Get Involved with Netz.ac

Want to help with our mission and provide fellow students with stable, affordable, and diverse network services? Are you into system administration, keen on helping with support, or would you rather take care of the finances? Whatever your interests: we definitely have the right task for you πŸ™‚ With us, you can learn, experiment, and help shape things!

No prior knowledge is required. As our friends at Selfnet in Stuttgart like to say: “We’re looking for volunteers, not professionals.”

Why Get Involved?

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Hands-on Experience

Work with real IT infrastructure that is otherwise only found in large companies.

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Exchange

Meet and share ideas with other tech enthusiasts.

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Know-how

Gain a broad range of skills that are often worth their weight in gold in your career.

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Fun & Community

Enjoy tech together with a community that sticks together.

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Joint Activities

Group activities and educational trips.

What You Should Bring

  • Curiosity to learn new things
  • Team spirit
  • A more or less organized way of working

The time commitment varies depending on the task and is pretty much up to you.

What Challenges Await You?

Netz.ac e.V. offers its users a wide range of network services, all of which need to be maintained, serviced, and expanded. Besides the technical challenges, an association of this size also comes with quite a few organizational ones.

Below are some of our areas of activity. This list is by no means exhaustive.

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Technology

  • Setting up and maintaining servers, switches, and access points
  • Network management and troubleshooting
  • Managing servers & services (Debian, Proxmox, Ansible, Docker)
  • Monitoring and observability (Graylog, Prometheus, Grafana)
  • Home automation (with Home Assistant)
  • Developing my.netz.ac and other in-house projects
  • Documentation
  • Building our own hardware projects (PCB design, soldering, 3D printing, …)
  • Smaller cabling jobs and repairs (copper + fiber)
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Organization

  • Answering user questions / support
  • Planning joint (topic-related) trips
  • Logistics and purchasing
  • Planning and running events
  • Marketing / public relations
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Board

  • Management / steering the association
  • Representing the association externally
  • Representing our interests towards the Studierendenwerk Aachen
  • Preparing the general assemblies
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Treasurer

  • Ongoing bookkeeping (much of it is automated by existing software)
  • Financial planning
  • Tax returns

Nobody is an all-rounder, and it’s perfectly fine if many of these tasks mean nothing to you yet. That’s exactly how all of us started. You’ll never be on your own – you’ll be part of a team that is always there to help you out.

If you’re interested, have questions, or just want to take a look behind the scenes, feel free to contact us anytime or drop by one of our office hours! You’re welcome to come by and check things out at any time πŸ˜„

Your Netz.ac e.V.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any further questions, just contact us.

Do I have to live in a dorm / be a student to become a member?
No. Membership is open to anyone who wants to support our mission and gain valuable experience along the way.
Do I have to study something technical (computer science, …) or bring expert knowledge?

No, not at all! We appreciate your curiosity and willingness to learn and grow with us. Depending on which areas interest you, we’re happy to support you and show you how things work.

By the way, there are also many areas that have nothing to do with IT – like organizational topics, taking part in events, or public relations. You can contribute just as much there!

How much time do I need to invest?

There really are no fixed limits! Whether you only drop by events occasionally, work on a project regularly, or dive deep into a particular topic – everything is possible and welcome. Some members focus on individual projects, others help out with various tasks.

Most importantly: there is no pressure and no minimum requirement. You decide how much time you want to invest and can get involved flexibly at any time.

In the end, all of us contribute voluntarily in our free time – without obligations, simply because we enjoy it and want to build something together.

Do I get anything in return?
We are all volunteers who believe in the mission of Netz.ac e.V. Nobody receives any compensation from the association’s funds for their work.
Can I participate if I only speak English?
Absolutely! Many of our technical topics only require English. Some organizational tasks do require German language skills, but there’s plenty you can do without any German at all. We actively welcome international students and English speakers!

We're happy about every bit of interest!

Just reach out – we'd love to show you how to get started.

Get in Touch!