Studying and committed: ‘When students have a problem, I have to deal with it quickly.’

Marie-Christin Haag is not only committed when it comes to her teacher training, but also when it comes to supporting students or helping to shape university policy. Campus reporter Anne Papenfuß and Marie-Christin met during the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course at Landau Campus. Anne quickly realised that Marie is incredibly hard-working and motivated, no matter what she does.She talks passionately about why it is so important to her to be active, how she got involved and how she manages to fit it all in.

Marie started studying to be a primary school teacher in Landau in the winter semester of 2019/2020 and later switched to teaching English and social studies at secondary school level. During her first four semesters, she enjoyed student life: ‘At the beginning of my studies, I wanted to get to know the university, make contacts and find my way around my degree programme. I didn't miss any university parties in my first semester.’From the fourth semester onwards, in the summer of 2021, she began to get involved in the student council for political science. The impetus came from a fellow student who was active in another student council. She talked to her about the responsibilities and tasks of a student council and also learned that she does not have to fulfil any special requirements to get involved. The conversation was her springboard: ‘In fact, anyone can get involved in a student council in the subject they are enrolled in. I started by knocking on the door of the Political Science student council and ended up right in their WhatsApp group.’ She found the personal interaction with other students from her degree programme to be particularly enriching during the digital corona teaching: ‘That's when I realised how much fun it is to be a student council member.’

Her second university involvement also came about through a fellow student who was active in the Jusos university group: ’She invited me to stop by, saying that I would definitely enjoy it. So I did that and became a member in the summer of 2021."In the winter of 2021, she joined the student council for English studies and educational science, as well as spending a semester on the Landau campus team, which organised events and parties for students, among other things. When she started studying for the certificate in human rights education and the student council for human rights education was looking for members, she got involved there too. In 2023, she also completed a training course as a first aider for mental health as part of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in Landau.

In addition to her voluntary work, Marie worked at the AStA in Landau for the Department of Student Affairs and Student Councils from March 2022 to August 2024, as well as a total of three times as a student assistant at the university. From May 2023 to July 2024, she supported the cross-location project ‘Dialog’, led a tutorial for scientific work in political science in the winter semester 2023/24 and worked from March 2023 to July 2024 in the office of the central equal opportunities officer in Landau. So, by mid-2024, Marie will have been active in a total of four student councils and two university groups, worked at the AStA and as a student assistant at the university.

How do you manage all of this without your studies and personal life falling by the wayside?

‘Of course, my private life and my own studies sometimes have to take a back seat, meetings with friends or hobbies become far less frequent and I have had to give up some hobbies altogether,’ Marie admits. At the same time, she emphasises: ’I enjoyed putting my free time into the AStA work or the student council and university group work, because my commitments were like a hobby for me for a long time. I was able to network and make friends. I started working with the student council during the pandemic to avoid being lonely, like some of my fellow students at the time. Sometimes it's all a bit of a juggling act and involves stress and less sleep, but mostly it's a lot of interaction, lots of people, lots of laughter, fun and successes.’

It's clear that Marie's day-to-day life looks different from the clichéd student life: ‘For years, my calendar has been very full from Monday to Sunday. Unlike others, I don't have every weekend off, but I'm also not tied to fixed working hours.’ Her strategy: read and answer e-mails at a certain time every day. ‘Everything else is left undone.’ But when students knock on her (digital) door because they have a question or need support, Marie makes an exception: ’When students have a problem, I have to deal with it quickly.’ Since she is part of the student body herself, she also benefits from solving problems, she says. ‘I am happy to stand up for the rights of students and see it as my responsibility to enable everyone else and myself to have a better life and a better time studying at university by helping to make everyday (university) life easier and contributing to small and large successes (at university).’

For her, this includes not only political work, but also helping to organise a wide range of leisure activities to bring students into contact with each other. ‘My motivation for everything I do, besides networking, is the opportunity to contribute my own ideas and make a difference. I have a very social and committed nature that simply doesn't know the word “no”.’ Although she sometimes encounters a few negative reactions from those around her, most people are positive when she tells them about all her commitments, she reveals. Some of them are simply worried about her and want her to take care of herself, Marie explains.

There is a great need

In her final semester, she wants to be less active in order to fully concentrate on her PES position at a school and the last remaining events. She has now left the student councils for English, political science and education and has withdrawn from the AStA and MHFA. She is therefore still active in the Jusos and the human rights education student council in the current winter semester 2024/25. Some student councils have such a high demand for members and participants that it is very difficult for her to leave. ‘Fewer and fewer people are coming to events, meetings and ultimately to the student councils.’ According to Marie, this could be due to a lack of communication, as many students do not read the emails that report on student councils and their meetings and events. Another reason, she believes, could be the rising cost of living, which forces students to work alongside their studies. ‘Many can no longer reconcile their social life or university events with their work and studies, which is understandable since we all have to earn a living while financing our studies.’ But students with little time are also needed in the groups, she emphasises: ‘Students who prefer to help others with the organisation and don't like parties as much can, for example, offer timetable advice or answer emails. On the other hand, party people can organise pub crawls or parties; there is something for everyone to do,’ she says, encouragingly.

The various departments and teams within the student councils or university groups also make this clear. Whether it's social media, events or merch, the tasks are diverse. For Marie, one thing matters most: ‘The most important thing is the people you can rely on in a team. That's why I always say, the more people power, the better for the individuals. That's what makes a team strong.’

Unfortunately, many students don't realise how important student councils and university groups are for university politics, Marie regrets. ‘The students may not be aware of it, but it's super important to get involved in university politics. Those who sit on the committees can have a significant say in examination regulations or study regulations, and if only one or two students sit there, they make decisions for the entire student body. Depending on what they decide, it could also have negative consequences.’

But where do those interested start?

According to Marie, student representatives are the stepping stone for students who want to get involved: ‘Just go to student council events, listen to what's going on, meet the people and see what they're doing.’ In Landau and Kaiserslautern, there are many student university groups in addition to the student councils, which cover topics such as the environment and sustainability, art and culture or politics, as well as international groups. ‘You can also start a university group yourself and bring your idea or hobby to the university,’ she says. ‘Through the contact, you always get to know other committees or groups, find out more, work with them and get the urge to do even more, at least that's how it was for me.’

Good reasons to get involved

Marie sees many advantages in getting involved: ‘Regardless of the fact that you may get a longer BAföG grant or a certificate from the student council for your application documents, it helps you make a lot of new contacts.’ She is not just talking about contact with students in the same semester as her, but also, and especially, with older students and lecturers, which has been a great help to Marie in planning her own studies. But personal development is also important to her: ‘I think it also helps you personally, and you develop many skills such as organisational skills, creativity, communication skills and teamwork. These are skills that you will also need in your later professional life.’

Author: Anne Papenfuß

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Student representatives are elected by students and act as a point of contact for questions regarding their own subject or the student organisation. They also mediate between students and lecturers and organise various events for students. You can find an overview of the student representatives at RPTU here.

The wide range of student university groups and initiatives offers students the opportunity to get involved in everything from politics to sports. Here you will find an overview of the student university groups at the RPTU, as well as the application for recognition of a student university group.