Personal development for students mainly means deliberately training skills and attitudes that no module teaches. These include self-organisation, dealing with setbacks, teamwork and taking responsibility. The best way to build them is through a few fixed habits and places where you can try things out, such as volunteering or a student group. With small steps, you will soon be in action.
Key points in brief
- Personal development at university comes mainly from experience and repetition, far less from individual resolutions.
- A habit that you tie to a fixed moment in the day lasts longer than an ambitious plan.
- Volunteering and student groups give you responsibility in a protected setting, and they later appear on your CV as concrete experience.
- Sleep, exercise and breaks are the foundation. Without them, any self-optimisation is wasted effort.
What does personal development for students involve?
It refers to the part of your development that lies outside specialist knowledge: self-organisation, communication, tolerance of frustration and the ability to decide. Your time at university suits this well, because for the first time you decide for yourself how to organise your day, your money and your contacts. The consequences of mistakes are usually manageable.
A goal such as “becoming more self-confident” is, however, too vague to work on. A more useful approach is to observe: in which situations do you wish you had reacted differently? Perhaps you never speak up in seminars, push assignments to the last night or say yes to every request. From this you can derive an area to work on. If self-doubt is mainly what holds you back, you will find approaches to dealing with self-doubt at university (in German).
How do you build habits that last through your studies?
You build habits most reliably when you keep them small and tie them to a fixed occasion. “I read for one hour every day” fails in the first full week. “After lunch I read for ten minutes” is more likely to survive.
These rules have proven themselves in everyday life:
- Start with a single habit and add the next one only once the first runs without thinking.
- Link it to something that already happens every day: coffee, the walk to university, brushing your teeth.
- Make the start ridiculously easy. Five minutes counts, even on bad days.
- Record whether you did it, for example with a tick in the calendar. One missed day is no drama, but two in a row is a signal to lower the bar.
Good candidates are a fixed study slot, a short daily review, exercise and a reliable bedtime. Why the last one matters more than many people think is explained in the article on why sleep matters at university (in German).
What does volunteering at university bring you?
Volunteering gives you responsibility for something that reaches beyond yourself, and contact with people you would never meet in a lecture hall. This might be tutoring refugees, working at a food bank, joining a local association or looking after first-year students.
You learn things that are hard to teach in theory. You practise being reliable, keeping agreements, dealing with conflict and deciding as a team. Plan the effort honestly. A task you can manage reliably every week is better than three that you hand back after a semester. How much commitment fits alongside your studies and job also depends on how you keep your studies and free time in balance (in German).
Which student groups help you grow?
Any student group in which you take on a task of your own is suitable. Most universities offer a wide choice: student councils, the student representative body, university sport, debating clubs, theatre and music groups, and initiatives for sustainability or start-ups. You can usually get an overview from your university’s website, the student services organisation or the AStA (general student committee), and in the first weeks of term often at group fairs.
Go to two or three meetings before you commit. Check whether there are concrete tasks, whether new members are brought in and whether the atmosphere suits you. Anyone who organises a project, manages a budget or runs an event practises planning, communication and leadership under real conditions.
How does mentoring help you as a student?
A mentor gives you an experienced person who knows your questions and offers honest feedback. Many universities, faculties and foundations run programmes in which students in higher semesters, alumni or working professionals provide guidance. Ask at the student services, the careers service or your department.
Go into every conversation prepared: think about a specific concern, such as choosing a specialisation, an application or dealing with exam pressure. This makes the meeting more useful for both sides. Even without an official programme, you can approach older fellow students or lecturers whose path interests you. Most people are happy to answer a well-framed question.
How do you look after your health along the way?
Development takes energy, and you only have enough of it with sufficient sleep, regular exercise and real breaks. Anyone who takes on too much risks exhaustion and loses the enjoyment of things that do them good. A full calendar is not a sign of progress.
If your mood changes noticeably over a longer period or you experience lasting overwhelm, speak to your GP or the psychological counselling service at your university. This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a professional assessment. You will find further pointers in the article on mental health at university (in German).
Frequently asked questions
How can I develop personally as a student?
Choose an area that matters to you and practise it regularly in small steps. This can be a habit, a task in a student group or volunteering. Also ask people who know you for feedback. Development comes from repetition and reflection, not from one-off resolutions.
How long does it take to build a habit?
No reliable figure can be given, as it depends on the habit and on your everyday life. More important than the number of days is repeating the habit on the same occasion. Plan for a few weeks of patience and start with a mini version that you can manage even on stressful days.
Is volunteering worth it alongside studying?
Usually yes, if the effort fits your timetable. You take on responsibility, meet new people and gain experience that you can later point to concretely in applications. Start with a manageable task and increase your commitment if it goes well.
Where can I find student groups and mentoring programmes?
Your university’s website, the student services organisation, the AStA and the student council are the first places to look. The careers service or the student services team usually know about mentoring programmes too. At the start of term, it is worth visiting the freshers’ and group fairs.
How to get started now
- Note down three situations from the last few weeks in which you wanted to act differently.
- Choose one habit and tie it to a fixed moment in your day.
- Attend two meetings of a student group or a volunteering role in the coming weeks.
- Ask the careers service or your department about a mentoring programme.
- After a semester, review what helped you and drop what only cost you time.
Related reading
- Time management at university: methods for a productive everyday life (in German)
- Learning rhetoric: speaking confidently at university (in German)
- Cultural challenges during a semester abroad: how to settle in (in German)
- PKV contribution trends: why premiums rise and what helps (in German)
Last updated: October 2026.
