Göttingen campus extinct: students in front of closed doors!

Göttingen campus extinct: students in front of closed doors!

The Christmas and New Year holidays are clearly noticeable on the central campus of the University of Göttingen. The benches in front of the Central Lecture Hall Building (ZHG) are unoccupied and the bicycle racks on Kirschbaumallee are also almost empty. Normally at lunchtime it is teeming with students and teachers, but currently it is so quiet that even the lighting in the Lower Saxony State and University Library (SUB) is turned off. It is closed to visitors until January 4th, which is particularly frustrating for some foreign students like a man from Ghana who stands in front of the closed doors. Many passers-by still use the campus as a shortcut to the city center or northern part, while one passer-by aptly describes the atmosphere as “extinct, a bit empty”. Only a parcel delivery person and an electrician are on campus. In the learning and study building (LSG), however, a few people use the quiet time to work, as the lights are still on in some of the work cubicles.

The shutdown at Georgia Augusta gives students the opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries before the new semester begins. In a year full of challenges and changes, especially due to the effects of the corona pandemic, the return to face-to-face operations at universities across the country is remarkable. According to the education server, many universities, including the University of Göttingen, have largely switched to face-to-face events from the 2022/23 winter semester, even if the regulations for compensating for disadvantages have largely expired.

Study place lottery process and new registrations

There is currently interesting information for all future students. At the University of Göttingen, a lottery procedure for study places in the 1st semester is only carried out if there are still free places available after the regular allocation process. There are two types of lottery procedures. On the one hand, the coordinated advancement, which is carried out by hochschulstart.de for degree programs as part of the dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV). On the other hand, there is a university-based lottery process for all bachelor's and state examination courses with restricted admission. Medicine and dentistry are also included and will take part as soon as remaining places are available.

The registration deadlines for new applications run from August 28th to September 30th. Interested parties who have already applied can confirm their participation in the lottery between August 25th and 27th. A study place you have already received is retained by participating in the lottery, which is important for many prospective students. In addition, applicants who did not receive a place in the regular procedure can also register for the lottery procedure. All relevant information about participation, such as the online form or the enrollment portal, can be found directly on the university's website.

Digitalization and the challenges of the pandemic

The corona pandemic has permanently changed the university landscape in Germany. Digital transformation has accelerated and many universities have had to develop new teaching strategies in order to continue to provide students with a high-quality education. Studies and surveys show that both students and teachers gained valuable experience during the digital semesters, which can lay the foundation for future-oriented higher education.

In this context, the University Forum for Digitalization supports universities in integrating digital formats and tools into teaching. Numerous resources and guidelines have been made available to help both teachers and students make the leap to digital. The challenges of the pandemic could potentially help university didactics become more flexible and innovative in the long term.

For students at the University of Göttingen, the year 2026 will be filled with new opportunities and challenges. The current calm on campus offers a perfect opportunity to prepare for the coming semester. Let's see what happens next!