Preparing Course Schedules and Planning Your Studies
First-semester students and those in higher semesters often find themselves wondering “Where can I find my course schedule?” and “What will my course schedule look like next semester?” Tackling questions of study organization early on and regularly thereafter is therefore a good idea and will have a lasting positive impact on your study journey. However, planning your studies successfully means considering more than just the administrative aspects.
Drawing up your personal course schedule
You can use the central campus management system BASIS to create your personal course schedule for the semester you want. BASIS is home to the course catalogue, which contains a wealth of information on the various courses. This includes timings, course format (usually in person but can also be online, hybrid or mixed), locations (room number and building), course type and teacher. As a student, you can register for and withdraw from courses and examinations online in BASIS using your Uni-ID and password. Both of these will be made available to you in the application portal and the Study Service once you have enrolled online and paid the semester fee by bank transfer.
Please note that some courses build on other ones; relevant information can be found in the module plan and/or curriculum associated with your examination or study regulations. You will also need to factor in how long it might take you to get from one place to another.
We would highly recommend taking part in a BASIS introduction session, which nearly all subjects offer as part of the subject-specific information events during their Orientation Weeks. Your subject-specific study advisory service can answer any questions about using BASIS to prepare your course schedule (e.g. if any of your chosen courses clash). The BASIS support team can help with technical questions and problems relating to BASIS.
A semester schedule can also help you to create your course schedule. This lists all organizational dates, deadlines and activities relating to degree programs and examinations, such as re-registration deadlines, (secondary) assignment phases, examination preparation time, written examination periods and deadlines for term papers. These schedules can be downloaded from most degree program and faculty websites.
Planning your studies
To plan your studies successfully, you should always keep an eye on the degree that you are working toward. During the first few semesters, there are usually clear rules about how a degree program is to be structured, meaning that students tend to have few options to choose from. Students in bachelor’s degree programs have to start with compulsory modules. After that, however, so-called elective modules give you an early opportunity to create their own profile or set of priorities, which will have a major influence on the next stages of their studies.
Compulsory and elective modules will be listed in the module structure associated with your examination regulations and in the module guide for your degree program (complete with descriptions and detailed information). Similarly, the structure of a degree program culminating in the state examination will be governed by the curriculum associated with your study regulations. Module structures and curricula generally determine the corresponding study schedule, while also providing guidance on choosing elective modules and/or freely selectable courses.
The web page for your degree program also often contains example curricula and study schedules that are set out in such a way that the standard period of study is the normal scenario where you are focusing fully on your studies. Needless to say, it is fairly common and entirely normal for individual adjustments to be required in the course of someone’s studies, e.g. if they fall ill during the semester and have to repeat a module or are unable to keep to the study rhythm specified or suggested for them because they have a job or childcare responsibilities. If you find yourself in these or similar situations, your subject-specific study advisory service will help you adjust your study schedule to your individual needs and can support you through your studies.
Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service
Despite the high degree of autonomy and independence that a degree program requires, it goes without saying that you can rely on the support of numerous counseling and service points to answer any questions about planning your studies. The Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service is on hand to help with general questions about studying across disciplines. In addition, they can give you impartial, confidential, individual and unbiased advice if you need guidance before or at the start of your studies and, of course, if you have any doubts about your degree, are just getting your bearings or going through a period of re-orientation. They will also point you toward the right contacts if necessary.
Subject-specific study advisory services
By contrast, the subject-specific study advisory services represent individual academic disciplines and are based at the relevant institutes and departments. They can help with detailed questions and problems on specific subjects, such as questions on your options for creating your individual profile or set of priorities, support you with putting together your personal course schedule and provide advice on how to best structure your individual study schedule. The subject-specific study advisors are also often responsible for granting credit for course work and examinations completed at another university and/or on another degree program.
Self- and time management
Once you have overcome the initial organizational hurdles when starting your studies, it is a good idea to consider your self- and time management. This is because, alongside the feeling of newly won freedom, you must assume much of the responsibility for organizing your own studies.
Unlike at school, for example, there will generally no longer be anyone checking how much work you are doing every day and every week at university; you are expected to organize your own learning.
This includes reflecting on the approach you are taking to your work, developing learning routines and reviewing your learning progress. For instance, it is important to define set times for your day-to-day learning in order to strike a healthy study-life balance and set priorities so that you maintain an overview and get your work done by the deadline. This may help you stay motivated to learn and perform over the long term so that you can complete your studies successfully.
Learning strategies
Students, and first-semester students in particular, often find that learning at school and learning at university are two very different things. In your final years of high school, you generally learned what you were told to and undoubtedly experienced many guided learning settings. Learning at university, by contrast, requires a high degree of independence and self-organization.
It can therefore be helpful to think about your own learning behavior, ideally when you are just starting your studies, and potentially also to familiarize yourself with and try out new learning strategies as well as network with fellow students on different degree programs. To this end, the Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service regularly holds a “Learning Strategies and More” workshop as part of the “RessourcenStark durchs Studium (Push through Your Studies)” series.
The “4 powers 4 you—more power(s) to you” program contains numerous self-learning and training courses on self- and time management, working from home and mindfulness that will allow you to develop an efficient way of working that supports a healthy study-life balance.
