StEP – orientation event for new Students

Studierende deutschsprachiger Studiengänge, ihr findet Informationen zu eurer StEP auf der deutschsprachigen Seite.

Every semester before the start of lectures, the Students’ Council of Computer Science Programmes organizes several introductory events for new students called StEP (short for German student introductory phase), which are intended to help new students in the computer science programs get started in their studies. The StEP usually takes place the week before lectures begin.

StEP Winter Semester 2025/2026

  • What? The primary introductory event for CS and related subjects, delivered to you by the CS Students’ Council.
  • When? 8th — 10th October 2025 at 9am. Yes, that’s the week before lectures!
    • Important: Please arrive early / on time!
  • Registration? Not necessary, just turn up on time!
  • For who? CS & related subjects. Bachelors & Masters. German Students & Internationals. Unsure if your specific course of study is covered? Read the FAQ below!
  • Where? E2 2 (Günter Hotz Lecture Hall) You can find a map of the campus here (check the FAQ for arrival instructions).
  • How long? We expect to be finished in the (late) afternoon on each day. However, we still have evening events for socialising and cordially invite all StEP participants to attend!

If you are travelling by bus or train: You have already paid for a „Deutschlandsemesterticket“ (you’ll learn about that during StEP), but you must first obtain it in order to use public transportation. Do this several working days before the StEP so that you can use it for your journey. You can find out how this works on the university’s website.

Schedule for Master and International Bachelor Students

Presentations of the English StEP are tailored towards students of Master and International Bachelor programmes. Students of German Bachelor study programmes, please attend German StEP as regulations for your programmes differ from English ones and are only covered there.

This schedule is subject to change. Expect delays and swapping of presentations.

Wednesday

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    09:00 – 09:10
    Welcome

    Welcome to this semester’s StEP! Here is a brief overview of the organizational details and what you can expect over the next few days.

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    09:10 – 09:35
    Students' Council

    Hi! We are the CS Students’ Representative Council. We are composed of students like you and have the task of supporting students and providing a middle ground for communication between students and the university. And – we also organize the StEP!
    https://fsr.saarland/

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    09:35 – 10:00
    Gastronomy

    In this lecture we would like to show you how not to starve on campus and where you can top up your caffeine reserves.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/study/campus/food.html

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    10:00 – 10:50
    Guest Lecture
  • Wed, 08. Oct
    10:50 – 11:15
    AStA

    The General Student Committee (German: Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss, AStA) is the central representative organ of the student body within the university. They organize events, manage the semester, provide counselling regarding work and offer support for students with problems.
    https://asta.uni-saarland.de/

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    11:15 – 11:35
    Sports with Karl

    Here, Karl explains what sports activities are available at the university and in the city.

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    11:35 – 11:50
    Studierendenwerk & PPB

    The Studierendenwerk is an institution that you will come across often, whether at the Mensaar or in the context of getting a dormitory. We will also introduce you to the Psychological-Psychotherapeutic Counseling Center (German: Psychologisch-Psychotherapeutische Beratungsstelle, PPB): Here you can get free psychological counseling.
    https://www.stw-saarland.de/en/
    https://www.stw-saarland.de/en/counselling/student-counselling/

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    11:50 – 12:10
    Equal Opportunities and Diversity Management Unit

    The Equal Opportunities Office is the point of contact for all members of the university on the topics of equal opportunity and diversity management.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/administration/diversity

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    12:10 – 12:15
    Announcements
  • Wed, 08. Oct
    12:15 – 13:15
    Lunch Break

    🍴 nom nom
    https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    13:15 – 13:50
    Welcome to Saarbrücken

    Welcome to Saarbrücken! In this presentation, we will tell you everything you need to know once you arrive here – from registration at the city hall to taxes.

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    13:50 – 14:25
    International Study Centre Saar (ISZ Saar)

    The International Study Centre Saar (German: Internationales Studienzentrum Saar, ISZ Saar) is a central institution at Saarland University that helps international applicants prepare to study at the university.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/institution/isz-saar

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    14:25 – 15:15
    Study and Exam Regulations

    The study regulations and the examination regulations are the two central documents for your degree programme. They regulate exactly which modules you are allowed to take and how the examinations are organised. In this lecture, we explain how it all works.

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    15:15 – 15:40
    Fun in Saarbrücken

    What are some fun places to visit in Saarbrücken and surroundings? Ideas how to spend your weekends and some secret tips to find your way around Saarland – that’s what you’ll find in this presentation.

  • Wed, 08. Oct
    15:40 – 15:45
    Announcements
  • Wed, 08. Oct
    16:00 – 18:00
    Campus Tour

    We’ll show you where to find the most important places on your new university’s campus. Unlike a school campus, ours is more akin to a “small town” and even has a few curiosities here and there. Get ready for some (un)useful facts and fun facts!

