I don't think a "Please be quiet!" in the lecture hall has ever turned into "Are you still there? ...Please talk!" in the online lecture. At least that's what I heard a lot last semester. But this semester is different because it's structured as a hybrid semester. This means that part of the teaching is online and part is face-to-face. In many degree courses, it has become possible to offer around 60 percent of teaching in person. I personally think this solution is a success, as it is often easier to create a group dynamic in presence and to be creative together. But what do other students on our course think? I asked Susi, a fifth semester student, and Steffi, a third semester student, about this and much more.

The pandemic has forced us all to rethink and reorganize. The last semester was also a special one for Stefanie, a student on the health care management course, as she took a semester off last semester - for a wonderful reason. Stefanie became a mother last semester and focused entirely on looking after her child. In this hybrid semester, however, she is starting full-time with the WGb19 students, i.e. in her third semester. In principle, she recognizes the double burden of raising a child and being a full-time student at the same time, but she also sees an opportunity in the form of the hybrid semester. After all, the many online teaching units make it possible to follow the lecture and seminar schedule and always be there for her child at the same time.

Susi also sees the hybrid semester as a successful solution.

"Social contact was particularly lacking last semester. That's why I think it's good that the canteen is open for us again, for example, and that sports courses are also being offered again, in compliance with the hygiene regulations, of course."

Social interaction is not neglected thanks to this organization. Thanks to the online teaching units, she can also continue to develop her self-discipline, which was also incredibly challenging last semester. The most exciting module for her this semester will probably be "Innovations in healthcare". Especially now during the pandemic, you could clearly see the overload within nursing and hospitals. Susi therefore emphasizes that this module could inspire her to find new approaches and ideas in order to be able to drive forward the development of the healthcare system herself later in her professional life.

After all, the 2020/2021 winter semester is a very special and new one for them too. This is also the case for the course director, Prof. Dr. Saatkamp. At the moment, he is mainly teaching in the form of classroom teaching. Mr. Saatkamp, where do you see the biggest challenges that this hybrid semester brings with it?

"For me, the biggest challenge is clearly instructing the students that the mask must always be worn to protect everyone in case of doubt. They should only be taken off if the situation allows it. I also see a difficulty in the size of the classes in our degree program, because the rooms are usually too small for the number of students."

Basically, the concern seems to be increasing due to the rising number of cases, which is why it is important that awareness of protective measures increases again. However, Mr Saatkamp can also see after the short time that most students are coping well with the way the semester is organized and there do not seem to be any problems. However, if you are not satisfied with something or if you think there are problems, don't be afraid to talk openly and transparently with him or other lecturers. There are solutions to most problems and, as always, communication is key.

Ms. Wauer was the first lecturer, and therefore also a pioneer, to come up with another idea of how she can contribute to normality for students even under the circumstances of the pandemic: She has set up a virtual office.

"You can just walk in here and if I was really busy right now, I would have said, like in the corridor: come back in an hour. Or I could make a note of when I'll be back. I find it really convenient," she says and hopes that other teachers will follow suit.

The negative aspects, such as the lack of personal contact, are at least mitigated with actions like these. In the meantime, she feels more uncomfortable during consultations at the university than she does now in her home office, which you can see in the pictures. This is because it is possible to have factual and professional discussions here, but also to talk personally about problems and fears with the help of a cozy warm light and nice background music.

There are also exciting projects in the modules this semester. In the fifth semester, a project is running in the research module that is still in its infancy and not yet ready for publication. However, the project roughly revolves around the topic of "innovative care options in inpatient care facilities in response to future changes in resident structures". In the "Business Process Modeling" module in the third semester, students work on the development of an app or software that could, for example, solve a problem or shortcoming in a medical field. In Public Health, the first-year students examine the question "Health of students in Germany - what preventive measures can be implemented at our university during the pandemic?", because we all know that without health, nothing is possible.