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Getting started as a 'BA Angl/Am' at Chemnitz University of Technology (TUC)

Congratulations on your decision to pursue a degree in British and American studies at Chemnitz University of Technology (TUC)! Here are some hints on what you can do to ensure a successful start into your life as a BA student: 

By now you will certainly have read the Program Brochure and the Kurzinformationen about the program. Next, you should make yourself familiar with the documents informing you about the structure and contents of the classes you will be taking in the course of the next three years: 

• the Studienordnung, which informs you of the official framework of your studies
• the Prüfungsordnung, which provides information on the exams you will have to take
• the Modulbescheibungen (included at the end of the Studienordnung), which explain the contents and requirements of the individual modules of your studies
• the Studienablaufplan (also included in the Studienordnung), which tells you in detail which courses you have to take in what semester. Accordingly, you will find out here which courses you are expected to take in your first semester.

Now that you have a clearer idea of what your studies will look like, there are four things left for you to do before you can go to your first class:

1. The Placement Test

As almost all of your classes will be held in English, it is important to establish your level of English before you start your courses. For this purpose, you need to take a Placement Test, which is usually offered in the first week of October. This test consists of a computer-based part, which tests your writing, grammar and reading skills, and an oral part, which evaluates your speaking and pronunciation skills.

Why do I have to take the Placement Test?

• The results of the Placement Test are important to decide whether you can start with the ILC (Integrated Language Course) in the module English Language Training: Basics right away or whether you need to take the Foundation Course (FC) first. (NB: This means that your participation in other courses is not affected. That is, you can take literature, culture, linguistics etc. courses independent from your Placement Test results.)
• As you have read in the Studienablaufplan, BA students usually take the ILC in their first semester. However, your Placement Test results may not be sufficient for participating in the ILC, in which case you will be asked to take the FC to brush up your English skills.
• If your Placement Test results are sufficient for your taking the ILC, you will be assigned to one of the ILC groups. If your results are not sufficient, you will be assigned to the Foundation Course. In order for every student to have an overlap-free schedule, we will also assign you to a group for your Grammar and your Information Technology (IT) course.
• In order not to lag behind with their studies, FC students will be offered an ILC Intensive Course after the semester is over so that they can start their second semester courses on schedule with everybody else. Details about the Intensive Course will be provided to the FC participants during the semester.
• You will be informed about your test result via e-mail shortly after all candidates have been tested. You will also be informed about your ILC, Grammar and IT groups.

When does the Placement Test take place? How can I register for it?

• Placement Test times will be offered during the first week of the semester in October. The placement test for the coming winter semester (2012/2013) will take place on Monday, October 8, and Tuesday, October 9, at 9:30 am in RH41/238. If necessary, additional test times will be scheduled for the afternoon.
• From the beginning of August onwards, you will find registration lists posted outside room 231 in Reichenhainer Str. 39 – select the day and time you’d like to take the test, and put your name down.
• On the day of your test, take your TUC login and go to the computer lab RH41/238. You will start with the computer-based part of the test and afterwards take a short oral test.

How will I learn about my result?

You will be informed about your test result via e-mail shortly after all candidates have been tested.

Summary: Taking the Placement Test

2. Creating your schedule of classes

What many freshmen find very surprising and often very challenging is that they have to create their schedule of classes on their own. However, this should not be a problem at all when you know the following:

• For every semester, the Department of English issues a Kommentiertes Vorlesungsverzeichnis, in short KoVo. This is a pdf file which not only contains information about the professors and instructors at the Department, activities and events, but it also tells students which classes are being offered and when they take place. You can download the KoVo here.
• The KoVo is usually published at the end of the previous semester. This means that the KoVo for the winter semester is usually available in July, so you have ample time to create your schedule before your first semester starts.
• Based on the information from the Studienablaufplan regarding the courses you should take in your first semester in combination with the information from the KoVo on when these courses take place, you can now start to compose your own personal schedule.
• For the Basis Module courses
  • ILC or FC
  • Grammar and
  • IT,
  you will be assigned to groups after the Placement Test. You will learn about your groups in the Placement Test result notification e-mail.
• For the more computer-and internet-savvy among you, it might be interesting to know that you can also use the central Stundenplaner on the university website to help you create your schedule. As the Stundenplaner contains all courses offered at TUC (as opposed to the English Department’s courses only), it is vital that you know which courses you need to take before you start working with it.

Summary: Creating your schedule

3. Signing up for the English Mailing List

In order to inform our students quickly of important news (changes to courses, office hours, events etc.), the English Department has a Mailing List, to which all students should subscribe. Once subscribed, you will automatically receive all information posted to the Mailing List in your e-mail mailbox. For more information about the Mailing List and in order to subscribe, go to

https://mailman.tu-chemnitz.de/mailman/listinfo/english

4. Attending the Welcome Meeting for first-semester students

A Welcome Meeting for all first-semester students is offered at the beginning of October. You will get to know the staff of the Department, receive important information about your studies and have the chance to ask any questions you might still have. Check our Department Website News for updated information on the exact date and time of the meeting.

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