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von Barbara Hamp
am 31. August 2018
ungefähr 6 Minuten
Kategorien: Life at Uni
Themen: Good to know , Teaching Affairs and Student Services

10 things I wish I had known before starting university – tips

Starting and continuing your studies is tricky. Therefore it helps to know the tricks of the trade where you can find the information you are looking for and who will support you in solving a certain problem. Here is the best of “I wish I had known that earlier” – tips for starting at the University of Vienna.

(Update: August 2022)

1) Course directory

In the u:find course directory you find all important organisational information on the courses of the relevant semester. The degree programmes are listed according to the directorates of studies.

There you find the following information:

  • place, time, course type (hover over the abbreviation in front of the title to show the full course description),
  • attendance requirement (the course is either classified as “prüfungsimmanent”, which means that there is continuous assessment and you have to be present, or there is no information regarding attendance requirement, which means that you do not have to be present),
  • registration period,
  • registration link (once the registration period has started)

What few students know:

  • In u:find you can compile a personal watch list. Simply log on to the u:account in u:find and click onto the star symbol next to the course title in the course details.
  • In the course details there is also an iCal Link. With that you can export course dates into your own calendar. But this is only possible if course dates have already been determined.

2) u:space

uspace quadratMuch can be done with the u:space portal. At the beginning of the semester not only course registration is important but also the “Personal matters” area. Here you can change your address in the “Personal data” area (this is relevant for buying a semester pass from the Wiener Linien public transport). In the “My documents” area you can print your student record sheet and confirmation of enrolment (this is relevant for receiving family allowance).

3) u:card – your student ID card

When you first gain admission to the University of Vienna, you will receive your u:card – your student ID card. You have to order your u:card after your first enrolment and payment of the tuition fee via u:space (in the section “Personal matters > My u:card”).

u-card terminal
u:card Terminal

To validate the card, you have to visit one of the u:card terminals at one of the terminal locations. This you need to do every semester after paying the tuition fee.

Please note that you also need to sign the u:card on the back of the card.

If you loose your u:card or it gets lost or stolen, you will have to pay 15 Euro to receive a new card. All information about the u:card and its features can be found here.

 

4) Planning your semester

At the university, you are not given a fixed timetable. You have to plan your semester yourself. The most important basics are the curriculum of your degree programme and the course directory in u: find. Important information on planning the semester and orientation guidelines are available on the website “Studying at the University of Vienna“. On the detailed page of each degree programme, you will find information regarding your degree. If you have further questions, the Student Representatives – students who are already studying the programme – can help the most, since they know all the pitfalls of the programme.

5) Problems with the registration system

If you do not know why you are not able to register for courses or exams; which curriculum item to select; why you cannot find courses, etc., you are in good hands with your degree programme’s SSS/SSC (StudiesServiceUnit/StudiesServiceCenter). It is the organisation hub for semester courses.

6) Missing/incorrectly entered grades

Your grades are not displayed in u:space? Your grades are allocated to the wrong module? The system says that you did not complete the introductory and orientation period? Your SSS/SSC can tackle the issue and shed some light on the confusion of grades.

7) ÖH Uni Wien (Austrian Students’ Union at the University of Vienna)

The ÖH (Austrian Student’s Union) is the interest group for students and offers many services to you. There are advisory services for first-semester students by the students’ representatives, the mensa sticker&bonus (Mensen-Pickerl&Bonus) giving you a discount in many Mensa cafeterias (additional discounts for low-cost and tasty food), a copy sticker (to save  extra money during your studies) and other counselling services such as studying abroad.

8) Family allowance/federal aid for students

The Finanzamt (tax office) responsible for your place of residence is the best contact for questions about family allowance; the Austrian Study Grant Authority for questions about the federal aid for students. We know from personal experience that both authorities have service-oriented and cooperative staff.

9) Wiener Linien semester pass

The Wiener Linien public transport offers low-cost passes for students. If you buy your pass online, you have to enter the exactly same address as indicated in u:space, use an “a” in front of your student ID number and check whether your admission is valid (for new entrants it starts on 1 October/1 March). If the online purchase does not work, you can buy the pass in person at the box offices of the Wiener Linien.

10) University Sport Institute and Language Centre

usi sportsThe University Sport Institute (USI) offers great sport courses ranging from Aerial Dance to Zumba classes. You can attend language courses for more than 30 languages at the Language Centre. So you might be able to say “I have finished my studies” in Finnish, Hindi or Korean. Both institutions provide favourable course prices to students.

 

 


More blogposts

Have a look at the blogposts about the application & admission process at the University of Vienna:

Any questions about starting your studies?

For general information about studying at the University of Vienna follow this link https://studieren.univie.ac.at/en/ 


Barbara Hamp

Barbara Hamp studied Theatre, Film and Media Studies and Gender Studies at the University of Vienna. She has been working at Teaching Affairs and Student Services since 2011 and is responsible for providing information about and advertising the University’s range of degree programmes.


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8 comments

  1. dear sir
    i wish best days for you
    i have matter may you tell me about it
    my name is hesham from Egypt
    my work legal adviser in Egyptian prosecutor my age 30 years old
    I have a degree Bachelor of Law in 2006 and i study now Master of Law in Egypt . i wish study Master of Law in the university of Vienna . please tell me how i will study the university of Vienna Master of Law thank you ans best regard
    hesham

  2. dear sir i have a matter about the duration of pharmacy in university Vienna .i would be grateful for your help

    1. Hello Hassan, please contact the directorate of the study programme ssc.lebenswissenschaften(at)univie.ac.at Our colleagues will help you.

  3. Dear Sir/Madam, my name is Ogulsoltan Nepesova. I am from Turkmenistan. I have applied for bachelor degree of Social science at the University of Vienna on 27 July for 2016 Winter Semester. But I did not manage to finalize legalization of my school leaving certificate and get a university qualification certificate by that time. Would it possible to submit these documents in additional email? Could you please advise on further steps? Thank you for your help in advance. Best regards, Ogulsoltan.

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