Englisches Seminar

Starter Kit for First-Semester Students

Your Next Steps: What? When? How?


Welcome to the world of academia! As you embark on your journey beginning with your studies at Tübingen University, feel free to explore one of the most important secret weapons to fight anxiety or insecurity: the Starter Kit for beginners in the B.Ed. English.

The Starter Kit is intended as a virtual road map that guides you through your journey as a beginner in our study programme. Do you want to find out more about the different areas of study in the B.Ed. English? Are you interested in getting a first overview of the courses recommended for the first semester? How about getting into contact with your fellow students through our Starter Lounge? Find answers to all of these questions here. Welcome again!

Imagine the Starter Kit as two things primarily:

The Starter Kit is your very own treasure map, guiding you through the uncharted waters of university life. It is invaluable especially during the orientation week and your first weeks of study.

You’ll find a goldmine of information – details about the study programme, course recommendations, details, and insider tips.

Curious about which courses to take and when to enrol? Wondering when the events for socializing amongst new students organized by the student union happen during the orientation week?

The Starter Kit has all the answers! It’s like having a wise mentor whispering, “Psst, attend this info meeting!” or “Don’t miss that deadline!

So, feel free to bookmark this Starter Kit and let the adventure begin! Remember, knowledge is power, and this Kit is your magical wand.

See you at our info session!


Your Next Steps

Get more info on the study areas of the B.Ed. English!

Want to find out more about the different areas of study in the B.Ed. English? Then check out our special website! We have appetizers for each area of study (Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, Linguistics, Academic English and Teaching English as a Foreign Language) that help you to familiarize yourselves with the goals and core issues of the study areas.

Getting to Know the B.Ed. English

Find out which courses you should take in the first semester of the B.Ed. English!

Which courses should I take? This is probably the most urgent question that new students have at the moment. Check out our special website with a set of recommended courses for the first semester in the B.Ed. English. You can not only find the list of recommended courses but also detailed descriptions of the course types and information on how to enrol for courses.

Recommended Courses in the First Semester

Seize the opportunity to get in touch with other new students in the B.Ed. English and ask questions!

We have opened the Starter Lounge for new students in the B.Ed. English to give you the opportunity to ask questions, connect with new students, and get special info on the English Department. Find out more about the Starter Lounge that is hosted on a digital message board. Joining is absolutely anonymous and does not require any registration.

Starter Lounge for the B.Ed. English

Find all general info events for new students at Tübingen University!

The ZSB ("Zentral Studienberatung") offers general orientation meetings for new students. These meetings help you with the onboarding at Tübingen University. We highly recommend for you to join one of those orientation meetings.

General Orientation for New Students @Tü U

Take note of the special info event for students in teaching degrees!

Yes! The Tübingen School of Education (TüSE) offers advice on the structure of teaching degrees (B.Ed. and M.Ed.) and the studies in educational sciences ("Bildungswissenschaftlichers Begleitstudium"). It is crucial that you join the meeting or get hold of the information provided.

TüSE Introduction to Teaching Degrees @Tü U 

Mark your calendars for the info meeting on the alma portal!

Yes! Alma is the campus management software of our university and alma will be a crucial part of organising and managing your studies. Please make sure to attend one of the info meetings that introduce new students to the key functionalities of alma.

Introduction to the alma Platform

Dates and Deadlines

What types of courses are there? | Which courses should I take? | How and when to register for courses?

Course registration: Monday, 30.09.24 to Sunday, 13.10.24; automatic place allocation by: 14./ 15.10.24; You don't need to register for courses before our info meeting!


Frequently Asked Questions

You can find the most frequently asked questions by students of previous cohorts in our FAQ. Explore the answers to common queries, and feel free to reach out if you need further assistance. You can contact the English Department Helpdesk or post questions anonymously in the Starter Lounge. Whatever resource you use, please make sure to make yourselves heard.

#1 Are there any other courses one should apply to other than "Academic Writing I" and the courses in the Basic Module Literary Studies or is that sufficient for the first semester?

#1 We only recommend to take the lecture "Introduction to English Linguistics" in case you want or need to take more courses in English than recommended. "Should I take more classes?" is actually a question that comes up frequently and it is difficult to answer without knowing your individual circumstances. It is an individual decision based on your individual circumstances. If you don't have to learn new languages and stick to the suggested general course of study for the B.Ed. (six semesters), you are good with "Academic Writing I" and the Basic Module Literary Studies in your first semester.

