The sports fiend

TU Clausthal is the only university in Germany that is sited inside a winter sports resort. That was one of the aspects that awakened the curiosity of sports fiend Wiebke Weischenberg. And so it was that this native of the industrial Ruhr valley started her program in business administration at TU Clausthal. “I was looking to go somewhere slightly more rural. The rents were affordable and the university responded quickly to my application,” the 25‑year-old remembers. She could even have rented an apartment from her home in Mülheim. Everything was thus perfectly prepared for the successful beginning of a new chapter.

An inside tip: ‘Bärchenwoche’

Freshly graduated from high school, Wiebke was let in on the secrets of life in Clausthal-Zellerfeld during the Bärchenwoche, the introductory week for first-semester students, and soon felt right at home. “I would recommend to anyone to take part in it,” she says, looking back. “It makes it massively easier to find your feet. You get to know a whole bunch of people, and those casual connections have led to some real friendships. We are each other’s study buddies and go to parties together,” Wiebke reports. She feels altogether that she is in good hands in this Harz town and would like to stay in Clausthal for a master’s degree, preferably in the field of mining. “If I have a question about an assignment, I can always contact my teacher. We are looked after. Plus, it is super nice that the seminars and lectures aren’t oversubscribed,” Wiebke says. She also appreciates that everything is within easy reach and distances are short, besides which, “whenever you need any kind of information or help, you soon realize you know just who to ask”.

Inspiring foreign students

Wiebke Weischenberg now has a part-time job in the Student Office, where she passes on to others what she has learned so far about studying at Clausthal. The contact she has there with many foreign students has inspired her to go abroad one day too. “The stories I hear from my fellow students from Guatemala, for instance, really fascinate me and have given me quite a wanderlust,” Wiebke avers. In the future, she definitely wants to gain some professional experience outside of Germany. For now, though, this former high school sports major is still enjoying the peace of Clausthal. “I’d never have thought that something like this would be important to me. It takes five minutes to reach the woods or a meadow – awesome conditions for studying,” she notes.

Wide range of leisure activities for taking a break

When she wants a timeout, Wiebke regularly uses the wide range of leisure activities offered by TU Clausthal. Its university sports comprise more than 70 disciplines, even though sport is not actually a subject you can study there. Wiebke decided to play volleyball and football. The latter even sees her performing as a successful goalkeeper in her own women’s team. Actually though, she tries to do something new every semester. Most recently, that led her to dip a toe into canoe polo. But you can just as easily take up climbing, train for a sailing license, or learn Olympic fencing. “Even if you’re not a fan of sports, the university offers a rich variety for all areas of interest,” Wiebke reports. You could say people at TU Clausthal suffer from the agony of choice. At least the choice of degree program is already behind them...

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