FAQ
You can find all the university dates on this page.
In addition, the Student Council (FSR) organizes Linux crash courses every semester, a special brunch for first-semester students, the popular LAN party, a city rally for first-semester students together with the Business Informatics Student Council, a Christmas party in winter, a summer festival, and a game night.
The exact dates and times will be available here as soon as they are announced.
The math modules Linear Algebra and Introduction to Mathematics can be challenging for students. Computer science modules such as Programming II are also considered difficult by many.
However, what is difficult always depends on your own skills and preferences.
The abbreviations stand for cum tempore (c.t., "with time") and sin tempore (s.t., "without time").
If a course is scheduled for 10:00 c.t., it starts at 10:15. If it is planned for 10:00 s.t., it starts exactly at 10:00.
The effort for a module can roughly be estimated per credit point (CP). One CP corresponds to approximately 30 hours of work during the semester. For example, a student should spend about 300 hours on Linear Algebra (10 CP), while System and Network Security (5 CP) requires around 150 hours of work. Of course, these values are not absolute; some subjects require more or less work for the same number of credit points.
The workload is divided into lectures, exercises, and preparation and review time. Semester Weekly Hours (SWS) are worth mentioning here. One SWS lasts 45 minutes. Lectures are usually 2 or 4 SWS long, and exercises range from 1 to 3 SWS.
If you want to complete your studies within the standard period of study, you should earn 30 CP each semester. That amounts to about 900 hours of workload spread over four months.
Ultimately, that’s entirely up to you. Here you can find a study plan, but you can also postpone or take some modules earlier.
It’s advisable to start programming right in the first semester. You can begin the application subject whenever you like, but you should make sure not to start too late to avoid unnecessary delays in your studies.
It is usually sufficient to register for the computer science modules at the beginning of the semester. For application subjects, however, registration may need to happen earlier.
To be able to register for the exam in PORTA, you must be registered for the course beforehand.
No, you don’t have to. Of course, having some prior programming experience is an advantage, but the university offers an introductory programming course every semester (Programming I or Programming Ia/b). The programming language used is Java, and everything starts from scratch.
The two courses Programming Ia and Ib together correspond to the course Programming I. The difference is that Programming I is offered in the winter semester, while Programming Ia is offered in the summer semester. Programming Ib then follows in the winter semester.
This arrangement allows first-semester students to take a programming module either in the summer or the winter semester, since programming skills are required for most courses.
Because Programming I covers the material of both Programming Ia and Ib, the weekly workload is higher, but still manageable.
Programming always includes an exercise component divided into homework exercises and live exercises. For homework exercises, you have a certain amount of time to work independently on a problem set, for which you earn points. In the live exercises, you solve tasks during the exercise session on a computer in the CIP pool, which are also graded. A minimum number of points is required to be eligible to take the exam.
It is important that, regardless of which module you start with, you continue practicing programming, even if you don’t attend a programming course for a semester. If you don’t keep practicing consistently, you may encounter difficulties in the subsequent course, Programming II.
No, you don’t have to. Many courses offer multiple exercise sessions each week, and you only need to attend one per week. The same material is covered in all sessions during that week.
The different sessions exist to reduce the number of students per exercise group, so instructors can better address attendees’ questions, and students have the opportunity to choose a session that fits well with their overall schedule.
The math modules Linear Algebra and Introduction to Mathematics should not be underestimated in terms of complexity. Computer science modules with a large mathematical component should also be taken into consideration.
Since university-level mathematics differs significantly from the math taught in schools, many students have difficulties adjusting in this area. Accordingly, these modules are often stumbling blocks in the degree program. However, with enough effort and persistence, they can be successfully completed.