#2 Are there any preparation courses? Are there courses to brush up my English skills?

#2 There are no obligatory preparation courses. At the moment there are also no other optional prep courses. However, you can use our interactive sneak preview of the study areas in the B.Ed. to prepare yourselves for your studies.

#3 How am I supposed to create my schedule the best, especially because I have no idea which courses I am supposed to take in my second subject that I'll study.

#3 You need to find out about the recommended courses in both of your subjects in order to be able to put together your schedule! As a B.Ed. student, you need to keep multiple things in mind: recommended courses in educational science ("Bildungswissenschaften"), recommended courses in your first subject, recommended courses in your second subject. Based on all of these recommendations, you consult the course details for individual courses of a course type on alma and begin to put togehter your weekly schedule bit by bit. Keep in mind to select a few options for indicating priorities during the registration process for courses at the English Department.

#4 How and when do I register on alma for different English courses?

#4 Check out the dates and deadines for Registration Phase II (September 30 to October 13, 2024) and the video tutorial for course registartion in the Starter Lounge.
 

#5 How many courses overall should my schedule contain? Is it really okay to get below the recommended 30 ECTS per semester?

#5 In general, it is true that the recommended workload per semester is 30 ECTS in total (i.e. for all of your studies, all of your subjects). Based on this calculation, the prototypical or ideal plan of your course of studies ("Modellstudienplan") has been designed.

However, you do not need to worry. The prototypical plan does not take into account individual circumstances and individual exceptions. In case you need to learn another language, for instance, you will not be able to start with your studies in full study mode. Keep in mind that in the B.Ed. there is no intermediate examination ("Zwischenprüfung") or the like so there is no external pressure. You can also take seven or eight semesters to finish your studies without any punishment. Still, it does make sense to try and stick to the recommended coursework for each semester.

Overall, it is advisable to stick to roughly 30 ECTS per semester but it is okay to go with 27 or 28 ECTS, for example, in the beginning. Especially during your first year of study, you can keep an eye on workload and increase it once you establish routines. However, you should not go considerably below the 30 ECTS threshold, e.g. 5 ECTS or 15 ECTS in the first semester.

#6 I need to learn two languages for my second subject beforehand. Do I NEED to take part in some courses or can I just start with the courses next semester?

#6 This is one of the cases where it is absolutely fine if you go lower than the recommended minimum of courses.

Our recommendation would be that you take at least "Academic Writing I" in the Basic Module Academic English. We know learning two new languages is a lot to tackle. Still, there is perhaps a danger that you lose touch with English as your second subject. So, you could try and register for "Academic Writing I" and in case you find out in the course of the semester that everything is too much for you, you could still give up the course later. This way, you have options and you are still immersed in the English language and your English studies. You do not have to worry about negative consequences if you have to drop a class.

Just as an additional piece of information: Learning Latin is scheduled to take one to two semesters and the workload covers around 10 to 20 ECTS per semester, so you have already half of your regular 30 ECTS semester covered per semester.

You can find all information about language requirements and how to find all language courses offered by Tübingen University on the special website of the ZSB.

#7 Is there a deadline for our "Stundenplan" to be completed and is it possible to make adjustments after the semester started?

#7 One important date is the end of the registration phase via alma: October 13, 2024. You have to register for the courses for the first semester until October 13. After that, the alma system will process the registrations and the results will be published in the following week. Then you know which courses you have been admitted to.

If there are problems with your schedule after the allocation of places through alma, please contact the main office of the English Department directly via e-mail. They will be able to help you.

All information about how to proceed in cases of difficulties and emergency during and after the registration process can be found in the info box for alma on our special website.

#8 What are we supposed to do if we don't get admitted into our preferred/ any seminar courses? Or is that impossible? What happens if I cannot participate in a seminar I have been assigned to because I have another one at the same time?

#8 First things first: Keep in mind to use all of your priorities during the registration process. This way you can make sure to get at least one of your favorite courses. Unfortunately, it is possible that you are not assigned any of your obligatory courses. In this case, keep calm and follow the instructions:

If there are problems with your schedule after the allocation of places through alma, please contact the main office of the English Department directly via e-mail. They will be able to help you.

