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Faculty of Mathematics | Student's Association
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The first semester

How can I prepare myself?
 
So you have decided to study mathematics? Congratulations and welcome to our faculty. If you are bursting with motivation, we have good news for you: you can already make your first experiences with mathematics before lectures begin.

The faculty offers two pre-courses. The preliminary course in mathematics is intended for all those who are taking up a subject-related study programme (mathematics, business mathematics) or the teaching programme for grammar schools and comprehensive schools. It begins four weeks before the start of the lecture period. Using selected examples of the basic mathematical sub-disciplines, you can get to know the first concepts and techniques.
get to know.

If you have decided to study to become a teacher for the school types Hauptschule, Realschule, Sekundarschule and Gesamtschule or Grundschule, then the preliminary course in mathematics for teachers is a good option. Here, the material you have already learned at school is reviewed from a university perspective. The aim is to bring you and everyone else up to a good
to be able to start the semester successfully. The preliminary course starts two weeks before the start of the lecture period.

You should definitely not miss our info day. You are cordially invited to the university on the weekday before the start of the preliminary course in mathematics. In addition to a welcome by representatives of the faculty, you will receive information about your course of study and the surrounding area. You will receive an invitation and further information material in good time from our Freshers' Office.


Take advantage of the Info Day and other events organised by the First Year Counsel to get to know your fellow students. It's rare to get through your studies alone and without support; friends or a study group make everyday life a lot easier.


What should I keep in mind for the first few weeks of the lecture period?
 
First of all: stay calm, everything starts from scratch. No one expects you to have mastered the mathematics of the lectures. You will be taught everything in the lectures right from the start, but the pace is of course different from what you will be used to at school. That's why you shouldn't despair, but get used to catching up with the
get used to catching up on the material.

If you don't understand something, you can always visit the lecturers during their office hours and ask them questions. In the library you can often
In the library, you can often find further literature on the topics covered, where you might find a new perspective and thus the enlightenment you were hoping for.

Don't forget your new friends at university! Sometimes you're smarter when you're part of a team. There is also the learning centre, where regular support is offered for the initial courses.


What do I have to study at all, and what should I include in my timetable?

On this page you will find an overview of the study programme options offered for mathematics. Simply click on your subject and then on the right-hand side of the screen on Module list (course content) to get to a tabular overview of the course of study.

Clicking on the individual courses, where the recommended start of study is
takes you to the overview of the content of the respective module. Here you will find a link to the courses offered in the eKVV on the right-hand side. If you follow it, you can add the lecture and the appropriate exercises to your plan.

For a complete overview of the course of study in visual form, just look here.

 
The first exams are coming up, what now?

 
Again: stay calm, don't let it drive you crazy. Many others have passed the exams before you, and I'm sure you will too. Look at the exams after the first semester as feedback for you. This first exam does not mean that you have successfully completed your studies or even that your final grade has been determined.

Here in Bielefeld, you can take exams as often as you like, so the pressure to pass and get a grade (at least in Linear Algebra 1 and Linear Algebra 1) does not need to be taken into account, especially at the beginning. Prepare for the exam as well as you can - if you give it your all, you will have reasonable feedback on your performance.


ATTENTION: The basic lectures are not held every semester for the degree programmes with the career goal of teaching at Haupt-, Real-, Sekundar- and Gesamtschulen (secondary schools) as well as primary schools: Arithmetic and Algebra only run in the winter semester, Elementary Geometry only takes place in the summer semester. Nevertheless, there's no reason to let yourself go crazy. Good preparation and attitude are half the battle ;)