The Weekly How-To Manual: Volume 4 - Setting Up a Student ID

Remember this building?

      

     And we're back!  Lesson learned:  it is very easy to stop blogging, and very difficult to start it back up again.  Don't stop!

     For this week's how-to manual, I'm going to give the run-down on obtaining a student ID here in Leipzig.  Its not a particularly involved process, but considering the confusion I went through to get it, it never hurts to pass along some tips!

   Step 1: Return to Goethestrasse 6! (If you remember it from the last time it made its appearance here...)

Hit the button!  It makes the door open.  Pulling makes you
look silly.

     When you go into the lovely, non-nondescript building shown above, you should see the door shown on the right.  Inside, there is a long desk, with a few different people working.  Past the help-desk lady (make your questions quick and non-obvious, as anything else is at your own risk), the last person working at the long desk (furthest from the entrance) is the person to speak to.  They can help you set up a temporary student ID, which will cost you 20 Euros (its a deposit, you get it back later).  The card will function as your ID, and allow you to have a Mensa/Cafeteria account.

Literally across the hall.  Not kidding.

    When your actual ID is ready (the school requires you to wait until 7 days after your semester fee payment is made), you can return the temporary ID at the same desk that you received it from (the person working at the desk can transfer any existing money on the card's account to the real ID), and get your deposit back.  The office which you will get your ID is upstairs in the same building (bring your matriculation paperwork).  You will then need to validate your ID in the machine shown on the left.  The machine will stamp your ID, stating that you are a student for the current semester.

Unrelated, but awesome!

    And that's really it!  The good news is that hopefully is should be easier for you, as you've gotten a heads up as to how the system works.  The day that I went to get my ID, there was an unfortunate combination of a large number of people and a complete lack of understanding of how the system worked on my part.  Good luck!

Proverb of the Day:

Over-watering flowers is a thing. Even with sunflowers. Don't do it.

*The background music is from a personal music project in progress.