All information about how to proceed in cases of difficulties and emergency during and after the registration process can be found in the info box for alma on our special website.

#9 Until when do I have to prove that I have already met all the language criteria required for the studies? Who do I need to contact?

#9  Für das Studienfach Englisch müssen Sie als Studienvoraussetzung an der Universität Tübingen folgende Sprachkenntnisse nachweisen: (1) Kenntnisse des Englischen auf dem Sprachniveau B2 nach dem GeR und (2) das Latinum oder Kenntnisse einer weiteren modernen Fremdsprache auf dem Sprachniveau A2 nach dem GeR.

Nachweis von schulischen Kenntnissen

Fall 1: Sofern die geforderten Sprachkenntnisse bereits in der Schule erworben worden sind und über die bei der Bewerbung eingereichte Hochschulzugangsberechtigung inklusive Vermerk des GeR-Niveaus nachgewiesen werden können (meist Abiturzeugnis), wenden Sie sich bitte direkt mit den entsprechenden Unterlagen an das zuständige Prüfungsamt für geisteswissenschaftliche Fächer. Hier werden die Sprachanforderungen in alma, dem Portal zum Prüfungsmanagement der Universität Tübingen, verbucht. Für die Überprüfung der Sprachkenntnisse ist also im Fach Englisch nicht das Englische Seminar/ die Studienfachberatung zuständig sondern das Prüfungsamt. Nach der Verbuchung können Sie Ihre nachgewiesenen Sprachkenntnisse unter der Rubrik "Sprachvoraussetzung" in Ihrer Leistungsübersicht nachvollziehen.

Fall 2: Sollten auf Ihrer Hochschulzugangsberechtigung Fremdsprachenkenntnisse nicht mit einem Vermerk des GeR-Niveaus ausgewiesen sein oder sollten sie andere Nachweise ohne Vermerk des entsprechenden GeR-Niveaus vorlegen möchten, wenden Sie sich bitte zunächst an das Fremdsprachenzentrum der Universität Tübingen (FSZ), um sich das entsprechende GeR-Niveau bescheinigen zu lassen. Mit der Bescheinigung des FSZ können Sie sich anschließend zur Verbuchung mit dem zuständigen Prüfungsamt für geisteswissenschaftliche Fächer in Verbindung setzen.

Nachholen von Sprachvoraussetzungen

Sollten erforderliche Sprachkenntnisse zu Studienbeginn noch nicht nachgewiesen werden können, besteht die Möglichkeit, diese während des Studiums nachzuholen. Das Fremdsprachenzentrum der Universität Tübingen (FSZ) berät Sie gerne über Ihre Möglichkeiten in Bezug auf moderne Fremdsprachen. Eine gute Übersicht über Ihre Möglichkeiten (insbesondere in Bezug auf das Latinum) finden Sie auch auf der Spezialwebseite zu Sprachkenntnissen der Zentralen Studienberatung (ZSB). Bitte beachten Sie: Die Möglichkeit zum Nachholen von Fremdsprachkenntnissen gilt nicht für die geforderten Kenntnisse des Englischen!

Fristen

Eine bestimmte Frist für den Nachweis von erforderlichen Fremdsprachenkenntnissen ist nicht vorgesehen. Allerdings empfehlen wir Ihnen, fehlende Fremdsprachenkenntnisse während der Studieneingangsphase, d.h. während des ersten Studienjahrs, nachzuholen.

Für das Nachholen von Sprachkenntnissen als Studienvoraussetzung sieht die RahmenVO eine Verlängerung der Regelstudienzeit vor. Die entsprechenden Bestimmungen für den B.Ed. Englisch finden sich im Allgemeinen Teil der Studien- und Prüfungsordnung aufgeführt (§1 Abs. 8). Für den Erwerb des Latinums oder einer alten Fremdsprache ist eine Verlängerung der Regelstudienzeit um bis zu zwei Semester je Fremdsprache vorgesehen; für den Erwerb einer weiteren modernen Fremdsprache ist eine Verlängerung der Regelstudienzeit um zusammen bis zu zwei Semester vorgesehen.

Bitte beachten Sie: Ohne nachgewiesene Sprachkenntnisse können Sie Ihr Bachelorstudium nicht abschließen!