As a new student council takes over, the Support Team extends heartfelt "Thank you"s to the outgoing student council of 2023/24. They have significantly contributed to strengthening the sense of community within the Master's programme through their efforts throughout the year.

The student council acts as the voice of the students and is elected annually. It takes on various tasks, such as appointing student representatives to faculty committees and offering support with questions about studying and life in a new country. The council also helps first year students with orientation at RUB and arriving in Bochum by offering advise and an open ear. In addition, the student council organises social events for the entire CompEng and SubSurf community to foster connections outside of the academic context.

The student council team 2023/24 consisted of Ricardo David Guzman Alcazar, Tanmay Deshpande, Jaydeep Gupta, Prashant Satav, Hamza Nazir, Najid Tisekar, Aidan Molnar, Veronika Glazkova, Abrham Tadesse Gebrekristos, Abhishek Dixit, Jiya Kurian Sai Prathyusha Vipparthi, Parsa Ebrahimi, Vijay Kumar, Hajar Tajedinisarrvestani and Salih Sahbegovic.

The Support Team interviewed three former members of the student council - Hamza, Tanmay and Prashant - to discuss their motivations, experiences, and insights gained form their time in the council. Each had different reasons for joining: Hamza had previous council experience and saw it as a great networking opportunity. He was impressed by the council's structure, saying "Once I got to know about the council and that they had organised proper procedures regarding such things as budget, I felt it was easy to join." Tanmay, who joined the council in winter 2022/23, wanted to bring the student body closer together: "The student council gave me hope as a new student, which is why I wanted to pass that on by helping out the new batch of students." Prashant joined to take on responsibility and grow personally, highlighting the council as an opportunity to meet others outside of the course room. He noted: "It was important for me as an international student to network with other internationals."

Reflecting on their time in the council, the members were asked about the favourite aspects of their work. Hamza particularly enjoyed organising and carrying out events, stating, "To me, it is very important to know about the content of an event in advance. So, I enjoyed having the possibility to constantly be in the loop." Tanmay appreciated connecting with international students and building community, saying "It was so nice to get to know people outside of our studies and find out more about their different interests and backgrounds." For Prashant, conceptualising and designing the new merchandise was one of the highlights.

Furthermore, the students reflected on their most treasured memory. Prashant immediately chose the Christmas party of 2023: "It was my first event and the first contact with other students outside of the classroom. I enjoyed a bit of light during the dark German December." Tanmay fondly remembered a council-organised day trip to Externsteine near Paderborn: "Besides going trekking in the sun and taking many pictures, having ice cream paid out of the council budget was wonderful." Hamza especially valued the council meetings, but fondly recalled on specific meeting where they spent around 30 to 40 minutes deciding the colour of the new hoodies: "I enjoyed everyone giving their opinion and coming to a collective conclusion." While sharing their memories, Hamza, Tanmay and Prashant kept agreeing with their various statements. This shows how many experiences were shared between the three of them and the student council as a whole.

With 16 active members supporting the student council, many different projects could be discussed, organised and realised throughout the term. When asked about the achivement they were most proud of, Tanmay pointed to the exam preparation sessions and the "Introduction to the Course"-event, essential for helping first semester students navigate the curriculum. "It can be very overwhelming to choose which subjects to take, for example. It was important to support each other and I was happy to receive and provide that help." Prashant highlighted the council's ability to divide responsibilities and work effectively in teams, especially regarding finances: "We approached FSVK for the budget and were responsible with our paper work." Hamza once again pointed to the 2023 Christmas party and emphasised the impact it had on him: "It felt so fulfilling to see so many people enjoying the party I helped organise and decorate." The three of them also named self-reflection, personal growth, and interpersonal skills as big personal achievements.

When asked to give advice for the next student council, they all agreed on the importance of handling paperwork early, particularly regarding finances. Tanmay and Prashant stressed that event documentation should be completed as soon as possible to avoid falling behind. Hamza added that dividing responsibilities within the council was crucial and should continue in the future. As Hamza is contrinuing with the next student council, he intends to pass on his expertise to the new members.

For their closing statements, Tanmay stressed the importance of promoting events and networking. Prashant referred ot the academic challenges in the programmes and wanted to remind his fellow students that they all are "in the same boat". Is spite of these challenges, both him and Hamza encouraged first semester students to attend student council events and consider joining the council, highlighting how the support and camaraderie within the council can help navigate both studies and life in Germany.

Lastly, us at the Support Office want to express our gratitude oto the 2023/24 student council for their dedication and wish them the best for their future studies. We look forward to the projects of the new student council and are excited to work together once more.