Tips for Beginners
Orientation Week for the Winter Semester 2012/2013: 8 to 12 October,
Term Time of the Winter Semester 2012/2013: 15 October to 16 February
What orientation sessions are offered?
"What must I know when I start studies?"- This is the title of the General Introductory Orientation Session in which new students to Humboldt-Universität are welcomed by the University Counselling Service and given general advice which will help them find their way into their studies. Besides, those planning to spend part of their studies outside Germany later on will be given useful information by the International Office. More specific information will be given to students starting a teacher training course. After the session there will be guided tours of the two major university campuses.
The session is offered in parallel at the campuses in Berlin Mitte and Berlin Adlershof on Monday, 8 October 2012, from 10 to 12 at these venues:
- Mitte Campus: in the Audimax of the University main building, Unter den Linden 6, and at the Cinema Hall for students wishing to pursue a teacher training course,
- Adlershof Campus: in the Grand Lecture Hall 0'115 of the Erwin-Schrödinger-Zentrum, Rudower Chaussee 26.
In addition, a whole series of other sessions will be offered, for example by the University Library, the Computer and Media Services (CMS), the RefRat student representation and others. There will be a specific welcoming session for the new international students. And, naturally, all new students are invited to the Matriculation Ceremony. A summary of the information will be given on the internet, please see http://studium.hu-berlin.de/beratung/orient/orient1112.
Course-related orientation sessions are offered by the faculties, departments and institutes1. The dates can be found at the above link. They are also available directly from the faculties, departments and institutes1, e.g. on their websites. For students who have decided to embark on a combined study programme (Kombinationsbachelor) we recommend the attendance of the orientation sessions offered for either course.
In order to be well prepared use should be made of the information material given below. In the sessions themselves students will then have the opportunity to ask questions. The following topics will be dealt with:
- Which lectures and seminars must be attended in the first semester?
- How to draw up your personal timetable efficiently?
- In which way will modular exams have to be taken?
- How will students benefit best from programme modules offering training in specific career-related studies?
- What are the chances to improve my command of German or other languages at university?
- Some departments or institutes offer preliminary courses, e.g. a bridge programme in mathematics, or preliminary languages courses. Moreover, there will be occasions where departments and institutes will present themselves to the new students. The student representation will welcome the new students, etc.
Note: If you missed the orientation session for your course, you should approach your Studienfachberatung.
Academic study and work techniques: To make the transition from school to university easier, the Psychological Counselling Service offers a number of lectures on the subject. Dates are available from http://studium.hu-berlin.de/beratung/veranst_html.
What information materials do I need?
- Study and exam regulations for your study programme (Studien- und Prüfungsordnungen), available from faculties, departments or institutes. Those published in the Amtliches Mitteilungsblatt der Humboldt-Universität can be downloaded from the internet. Click on www.amb.hu-berlin.de. Then enter your course to continue the search.
- The Humboldt-Universität Course Catalogue (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) is available at http://studium.hu-berlin.de/beratung/vorlverz.html. If in the registration process further questions on the lectures arise, just send an email to: agnes@hu-berlin.de.
- Many questions concerning studies will be answered by checking at the Allgemeine Satzung für Studien- und Prüfungsangelegenheiten der Humboldt-Universität. It is to be found on the internet as described at http://studium.hu-berlin.de/studies/beratung/merk/standardseite-en in the lower section of the site.
- A brochure entitled "Willkommen an der Humboldt-Universität" ("Welcome to Humboldt-Universität") includes a Guide for New Students. It is obtainable at the Introductory Orientation Session, from the faculties and from the Information Point in the University main building, Unter den Linden 6.
Who can help me?
Information gathered in orientation sessions will usually have to be sorted out later and priorities must be identified. For example, lectures or classes a student wants to attend may overlap. For this and other related problems the following services are available to new students:
The course-related Academic Counselling (Studienfachberatung) staff can help in matters related to a particular course as well as with planning lectures and classes in the first semester. Addresses, telephone numbers and office hours can be found also in the relevant course catalogues of the faculties, departments and institutes.
Advice of fellow students (studentische Studienberatung) can be helpful as well. Most faculties, departments and institutes offer subject-related peer counselling, or the Fachschaft (student representation) will help you.
The Servicezentrum Lehramt offers advice on specific questions of teacher training.
The Career Center provides counselling on additional career-related qualifications (berufsfeldbezogene Zusatzqualifikationen).
If support is needed because of disability or chronical illness, advice will be given by the Beratung für behinderte und chronisch kranke Studierende.
Tips and support for parent students (child care) can be found at http://studium.hu-berlin.de/beratung/merk/kind.
For social counselling the contact is www.refrat.de/beratung.html.
If attendance of language courses is sought the Language Centre offer plenty of courses at www.sprachenzentrum.hu-berlin.de/standardseite-en, and if you wish to register with the University Library, just click at www.ub.hu-berlin.de. If you want to make music in the company of other students, you will be helped at www.hu-berlin.de/musik/, and if you want to go in for sport, www.zeh.hu-berlin.de/ is a useful link. By clicking on these links, information on a multitude of other opportunities at Humboldt-Universität is available.
1 For the faculties, departments and institutes click on www.hu-berlin.de/institutions/, or contact the telephone switchboard of Humboldt-Universität: +49 (0)30 2093-0.
