The day kicked off in the morning with an ecumenical impulse in the auditorium. Afterwards, University Rector Prof. Dr. Harald Riegel emphasized the importance of studying at Aalen University when welcoming the first semester students: "Aalen University of Applied Sciences is not only one of the strongest research universities for applied sciences in Germany, which promotes entrepreneurship and innovation, but also opens up great career opportunities," said Riegel. "Studies also offer a great opportunity to make friends for life." As part of her welcoming speech, Aleksandra Pointke, Deputy Head of the City of Aalen's Economic Development Department, gave the new students an overview of the leisure opportunities, attractions and special features of the region. She also emphasized the special role of the University of Applied Sciences for the city: "Aalen is a medium-sized city, but because of the many students, it sometimes feels like Aalen is a vibrant university town."
During the rest of the morning, the Chancen Campus invited visitors to get to know various facilities at the University of Applied Sciences. Advice centers, student groups and partners from the region presented themselves at numerous stands. The first-semester students were able to find out about support services for Studies, opportunities to get involved and offers relating to campus life. Jule Ranger from Aalen University of Applied Sciences, who is starting the "Mechanical Engineering / Development: Design and Simulation" course, already knows her way around the University: "I did my federal voluntary service at the neighboring explorhino and had the opportunity to take a look at various lectures without any obligation. That helped me a lot in my decision to study."
In addition to the official program, many first-year students used the day to exchange ideas with each other and joined the tours of their respective degree programs to gain further insights into their studies, explore the extensive campus and get to know their lecturers. Maurice Speck from Bopfingen, who has enrolled on the "Business Administration for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises" degree program, also came into contact with the University early on: "As a pupil, I went to several trade fairs where Aalen University of Applied Sciences was represented and I was able to find out about the various Study Programmes," he explained. "My teachers also repeatedly emphasized that Aalen University of Applied Sciences is close to the economy and achieves the best research results. So the choice was not difficult for me."
