As part of the joint project “Campus OWL - Opportunities for those who are unsure about their studies or have dropped out”, the Central Student Advisory Services and Career Services of the OWL universities are inviting and advising those who are unsure about their studies and are looking for their “Plan B”.
On Thursday, January 23, students will also have the opportunity to take advantage of the individual counseling services offered by the various universities in a personal meeting on site. The event is aimed at students of all subjects at the four participating universities: the University of Paderborn, the University of Bielefeld, the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and, of course, the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
“When doubts about one's own study choice decision become louder, then one of the big challenges is the need for reorientation,” says Katrin Wöltje from the Career Service at Bielefeld University. A change of direction can lead to very different outcomes: changing subject or university, dropping out of university or continuing with the studies they have started. The themed days offer students the opportunity to get detailed information and advice from experts to help them with this decision.
In addition to the Central Student Advisory Services and Career Services of the four OWL universities, the Chamber of Crafts of East Westphalia-Lippe in Bielefeld, the District Crafts Associations of Paderborn-Lippe and Höxter-Warburg, the Chambers of Industry and Commerce of East Westphalia in Bielefeld and Lippe in Detmold, as well as the Employment Agencies in Bielefeld, Paderborn, Detmold and Höxter, are also represented. In addition, the v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel, myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH and the Paderborn Student Services Organization are represented.
Input from university dropouts and labor market experts
In lectures and workshops, participants receive a wide range of information and ideas on the topic of doubts about their studies. “Some of them involve young people who themselves had doubts about their studies and as a consequence dropped out or changed course. They share their personal experiences with the participants and can provide helpful tips for those currently experiencing doubts,” explains Katharina Heiming, student advisor at the Central Student Advisory Service at the University of Paderborn. Furthermore, the topic of student financing is addressed. “A common reason for dropping out of university is a lack of financial security,” says Sophia Lehmann, student advisor at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences.
In an event with Stefanie Kirwald from myAbility, who has been living and working with a chronic diagnosis for 20 years, there will be room for questions and answers about studying with an impairment. “For students with a visible or invisible disability or chronic (mental) illness, the question often arises as to whether and when it makes sense to proactively disclose one's impairment in the application process,” explains Alexandra Schlothfeldt from the TH OWL Career Service.
The complete program, the individual counseling offers of the universities and further information can be found at go.upb.de/thementage. Registration for the events is not required. The access links will be available on the website by the day at the latest.
Campus OWL joint project
The four universities in OWL have been successfully working together on the joint project “Campus OWL – Opportunities for Students Struggling with or Dropping out of University” since 2017. They develop joint information and event formats and are in close contact with each other and their cooperation partners. This has resulted in a cooperative counseling and placement system to make it easier to change universities or colleges or to switch to the vocational training system within the OWL region.
Further information is available at: www.th-owl.de/thementage-studienzweifel/