Dear incoming Master’s students,

We, the Student Association of Economics (in German: Fachschaft Volkswirtschaftslehre, Fachschaft VWL, or just FS VWL), are very pleased to welcome you at the University of Mannheim. In your first week of lectures (04/09/2023 – 08/09/2023), we have organized a special Welcome Week for you, in which you can get to know your future fellow students from your cohort as well as from higher cohorts before starting your studies. You find the plan for the Welcome Week below this message.

First of all, you should follow the Student Association of Economics on Instagram, so that you do not miss out any news (https://www.instagram.com/fsvwl.unimannheim/) and join our official WhatsApp group for incoming Master students (you should have received the link by Sebastian Herdtweck).

The Student Association is here to support you in your studies. We all work voluntarily to make the best out of the student life at the Department of Economics. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to contact us – either send us an email to info@fsvwl-mannheim.de or to master.fsvwl@gmail.com or visit our office hours later during the semester (dates and places will be announced). In most cases relating to your studies, we can directly help you or redirect you to someone who can help you.

You can also become active in the Student Association of Economics to:

• join committees of the student self-administration and within the Department of Economics

• plan events (ranging from alumni evenings over exam revision courses to student-organized lecture series) and parties (e.g., our very own Schneckenhof party) with us, and

• connect with students from all stages of study in Economics (from the Bachelor to the PhD) as well as with your professors and lecturers.

Thus, already mark our Kickoff on 11/09/2023 at 7pm in your calendar (further information will follow soon). We now wish you a lot of fun with the Welcome Week and a good start here in Mannheim.

All the best,

Josa and Tim (Master Representatives within the Student Association of Economics).

Plan for the Welcome Week for Incoming Students in the Master’s Program in Economics:

28/08/2023, Time: 19:00 – open end, Place: Neckarwiese | Get Together + Economics Welcome Party (Pre-Welcome-Week Event)
You are already in Mannheim on 28/08/2023 and want to connect to your fellow students at the Department of Economics? Perfect! Come and join the Get Together of the Student Association of Economics (Fachschaft Volkswirtschaftslehre). Of course, we will also attend the event with some Master students from the higher cohorts. This event is also the first event within the Welcome Week for incoming Bachelor students, so it is the perfect place to socialize with your fellow Master students as well as with students from the Bachelor and the Student Association of Economics. Only during the Get Together, you can get an entrance bracelet for the Economics Welcome Party 2023/24, which starts later that evening at 22:30 at Tiffany Mannheim. Celebrate with us the start of the new academic year!

04/09/2023, Time: 17:30 – 18:30, Place: L7 3-5 | Campus Tour
Get to know the lecture rooms, the libraries, and the cafeteria (Mensa) during our campus tour! We will split the cohort in some smaller groups and Master students from the higher cohort will guide you through the campus and are available to chat and answer your questions. The tour will take maybe around one hour. After that, we plan to meet all together at Schillerpark for socializing (if you have: bring a towel or a blanket to sit on in the grass).

06/09/2023, Time: 14:00 – 18:00, Place: L7 3-5 | City Rally
You want to spend a fun afternoon with your fellow Master students while exploring your new home tome Mannheim? Then, join our City Rally. In some smaller groups, you will solve different tasks and challenges around Mannheim and by-the-way you will get to know the important, beautiful, and exciting spots and places in the city. In the end, we will meet all together again for a victory ceremony.

07/09/2023, Time: 20:00 – 01:00, Place: Rheinterrassen | Pre-Party + Schneckenhof Party
The Schneckenhof Party (short: the Hof) is the legendary student party (nearly) each Thursday during lecture period at the Schloss. So, come and join us for your first Schneckenhof experience! We will meet for a pre-party at 20:00 at Rheinterrassen and will later all together move to the Schloss for the Schneckenhof Party. We have organized a special contingent of tickets for the Schneckenhof Party for you and will sell them during the Campus Tour on Monday (if you want to buy a ticket: please bring 4€ exactly in cash). Otherwise, you can also buy tickets during the official presale on Tuesday and Wednesday at lunch time in front of the cafeteria (Mensa) (but be aware that there are often long queues in the beginning of the semester).