The Internationaler Studientreff is a program that aims to help international students get settled and also to facilitate contact between international and German students. The IST offers many exciting events in and around Frankfurt, e.g. excursions to neighboring cities as well as visits to museums, the stock exchange, or the opera. It also holds group movie nights, plans regular get-togethers, and organizes sports activities - all with discounted prices and loads of fun!

The support service (Begleitservice) helps students with visits to the authorities, finding housing, filling out forms, and offers translation assistance.

The Buddy Program is a study support program and serves to connect students. It helps give international students an easier start at Goethe University and in Frankfurt.

The accompanying Buddies are advanced students who support international first-year students in their first and second semesters with organizational questions about their studies. They also assist international students in finding their way around the campus and the city of Frankfurt. 

This exchange provides international students with an excellent opportunity to get up to speed with their new environment and offers everyone who participates the chance to meet new and interesting people.

Kompass International is a study support program for international students that offers special events and seminars to promote students' successful integration into the German university system. The main focus is on providing informational events on practical topics such as financing studies, housing, employment and residency laws, health insurance, and dealing with the authorities, as well as information and workshops on the German culture of teaching and learning, intercultural skills, study design and self-reflection, and recreational activities.

The "Studienerfolg im Dialog" project is aimed at students and academic advisors at Goethe University Frankfurt. In the project, students are contacted by advisors during their course of studies and invited to an optional advising session. Selected student groups, such as those at increased risk of dropping out or particularly high-achieving students, are addressed via student monitoring, which includes subject-specific performance indicators. A range of different support tools are available to students and academic advisors, including an online self-reflection tool.

At the same time, the project is expanding the professionalization of advising services both at the faculty level and centrally (central student advising, psychosocial counseling, etc.). It promotes the networking of the participating academic advisors and the university-wide networking of the advising services.

Promoting academic success (international students)

In addition to general support and advising services for international students, the project offers during the semester a bi-weekly exchange forum on topics such as teaching and study culture, study techniques, German as an academic language, and intercultural aspects via Kompass International. Appointments for a discussion on study progress can also be requested by e-mail.

"Studiencheck" is an innovative yet simple digital self-reflection tool, designed to help international students examine their current academic situation as well as issues outside of their studies. 

The tool provides suggestions and food for thought on how to organize your studies, as well as an overview of suitable points of contact. Students can also arrange a personal feedback session to receive direct input on any questions they may have and to discuss further options for enhancing their own study- and career-related skills.

The Goethe Start International project develops and implements digital self-learning offerings for prospective international students and current students on key interdisciplinary skills in the areas of "study organization and orientation," "study techniques," and "career orientation." The overarching goal of the project is to make it easier for international students to start their studies and, over the long term, to continuously improve their preparation for studying at Goethe University.

International students can obtain information and advice from the service center during consultation hours and events on the topic of volunteering. They also receive support in finding study-related and community volunteer activities to tap into a social network and develop study- and career-promoting skills and social competencies at an early stage.

The "Academic Welcome Program for Highly Qualified Refugees" (AWP) at Goethe University is a pre-study program for refugees. The aim of the program is to support highly qualified refugees as they embark on their studies and in their integration in Germany. The program allows for participation at no charge in intensive German courses and in various preparatory subject courses and/or attendance at university courses, as well as the use of university resources such as the library. 

As a main point of contact and liaison, the "Servicetelle Studium und Flucht" (Service Center for Study and Refugees), part of the AWP, also supports enrolled students with a refugee background in all matters related to studying at Goethe University.