advocates the students’ interests every single day,” says Natasha Hougaard.
The new cohort on the General Engineering programme are the only students to be given a separate, physical welcome, while the rest of the just over 2,300 BSc and BEng students are gathered in groups around campus to hear the traditional welcome speeches as a live-stream from the libraries at Lyngby Campus and Ballerup campus.
One of these places is Building 451, where the BSc in Chemistry and Technology programme holds a welcome day for 72 new students, with 53 having turned up in person.
22-year-old August Johannsen, who is studying Chemistry and Technology in the fifth semester, can testify to exactly how much time the older student volunteers have spent planning the study start:
“We started meeting regularly once a week already in February to plan the study start, and I’ve also used two weeks of my summer holiday. I’m responsible for the logistics, and I’ve been responsible for booking rooms and hiring the seven vectors who will welcome the new students today,” says August Johannsen about his responsibility as KABS.
The DTU ScienceShow, which was recently named Denmark’s best in this discipline, has also been hired for the study start to show the budding chemists how to disseminate science in a fun and educational way. The two DTU students, Astrid Lund Paulsen og Lin Bigom-Eriksen, stand in front of the group and start mixing different chemicals, which change colours like traffic lights. Green, yellow, and red.
It is 19-year-old Klara Zogovic’s first day as a Chemistry and Technology student at DTU, and she takes part in an experiment in which she acts as a human extension cord. The experiment uses the water and salts contained in the human organism to transport electricity to a loudspeaker.
“I chose to study at DTU because I’ve heard that it’s the best university in chemistry with good lecturers and good resources. I’m interested in working with the development of pharmaceuticals, and this study programme provides me with a basis in chemistry,” says Klara Zogovic, who comes from Sønderborg.
The vectors and KABS take the new students on introduction trips during the first week. In the past few years, there has been focus on ensuring that the fresher’s trip has something for everyone, and there are therefore no less than seven different introduction trips to choose from. They range from a one-day trip at Lyngby Campus to a weekend trip in cabins as well as a three-day or four-day fresher’s trip at Lyngby Campus or in cabins. All trips offer options with or without alcohol and in Danish or English.
21-year-old Johannes Lei, who is a new Chemistry and Technology student, has chosen to go on a four-day fresher’s trip in a cabin.
“My father and sister, who both graduated as engineers from DTU, recommended it. They told me that DTU is the coolest place to study because of its unique study environment,” says Johannes Lei to explain his choice.
He chose to enrol in the Chemistry and Technology programme after giving it much thought:
“It was important for me to make the right choice. Therefore, I have both done a 'Student internship' at DTU and participated in the 'Student for a Day' event to try out different study programmes,” says Jonannes Lei, before returning to the table to continue the conversation with his new fellow students.
The semester starts on Monday, 28 August, when classes begin for all DTU students.
Facts
For DTU’s two Arctic BEng programmes—Fisheries Technology and Arctic Civil Engineering the study start for new students took place in Sisimiut, Greenland.
While the study start for students enrolled in DTU's new digital BSc in Technology programme was, of course, conducted online.
Lars Dyreborg Christoffersen Senior Vice President and Dean of Studies and Student Affairs Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs Phone: +45 45251009 ladch@dtu.dk