Thursday

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    09:00 – 09:20
    Student Blues

    Surviving the Student Blues: Tips and tricks for managing stress and maintaining well-being throughout your academic journey.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    09:20 – 09:45
    International Office

    The Welcome Center of the International Office is the place to reach out to when you came here from abroad. They can provide you with guidance on how to live and work here and also the preparation of your departure after you completed your studies.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/international/going/international-office.html

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    09:45 – 10:00
    Bureaucracy

    The aim of this talk is to encourage students to adopt a zen-like attitude when dealing with German bureaucracy because, in the end, it’s just another part of the experience.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    10:00 – 10:20
    Centre for International Students

    The Centre for International Students (German: Zentrum für internationale Studierende, ZiS) supports students from all over the world in getting around Saarbrücken and the university. In this presentation, they will introduce themselves and present their work.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/intercultural-life/zis

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    10:20 – 11:00
    Immigration Office

    The immigration office is responsible for issuing residence permits to international students from outside the European Union. In this presentation, Clemens explains the procedures.
    In the “Immigration Office Q&A” you’ll later have the chance to ask your question.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    11:00 – 11:20
    Earning while Learning

    All you need to know about working part time, what a HiWi job is, Erasmus & Internships! For many of you, the question of a student job is highly relevant. We will tell you the options you have and the important things to consider while looking for a job.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    11:20 – 11:45
    Language Center

    At the Language Centre, the university offers you the opportunity to take language courses free of charge (!!). We can only recommend this from our own experience!
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/institution/language-centre

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    11:45 – 11:50
    Announcements
  • Thu, 09. Oct
    11:50 – 13:00
    Lunch Break

    🍴 nom nom
    https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    13:00 – 13:50
    Guest Lecture
  • Thu, 09. Oct
    13:50 – 15:20
    University Systems

    During your university time you will get in touch with many different organizational systems: LSF, CMS and SIM are some of them. Here we will give you a small introduction into the most important functionality. How do Iregister for an exam? How do I get the immatriculation documents? Here you will find the answers.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    15:30 – 16:30
    Immigration Office Q&A

    During this Q&A, Clemens will answer your questions about the Immigration Office.

  • Thu, 09. Oct
    17:00 – 21:00
    Gamenight (Bord & Video Games)

    After a long day of StEP, we invite you all to round off the day with a cozy games evening. We offer board games and video games, so there’s something for everyone. Of course, you are also welcome to bring your own (board) games! We sell drinks and order pizza in the evening.

Friday

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    09:00 – 09:35
    How to UdS
  • Fri, 10. Oct
    09:35 – 10:00
    Study Coordination

    The Computer Science study coordination team introduces itself and explains how you can get help there.

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    10:00 – 10:40
    Theses & Research Groups

    In this lecture, we will explain how to find a chair to write your thesis and which chairs and research groups there are at SIC.

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    10:40 – 10:55
    Public Transport

    What is the best way to get to the university? Can I travel throughout Germany with my semester ticket? What about parking at the university? We answer all these questions here!

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    10:55 – 11:20
    Plagiarism

    You’ve never heard of plagiarism? Then you should definitely listen to this lecture! In addition to an explanation of the term, you will learn why plagiarism is bad and how it can end your studies.

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    11:20 – 12:10
    Guest Lecture
  • Fri, 10. Oct
    12:10 – 13:10
    Lunch Break

    🍴 nom nom
    https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    13:10 – 13:20
    Printer

    Printers, the machines from the underworld. We operate such a device for you. Here we explain how you can use our printer and what you should bear in mind.
    https://print.fsr.saarland/

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    13:20 – 13:40
    Student Service Center (SSC)

    This presentation introduces the SSC. The SSC is the link between the individual service facilities at the university and the place where you can find initial information on all study-related topics as well as support in finding your way around campus.
    https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/neue-seite/studies/student-service-centre

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    13:40 – 14:00
    Examination Board

    The examination board of a degree programme is one of the most important bodies you will come into contact with during your studies. You can find out what tasks it fulfils and what you should know about it here.

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    14:00 – 15:00
    Student Clubs

    Students can join various clubs. Here are a few of them. Maybe there’s something for you too!

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    15:00 – 15:15
    Internet on Campus

    How do I get on the Internet (on campus)? This essential question of life is answered here.
    https://www.hiz-saarland.de/studierende/

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    15:15 – 15:40
    Git, Linux, LaTeX

    At university, you will encounter all kinds of tools that are either necessary for certain lectures or can be very helpful. What they all have in common is that the learning curve can be quite steep. This makes it all the more important to start learning early! Here, we introduce you to Git, LaTeX, and Linux and explain what they are good for.

