TU was!

TU was! was a fair that gave TUM student initiatives, groups, and projects the opportunity to present themselves, recruit new members, and network with each other.

There were initiatives that had been founded only a few months earlier, but also projects like Akaflieg, which had been around for 90 years. You could also meet musical groups like the Campus-Chor Garching and many others.

Where and when had TU was! taken place?

TU was! had taken place for the first and unique time on October 21, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Magistrale of the Mathematics and Computer Science Building in Garching.

29 exhibitors had been present, and participation was, of course, free of charge for both exhibitors and visitors.

How did the idea for Tu was! come up?

The idea for the TU was! fair had its roots in the student research group wachsTUM of the TUM: Junge Akademie. Its primary goal was to foster students' loyalty to their university, leading them to proudly proclaim, "This is my university."

Another driving force behind the concept was our belief in the significance of volunteerism for us as students. We felt it deserved more recognition and encouragement. In the evolving educational landscape, universities seemed to be transitioning into places where students aimed to complete their studies in the shortest time possible, acquiring a vast amount of knowledge along the way. A notable drawback to this approach was that it often left students with little opportunity to explore outside their academic confines, depriving them of crucial personal development experiences. Both student-driven initiatives and projects could fill this gap. Volunteering alongside academic commitments undeniably enhanced the overall student experience at TUM. Thankfully, the Technical University of Munich offered a plethora of engagement opportunities, ranging from socially-focused groups and musical ensembles to student research teams.

"Tu was!" served as a pioneering platform for students eager to participate, introducing them to a myriad of intriguing initiatives and projects. It educated them on whom to approach to integrate into a group. Conversely, numerous initiatives keen on recruiting new members struggled to reach out to interested students.

At the fair, attendees had the opportunity to engage in direct interactions with representatives from various TUM groups, gathering insights into their respective domains. Through one-on-one discussions with active members, students received a comprehensive understanding of the group's activities, painting a realistic image of the responsibilities and time commitments involved. This also provided them with an immediate point of contact for their initiation into the group. Another invaluable benefit of these personal interactions was the chance for prospective members to gauge the group's atmosphere and compare it against their personal expectations.

TDI - Day of Student Initiatives as a follow-up format was launched!

Up until 2018, starting from 2014, the TUM: Junge Akademie had organized the fair at the Garching campus once a year, specifically in the summer semester. Since the student council TUM SoM had already organized a similar format at the parent campus in Munich under the name Day of Initiatives, they reached an agreement with the student council to use the same name for TUMJA's activities at the Garching campus.

By 2019, we began organizing the TDI once per semester, and in 2021, we held it online for the first time.

Overview of all initiatives at TUM