Student council physics

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What is the Student council initiative physics (Fachini)?

Like everything else at the university, the student body of a department is self-governing. Exactly how this is done depends on the state on the one hand and the institute itself on the other. One possibility is to elect student representatives to the so-called "FachschaftsRAT" (FSR for short), who are then obliged to take care of student issues. They can also be supported by other students who were not selected. On the other hand, there is the "FachschaftsINITIATIVE", or Fachini for short. It is made up of students who work voluntarily to take care of issues of student life – also with commitment. From a purely legal point of view, however, student council initiatives and councils have equal rights. We work at the Physics Institute – your initiative. Distinguishing between the terms: The "Physics Department" means all students who study physics at this institute; virtually all physics students are automatically part of the student body. However, it is also used as a synonym for the "Fachini" in everyday language. "Fachschaft members" mean those who are involved in the Fachini. All physics students at our institute can get involved in the Fachini. So far, around 10 to 15 students from all semesters have come together regularly for the meetings, which take place once a week. The first session takes place in the first week of the semester and you can find the date in the wiki. The meetings take place almost every time (exceptions are, for example, barbecue meetings or similar) in the student council room.

Tasks

An important field of student council work is the introduction to the first semester. In order to make it easier for freshmen to start their studies, we carry out a first-semester trip every year for the bachelor's and combined bachelor's degrees. We explain to the first-year students how the university works, where you have to go, how the course itself works and give tips on stays abroad and financing your studies. We answer questions and give the opportunity to get to know each other before studying. In the weeks before the start of the semester, we also offer freshmen a mathematical bridging course, in which topics are repeated that were long ago, were not dealt with in full, or did not appear at all. At the same time, it is a good opportunity to get to know everyday university life. There is also the freshman booklet, in which the most important information is collected. Other important tasks are:

  • Committee work. A list of who currently represents you in which committees can be found here.
  • Organization of the Christmas party, participation in the mountain festival
  • Collection and provision of old exams
  • Provision of a newsletter with relevant and up-to-date information on institute and campus life
  • Your perspective in physics for the 4th FS for orientation for the bachelor thesis

We also send delegates to the ZaPF (meeting of all physics student councils). National problems of physics studies are discussed in working groups, solutions or resolutions are worked out and experiences are exchanged. This allows us to constantly improve our physics studies.

Student council room

The student council for physics has a lounge. This is located in NEW 15 1'108 (1st floor of the Physics Institute). We see it as a common room for ALL students. There is a refrigerator, a microwave, a toaster and hotplates (including pots) as well as a telephone for internal university calls and a PC, as well as two LAN connections and numerous sockets (yes, you can also work in the common room). Most of the time, coffee is available in addition to the coffee machine and tea is available in addition to the kettle. However, this was always bought by students, which is why we ask that you make a small donation to the coffee fund if you use it.

Some time ago, a magpie invaded the student council room. Since it wasn't so trivial to move it out again, here's a HowTo.

Meetings

The student council meetings always take place on Thursdays from 3 p.m. in the student council room. The meetings are open to the public and all interested parties are cordially invited. You can find the current topics here. Minutes of past meetings can be viewed here.

Why join?

There are many reasons to join the the student council initiative. One of the most important reasons is certainly that you get to know many different students from all semesters and most of the employees and professors at the institute. In the student council meetings, problems can be addressed directly and you have the opportunity to improve your own study situation. Another advantage is that you can find out new dates, job advertisements and other important information first-hand. And of course, student council work is a lot of fun, since most of them also meet outside of the student council meetings. Everyone is welcome who wants to get involved or just take a look. We always have an open ear for your suggestions and problems.

Old exams

In order to give you the best possible preparation for your exams, we collect old exams, which we send to you via an e-mail distribution list during the exam phase. We need your help to expand the collection: You can send exams via email to fachini@physik.hu-berlin.de.