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    15:40 – 15:50
    Buildings & Working Rooms

    In this presentation we will explain where you can study/work and at what times you can enter these buildings and rooms.
    https://fsr.saarland/student-rooms

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    15:50 – 16:00
    Goodbye
  • Fri, 10. Oct
    16:30 – 19:00
    City Tour

    Discover the charm of Saarbrücken: A guided tour for new students exploring the city’s culture and hidden gems!

  • Fri, 10. Oct
    19:00 – 23:59
    Pub Crawl

    StEP is over and we end Friday with a leisurely pub crawl.

Welcome to Saarland University

We want to tell you everything you need about your new university, its structure, the support institutions and amenities, how to get around in Saarbrücken and – if you just arrived from abroad – some quick start tips for Germany. We hope to address all of your study-related questions and help you get started as smoothly as possible.

What can I do until then?

  • Download our Orientation Documents! They can be used as a handy reference before, alongside and after the StEP.
  • Important: Check if you can access your uni mail address! (!!) (!!!!!) Check and double check the contents of said mailbox every day, as you will receive important uni-related information to this mail only.
  • Obtain your semester ticket!
  • For Internationals (even if you haven’t arrived yet): The International Office holds a Welcome Week for international students. The presentations are hybrid, so you can attend even if you haven’t arrived yet. We strongly encourage you to participate in the Welcome Week if you come from abroad. There you will be able to receive a lot of helpful information regarding your stay in Germany. You can attend (and are strongly recommended to!) both the Welcome Week and the StEP in some days; in others they might unfortunately overlap. During the days when they overlap, we recommend you to visit the StEP, as the StEP includes information specific to your study programme, while the Welcome Week does not.
  • Check out the semester overview website of the Saarland Informatics Campus.
  • Note down the times of your study programme specific intro event. This event will be done alongside the StEP and is specific to your course of study. An overview over all events can be found on the semester overview website.
  • Join our Discord server!
  • Join our mailing list!

If you currently have more questions just write us a mail or visit our Discord.

FAQ

I am not available on the days of the StEP. Are there going to be recordings?

The StEP will be held in presence and as such no recordings will be made available.

What is the target audience for this event?

This is the introductory event for the following study programmes (both Bachelor & Master):

  • Computer Science (National & International)
  • Bioinformatics
  • Mediainformatics
  • Embedded Systems
  • Cybersecurity (National & International)
  • Visual Computing
  • Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI)
  • Lehramt Informatik

If not, you can find your introductory event on the LSF or on the official website for Bachelors or Masters.

If you are a student in …

  • Mathematics and Computer Science (Mathematik und Informatik)
  • Wirtschaftsinformatik
  • Computerlinguistik

… then you are technically not a part of the CS faculty. You are very much welcome to join, although your faculty probably offers some introductory event as well. Look it up in the LSF!

Are you an Erasmus+ student? Then the StEP is not for you! There will be a completely separate introductory event by the Study Coordination, who you will receive detailed information from.

I have urgent questions that can’t wait till the StEP, who can I ask?

That depends on the question. If it is related to organizational things concerning your studies, you should ask your study coordinator. You can always reach out to us and fellow students on our Discord servers:

If it is something you’d prefer to ask the council in a more private manner, you can either DM us on Discord or send us a mail to our help address.

What is the difference between the StEP and the Welcome Week of the International Office?

Both are introductory events for first term students. Practically all topics will be disjoint. We strongly recommend you to attend both! This time the Welcome Week unfortunately partly overlaps with the StEP. Check out if the Welcome Week presentations will be recorded – if yes, you can watch them later.

Welcome Week
What is the difference between the StEP and the study course specific intro events?

The StEP is the general intro event that will introduce you into all aspects of university.

Aside from the StEP, every study course has their own custom welcome event. This is usually a much smaller event (one or two hours or so) where you will be welcomed by a representative of your specific study course. These two have been planned not to overlap, so attend both :)

List of Welcome Events
How should I get to University?

By bus

… on the bus stop “Universität Busterminal”. From there it’s a 5 minute walk to the buildings of the Computer Science department. You can review the current bus schedule at saarfahrplan.de or in the Saarfahrplan App.

Please note, to make use of your „Deutschlandsemesterticket“ you need to obtain it first.

By car

… you can park at the parking lot “Parkhaus Ost”. Please note that there might be parking fees. You can find more information here.

What does StEP stand for?

The name originates from the German version of our introductory event, which is called Studierenden Einführungs Phase (which translates roughly as „Introductory phase for students“).

How much time should I plan for? Will there be a detailed schedule?

Yes, there will be an estimated schedule here on the website. But, for the sake of transparency: Experience from previous years has shown that we will more often than not not stick to the schedule and will spontaneously postpone things here and there or end the presentations later than indicated. Therefore, please consider the timetable as a reference only!

In case you want to attend the evening events, you should plan for the whole day. The events will be announced here on the website at a later time or during the StEP.