Corona Studystart
As KABS (Coordinator of the Bachelor Studystart) I was elected by the council of my study line, to be in charge of planning the study start, for the 200 freshmen starting on my study line Process and Innovation, and its sister-study line Management and manufacturing for the duration of a year. I was further elected by the United Council to manage mixed trips in between study lines together with 30 other coordinators elected in their councils.
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As KABS developing a study start under corona we had to be quite innovative since very few of the traditions from earlier years could be held under the restrictions imposed by Corona. On this page, I will describe the job I had as KABS creating a new study start for the freshman at DTU.
"Your work as KABS at DTU have had great importance to DTU, giving the new students the best possible start of their studies" ... "I know that you with your work as KABS20, have achieved important competencies, which you will have great benefit during your life and career. Your diploma is evidence of these competences and I hope you will use it actively"
- Larl D. Christoffersen, Dean at The Technical University of Denmark
It was my job to find and hire the tutors facilitating the study start for the freshmen starting on the study lines affiliated with my study council. Here is a picture of us on the introduction day before the freshmen arrived. As KABS I've been able to try what it's like to be a project manager and lead a group of tutors, educating them and facilitating meetings and activities in order to plan the absolute best study start possible.
The freshmen at DTU are statistically most prone to dropping out of their studies. It can be a stressful experience having to begin your studies and start a whole new existence with new people around you, possibly moving out from home for the first time. This year, due to corona, 20 % more students started at DTU. That greatly increased our responsibilities as KABS. The pictures above are of the freshmen from my study line on introduction day.
In KABS we are organized by dividing responsibilities among us. I've been responsible for the economy of KABS, budgeting half a million Danish kroner making sure the activities we as KABS want to conduct are possible in regards to the resources we hold. Furthermore, I've been part of the committee responsible for organizing the educational trip we hold for the tutors in order to make sure they are qualified for the job of event planning and advising the freshmen, during their weekly meetings of the first semester.
At DTU we want to have a unified community of students from the very first day. Therefore As part of the study start, I was leading a group of tutors from mixed study backgrounds. Usually, this group is supposed to hold a rustrip for the freshmen but this year due to corona it was decided that the introduction week would be held on DTU's campus. With my professional background, I was able to facilitate the co-creation of new activities on my team of tutors.
Being KABS has expanded my network to include engineers from all of DTU's 35 study lines and given me important experience in leadership and teamwork which I will forever bring with me in my further career.
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