32 Computers
You would be well advised to bring along a laptop computer, if possible. This will make writing papers easier and the Internet more accessible. For those without laptops, there is free access to e-mail and the Internet at the AYF Program Center and through computer labs at both the university library and the university computing center (Rechenzentrum), where you can also print documents.
If you intend to bring your own computer, make sure that it can run on 230V/50Hz. Almost all newer laptops will be able to meet the power requirement. Nonetheless, so-called “step-down transformers” may be a good investment as well. For appliances up to 500 watts, such transformers run around €25 and regulate the voltage down from 220/240 to 110/120. In the past, AYF students’ laptops have failed on occasion because the converters built into the laptops were not able to handle power spikes as efficiently as a transformer. Basically, using a transformer offers an added level of protection.
Printers are very sensitive when used with a converter. If you bring a printer from home, make sure it has an integrated converter. Past AYF participants have suggested that students should pool their resources in groups of three or four, buy one printer in Freiburg, and share it. (Last year’s students will offer items for sale in an informal flea market. During the summer, AYF staff will contact you via e-mail with specific information about the flea market.) However, you are quite welcome to use the AYF Program Center printer for a small fee per page. When it comes to software, Microsoft Word is used widely, and Open Office is also commonly used, though Macs are popular on campus.
It is highly advisable to carry your laptop along with you on the plane (in your carry-on luggage) when coming to Freiburg. PCs shipped from the U.S have often been held up by German customs authorities, who have then required students to pay a stiff customs duty to “import” the equipment, particularly if it is brand new equipment. Moreover, equipment shipped by mail has sometimes arrived in damaged condition. (See “Packages” below.)
As part of the enrollment process at Universität Freiburg, you will be assigned a user ID and a password for the university server, with which you can log on at the university computer labs. This Freiburg user ID and password will be very important for course registration in some departments and for accessing course assignments posted online. In general, German university facilities have less generous opening hours than U.S. counterparts.. Internet cafés and hotspots are available almost everywhere. During orientation, you will be provided with information on accessing the university’s wireless network, which operates as a highly secure virtual private network (VPN), as well as the AYF office’s wireless network. If you would like to get a head start on preparing your laptop for use in the Uni Freiburg network, which is a very good idea and recommended by former AYFers, you will find instructions online at https://wiki.uni-freiburg.de/rz/doku.php?id=vpn. Eduroam access is also available at the Uni Freiburg, so you may be able to use Internet resources via Eduroam with your home university login (for more see https://wiki.uni-freiburg.de/rz/doku.php?id=wlan-eduroam ).