How many courses on average does a student take?

Well it mainly depends on which school (Sciences or Humanities) you are in, as well as your major. The number of mandatory courses you have to take in each semester is different accordingly (see the Handbook of the Major). Your load of courses also depends on how many other school electives and USCs (University Study Courses - interdisciplinary courses) you decide to take per semester. 7-8 courses in total is said to be an adequate amount, especially for the first semester, although the science majors have labs in addition to this. Each major has a recommended study plan which ensures an even workload (see the Handbook of the Major).

It is also advised not to overload yourself starting with your first semester, as it is the case with some of the very motivated students. This is because it may be difficult to make up for the failed courses in the following year (when you tend to have a tighter schedule) and it would a pity to dedicate all your time only on your courses and not take part in the University Events, which make our on campus life very cool and unique.

What if I decide to change my major after the first year? Is it possible?

Yes, it is possible for you to change your major in the 2^nd year. Some students after their first year, or even first semester decide to change their major within the same school, or even to the other school. This is one of the great advantages Jacobs offers you, as in your first year you are given the opportunity to take courses from both schools, which definitely helps those who are unsure of what to major in.

If you decide to change your major to the other school, you would have to make sure that you fulfill the requirements (mandatory courses) you have missed in the previous semester or year. This can be challenging yet not impossible.

How do I put my semester schedule together? How do I know which courses to take?

Most importantly, you have to make sure you are taking the mandatory courses of your major. Now for the rest of the courses, if you are unsure of what to choose, there is a so called ‘Drop/add period’ where you get to attend the lectures and seminars you are interested in.

You should use this period to attend as many courses you want to, in order to decide which ones you want to take.

Do we have an Academic Counselor/ Adviser like many of us did in high school?

Yes. You will be assigned with an academic adviser; a professor at Jacobs. The professor will not necessarily be the professor of your major, but most likely someone from the school you are in. They will answer your questions about course selections and general questions regarding academics. You will get acquainted with them during o-week. Please make sure that you schedule a meeting with him/her before University starts, so that you make sure that you took the right decision in choosing your courses and you sort out all your uncertainties regarding your major.

Am I allowed to take any language course that I want?

Yes. You would have to take a placement test in in order to prove your qualification though. Placement tests are also conducted to assess your level of knowledge and instruction for the particular language course (e.g. if student with basic German knowledge already wants to start with the intermediate level , he/she would have to give the basic level (A1) placement exam). The language courses that our University offers are German, Spanish, French and Chinese. The placement tests will take place during O-Week. Please see the schedule, for more information about how they are scheduled.

Computer Science Pre-course

For those of you who consider taking CS courses please take a look at the following pre-course: http://panta-rhei.kwarc.info/index.php?login=init

If you are interested in Computer Science and are going to take a Computer Science course sometimes during your study, you should visit this course since it provides you with some necessary fundamentals! Its aim is to raise awareness as to what degree of mathematical competence is required for successfully completing the Computer Science Program at Jacobs University. In this respect, the pre-course wants to serve as a tool for self-assessment for potential students like you.

But the pre-course is not only about assessing one's skills in mathematics!Mathematics -- and thus also the CS pre-course -- is also fun. The topics covered in this pre-course are intellectually challenging, but this should only motivate you and deepen your interest in mathematical problems, including but certainly not limited to for instance the Bridges of Koenigsberg, the Towers of Hanoi, and many other fascinating puzzles and riddles.

If you indicated your interest in CS on your application you should have received a login already, otherwise please contact c.mueller@jacobs-university.de to get one.

For information about new courses, registration procedures and any other official academic query, visit the Regitrar's office online at http://teamwork.jacobs-university.de:8080/confluence/x/YiU

How is the grading system in the university?

the grading system is in a scale of 1 to 5 where 1.0 is the best grade you can get and then decreasing by 0.33 until 2.0 and so on until you reach 5 which is the worse grade you can get. Nevertheless in some subjects your grades are percentages (specially in the engineering school) but at the very end they will be transformed to the 1 to 5 grading system.

What is the grade to fail?

The grade or percentage in some cases to fail an exam of a certain class is determined by the professor of the class itself but the general failing grade is anything less than 4.33 e.g. 4.67 and 5.

What happens if I fail one subject?

Well it really depends. For some courses you have pre-requisite courses that you need to previously approve in order to be able to take the course so if you fail you would have to either not take the next course or get a pre-requisite waver in the registrar’s or take an exam at the beginning of the semester to prove that you can take the following course. If the course you failed is not a pre-requisite for any other course then you just take it in the next fall or spring semester depending on which semester it is offered.

How do I know which courses to take?

There is a recommended plan of courses for every major in the university though you should know that it is not mandatory is just a recommended way in which you should take your courses. Nevertheless in some engineering majors its really good to follow the plan because the courses are build upon the previous one so it would be very hard and in some cases even not possible to take a course if another one is not approved first. In the first year you shouldn’t take too many courses because it is way harder than you think it is so just take the necessary courses and then see how good you can deal with those first.

What is the other school elective that I am meant to take and those USCs?

Jacobs University has a transdiciplinary approach which means that you need to have a certain amount of courses from the other school (if you are in the social one then from the engineering and vice versa) in order to graduate at the end of your major. Nevertheless you should consider that in each school some courses are harder than others and if your major is already hard you shouldn’t complicate your life taking a really hard course and you should take something you like because otherwise you wouldn’t be interested in working for it. A USC is a university study course, a course that involves many subjects and that will teach you to work with students from different majors and learn things from the other majors that you normally wouldn’t. Again you need a certain amount of USCs to graduate at the end of your major.

How many courses should I take?

• For SES students around 10 courses (with labs).

• For SSHS students I would recommend to take 6 to 7 courses, even if your academic adviser says that 5 should be fine. The more courses you take in your first 2 years the better, because you won't have to take many in your 3^rd year then.

What major should I choose?

Well, think about it twice and be sure what to take. You can change your major, but we would not recommend it. It just causes problems.

How many people should I expect in my classes?

This is something that varies. But most of the time the classes are not too crowded: something around 30 to 40 is normal. But there are also classes where you can have over 100 students and classes with only like 10 students. It often depends on the popularity of the course.

What other school electives should I take?

• As SHSS student you should probably take first year courses in General Earth and Space Sciences or Biology (that is what most do). But in the end it is your choice. Do whatever pleases you most.
• For SES students, it more or less does not matter. But don't forget: you will have to read a lot for them and study as for your normal courses.

Is it useful to study in study groups?

It depends in the person. You have to decide for yourself, but feel free to ask anyone for help. There are also tutorials, which are offered for several courses.