There was a buzz at DTU Lyngby Campus when 2,284 new students showed up for their first day. After several years with COVID-19 restrictions, the students were once again free to dance in a circle, play guessing games, and compete to see who could eat a liquorice string the fastest without using their hands.
Wearing bright green T-shirts, students from the Polyteknisk Forening (PF) student association—at DTU known as vectors and KABS coordinators—welcomed all the new BSc Eng and BEng students to our campuses in Lyngby and Ballerup. As usual, they had organized a festive welcome in the form of both social activities, creative games, and an introduction to student life.
Dean Lars Christoffersen, President Anders Bjarklev, and PF Chair Andreas Ipsen gave the traditional speeches, which were live-streamed from the libraries on the two campuses. During the speech, the students sat together in groups on campus to listen. In his speech, Lars Christoffersen said:
“Congratulations on your admission to DTU. I look forward to meeting you all and having a good chat with you on the upcoming fresher’s trips. Know that you’re not just students of DTU—you are DTU. You are the ones who create the atmosphere and vibe here on campus. Therefore, I encourage you to sign up when new committees or student councils are announced. In this way, you can have an impact on your everyday lives.”
Andreas Ipsen also had good advice for the new students. His best advice was to simply take it easy: “When I started at DTU, I wanted to be the very best student and be good at everything. But that’s not how it works. You have to set a goal and not expect too much of yourself. Very few people manage to get top marks in all subjects, have a student job, go to the Friday bar every week, and finish within the prescribed time of study. If you try to do it all, you will quickly run out of energy. That’s why it’s important to find a good balance.”
