Your way through University

Reason for drop-out: performance problems

Constantly getting bad grades or having to repeat exams is demotivating! Therefore, it is important that you know your own strengths and weaknesses in order to choose the study programme that suits you best.

To do this, you can find out in advance which subjects will be in the focuse of your future studies. This way, you can study the basics of your degree programme before you start and assess whether the topics match your skills. For example, you may be confronted with a lot of statistics during your studies. However, if you know that mathematics is a weakness of yours, you could repeat the basics from school in advance. If you have mastered these basics and feel that you have understood everything, it will be easier for you to start studying. In addition, you avoid the feeling that you are already behind with the learning material right at the beginning of your studies.

Reason for dropping out: lack of intrinsic motivation or subject identification

A degree paves the way for your future professional life. If you cannot identify with the content or if you absolutely cannot imagine working in the job one day, you might have difficulties following through with your studies. Intrinsic motivation (i.e. studying “for the fun of it”) is a driving force when it comes to successfully completing your studies.

In this context, it is also important to be able to engage with the academic-scientific orientation of studying at a university. Public universities have the goal of educating students to become researchers. For this reason, the practical application of content, as is the case in a later profession, is often shorter. The focus here is usually on theory, and you should be aware of this before you start studying. Nevertheless, you can of course try to gain an insight into the future professional field before graduation. For example, by doing internships and student jobs. Another option would be to study at a technical college, as it has a much more practical orientation.

Reason for dropping out: dissatisfaction with the university

Whether the organisation is chaotic at your university, there is bad canteen food or a lack of support from lecturers, in the long run it can get on your nerves if things don’t run smoothly at the university. You can counteract this by finding out about problematic areas in advance. Then you will be able to deal with them proactively right from the start.

In addition, you can find out about student satisfaction at your university with the help of the CHE ranking or you use online platforms such as Study Check. Moreover, you can serch for people who are already studying at your university or in your degree programme and let them tell you about their experiences. In addition, it is possible to regularly participate in evaluations of your university or getting involved in university politics in order to improve the circumstances at your university in the long term.

Reason for dropping out: Disappointed expectations of the degree programme

We all have a rough idea of what we learn in most degree programmes. But often these “everyday definitions” don’t necessarily match reality. To avoid being disappointed by the course content after a few semesters, it is important to inform yourself well about it beforehand! Since study programmes can also vary from university to university, it is best to obtain information directly from the institution at which you would like to study.

The module manual, the examination regulations or a sample timetable can be particularly helpful. You can usually find these on the website of your university under the relevant degree programme.

But what is a module manual?

A module manual is an overview of all the modules you have to take in your degree programme. For each module, it explains which lectures, seminars, tutorials or exercises can be attended in order to complete the module. In addition, you can find out from the manual what the content of the module is, how many credit points you get for it, what requirements you have to fulfil and much more.

What can I find in the examination regulations?

In the examination regulations you will find everything about the examination requirements and procedures within your degree programme. They are also created individually by your university for your degree programme. The examination regulations define for example the study objectives, the course of studies and the admission requirements.

How does the sample study schedule help me?

The sample study schedule helps you to estimate what a week in your degree programme will look like. It is usually an example for the first semester and you can get an overview of how many lectures, seminars or tutorials you will have to attend. However, it is important to know that you can often put together your own individual timetable by choosing different courses from the module manual. The sample study schedule is therefore only an example of what a week in your degree programme might look like.

And what about a study plan?

The study plan shows you an overview of all the modules you have to complete during your studies and indicates in which semester the modules are recommended. This way, you can see at a glance what to expect. You can find more detailed descriptions of the individual modules in the module manual.