Freshman Guide

There are two different types of course completions: examination results (PL) and course credits (“certificates,” SL). Exam credits are the most important and are subject to many conditions set forth in the examination regulations. Course credits are completed with a graded or ungraded certificate and are not bound by the rules governing exam credits, such as the number of retakes allowed.

Exam Registration

At TU Ilmenau, you must register for every exam you wish to take during the current semester within a specific time frame. This period lasts two weeks in the middle of each semester. You can find the dates for the next semester under Important Documents and Dates. Registration is not required for coursework (S, Sb), but you should register so that examiners can plan based on accurate enrollment numbers. Please review your study plan (curriculum) before registering and be sure to meet the deadlines.
There are “alternative exam options” (aPL) that must be registered for earlier in the semester. You will also be notified of this via email by your academic advisor during the current semester. You must register via the online student and exam management system at https://campus.tu-ilmenau.de/ or, in exceptional cases, in writing with the Office of Academic Examinations.

There may be some courses you cannot register for, such as non-technical electives (“Nichttechnisches Wahlfach”) that are
not directly included in your study plan (curriculum). In this case, you’ll find the specific form on the intranet. You can search for courses using the following path:
https://opentimetable.tu-ilmenau.de/ 'Target Group' ! 'Select Department' ! Select your degree program and semester' !

Withdrawing from Exams

You can withdraw from an exam in the same way you registered for it, up to four days before the exam (including weekends), without any negative consequences. Keep in mind that exams have deadlines.

Retake Exams

If you did not pass your exam on the first attempt, you are entitled to one retake for each exam. You must complete the retake within two semesters of the first attempt, and you must re-register for each attempt. For a limited number of exams, you may take a so-called “second retake exam.” (“2nd retake exam”). You can find the special regulations in your PO-BB (Examination Regulations—Special Provisions). However, this differs from the first retake: Registration is done by filling out a form at the Registrar’s Office and scheduling a meeting with the instructor. This exam takes place in the format announced by the instructor (oral or written). If you fail the second retake exam, this automatically results in the termination of your studies (“dismatriculation”).

Exam Deadlines

When planning your exam registration, you must take the deadlines into account. For all final exams in the first two semesters, you must have taken them for the first time no later than two semesters after the semester specified in the curriculum. This requirement must be met by the last day of the semester, i.e., by March 31 or September 30. If you have not taken your first attempt by this date, you will receive a grade of 5.0 (fail). The same applies if you miss the deadline for retake exams after the two-semester period following your first attempt.

Free Attempts

Despite all these regulations, there is a small perk known as “free attempts” (“Freiversuche”). You can use them if you take your exam by the end of the regular semester specified in your study plan (curriculum) but fail it. As a result, your retake exam counts as your first attempt—you receive another chance to pass this exam. In addition, there are “grade improvement attempts,” which you can also use for exams taken on schedule after you have passed them. When you take the exam a second time, the grades are compared, and you receive the higher one. For both types of opportunities, you must register with the Examinations Office using the appropriate form before the deadline for retakes. The number of available attempts and grade improvement attempts is based on the standard duration of study, but should also be verified in the PO-BB.

Illness

Sometimes you may be unable to take your exam because you have fallen ill. In this case, visit a doctor’s office and have a certificate of inability to take the exam issued. You will need this as proof that you were unable to take the exam. You must submit this certificate to your examination office immediately or send it along with the appropriate form. You can find this form on the examination offices’ websites under “Attestmeldung” (certificate submission) or directly at their office. Otherwise, you will receive a grade of 5.0.

There are two ways to find your courses:

1. The online course calendar called Open-Timetable:

Here you can easily get an overview of all courses and when they take place. You can filter by degree program to find the ones that are relevant to you.
You can find the page here: https://opentimetable.tu-ilmenau.de
and a user guide here: www.stura.eu/ew-ottbh

2. Your personal schedule is called “Timetable”:

Here you can select the courses you want to take and create your personal schedule. However, you’ll need to log in with your TU Ilmenau account.
You can find the page here: https://timetable.tu-ilmenau.de
and a user guide here: www.stura.eu/ew-ottbh

Sometimes it’s very useful to have a free room available, perhaps for study groups or to practice a presentation with your fellow students. Most of the university’s seminar rooms are equipped with whiteboards, overhead projectors, and projectors. You can find available rooms under Option 4 (Week): Room Reservations for a Week (see the Open Timetable Manual). Good rooms for small groups are located in the Kirchhoff Building (K), the Humboldt Building (HU), the Helmholtz Building (H), the Oeconomicum (OEC), and the Curie Building (C) on the city campus. You also have the option of using the rooms in the cafeteria and the library.

Student Services and Housing Associations

Important Online Portals

There is free university Wi-Fi on campus. You can use it as soon as your university account is activated. You can find all the information and instructions on how to set it up on the UniRZ website (https://intranet.tu-ilmenau.de/site/unirz/SitePages/TUILM-WLAN.aspx). Until your university account is activated, you can also use the temporary access provided during Freshman Week. You’ll receive the password for this at the latest during the welcome event.

If you live in a dorm on campus, you can become a member of the Forschungsgemeinschaft elektronische Medien e.V. (FeM). This gives you access to the FeM network, which is one of the largest student dorm networks in Germany and is managed by the students themselves. All computers there are connected to each other, and you can browse the web via the connection to the computer center. The admission fee for FeM e.V. is €25, and the membership fee is €40 per semester.

Hotels and Guesthouses

Where can you do laundry in Ilmenau?

In Ilmenau, there’s both a laundromat and the option to do laundry on campus in the basements of buildings A, E, K, N, and P.

Heidi’s self-service laundromat is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. A standard load costs €3.50 (including detergent), and drying costs €1. You can pay with coins and bills up to €20.

In the dorms, you can do your laundry using your Thoska card. There is a €1 charge for both washing and drying. The laundry facilities in the basements of the buildings are open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You must bring your own laundry detergent to the dorm.

Pharmacies

The City of Ilmenau’s website provides a list of pharmacies. In case of an emergency, there is always a pharmacy open.

Where is the Residents’ Registration Office in Ilmenau?

The Residents’ Registration Office in Ilmenau is located in City Hall (Am Markt 7). It is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Ilmenau offers a variety of recreational activities and options, both day and night. A few of them are listed below.

• Indoor Swimming Pool
• Outdoor Pool
• Ice rink
• Sledding track
• Kids’ Play Area
• Movie theater
• bc Student Café
• bc Student Club
• bhd Club
• bi Club
• Cafe Bohne
• Ankerplatz
• Aqui