Intercultural exchange and help among students
Whether from Europe or other parts of the world: Every semester, numerous students from abroad come to the CIT - Mathematics and enrich our everyday study life. To help them find their way around the university and Munich as quickly as possible, we provide them with a TUM buddy.
A new town, a new university, new people: Particularly the first weeks at the Technical University of Munich are not easy for international students. The time-consuming search for an apartment and the lack of orientation on the TUM campus at the beginning of the term are especially demanding for foreign students. Therefore, we have created our buddy program to offer you assistance!
The buddy program could be of interest to you, if you
- are coming from abroad and are starting a Master's program or exchange term at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology.
- want to get to know fellow German and international TUM students who can introduce you to the Munich campus and student life.
- would like support from other students for your first steps in your new environment.
Through a wide variety of social activities, we enable you to get to know other German and international students and to exchange your experiences, e.g. our monthly international "Stammtisch" (a regular pub meeting) and organized group trips. We look forward to your participation!
Your buddy is also studying at the Department of Mathematics and is a competent advisor on student issues. He can answer your questions on all study-related issues at the TUM and on student life in Munich, such as:
- How do I set up my timetable?
- How do I register for exams?
- How can I take part in a sports program of the TUM?
- Which is the best Biergarten in Munich?
As most of our buddies have spent one or two terms abroad themselves, they know how it feels to start somewhere new. They are therefore more than happy to answer all your questions!
You would like to take part in the buddy program? Then please fill out the registration form as soon as you have accepted your study place at the TUM and send it to international(at)ma.tum.de via email.
We match pairs from July and February, so you can get in touch with your TUM buddy before the term starts.
Matthias Wissel, Master Mathematics in Science and Engineering
"In the process of applying for my TUMexchange semester in South Korea, I basically stumbled into participating in the buddy program without really knowing what it meant. It was just fun getting to know a lot of new people from different cultures and also being able to make their arrival at TUM a little easier.
After my own exchange semester and the experiences I had, I signed up for it again right away. I realized how important it can be to have someone around that you can ask questions and who might help you smooth out some adjustment problems that pop up especially at the beginning of your stay."
Serghei Mogoreanu, Master Mathematics in Science and Engineering
"When I received a letter of admission to TUM, I was simultaneously very excited and terrified. On the one hand, I just got into the study program that almost perfectly matched what I had been looking for. On the other hand, it meant that in just two months I was going to find myself in a completely new environment and face such challenges as settling in a foreign city, getting used to an unfamiliar education system and building up a new social circle, all while having certain language difficulties.
And – as it happens – I had no one to ask for advice. Although it was not the only reason I signed up for the buddy program, it was definitely the catalyst for my decision."