PreCIS-Programme

Published: 10 Jan 2025, last edit: 10 Jan 2025

PreCIS stands for Preparatory Course and Support Programme for International Students and is much more than just a buddy programme.

A two-week preliminary course takes place in September before the regular start of studies, where international first-year students can prepare themselves very well for their studies at TU Darmstadt. During the preliminary course, the (soon-to-be) students receive study skills training, go on excursions in and around Darmstadt, and receive specialised courses in maths and German. As part of the study skills training, PreCIS participants are informed about the different types of courses and the grading system at TU Darmstadt, for example.

For more information about the PreCIS pre-course, visit the PreCIS programme website.

As some mentees have not yet arrived in Darmstadt in September each year, the preliminary course is offered both in person at TU Darmstadt and digitally.

After the preliminary course is over, the study-accompanying buddy programme begins. Experienced students from higher semesters (mentors) accompany the PreCIS participants (mentees) through the first semester at TU Darmstadt by meeting regularly with assigned mentees during the winter semester and clarifying their questions about studying or staying in Darmstadt.

During the semester, workshops are also held on the topics of study planning and exam preparation.

In summary, the PreCIS programme supports international first-year Bachelor's students in finding their feet in everyday study life and life in Germany.

I myself am a foreign student with a foreign high school diploma at TU Darmstadt. Although I attended an Austrian school in my home country and have a very good command of German, my first semester at TU Darmstadt was a real challenge! At the time, I didn't even know that TU Darmstadt had such a good preparation and mentoring programme. I have to admit that I was a bit annoyed upset because I only found out about the PreCIS programme towards the end of my Bachelor's degree!

I received a message on TUCaN (a digital platform from TU Darmstadt) with the job advert for the mentor position. After doing a little research about PreCIS and the responsibilities of a mentor, I felt totally inspired and really wanted to take part.

I had the impression that with my experience as a foreign student at the TU or in Darmstadt and my outgoing, emphatic personality, I could really help international first-year Bachelor students on my degree programme.

In my opinion, the BME-Molecular Biotechnology and Chemistry degree programmes are particularly demanding for students in their first Bachelor's semester. You start a lab course in the second week and the very first exam of the semester already takes place in December. I didn't have any lab experience until my first bachelor's semester and I can still remember how overwhelmed and stressed I was back then. If I had had someone from a higher semester in my degree programme to ask my questions to or share my worries with, my first semester at TU Darmstadt would probably have been a lot less complicated. That's why I've been a mentor in the PreCIS buddy programme for 3 years.

As a PreCIS buddy, I make contact with my mentees after the preliminary course and try to support them so that they get off to a good start at TU Darmstadt and in Germany. During the semester, I have both individual and group meetings with my mentees. The topics that often come up at the first individual meeting are, for example, self-introduction, registering for the major-internal orientation week, applying for the Athene card, course registrations, etc.

In the first group meeting, all my mentees who are present get to know each other and can thus already make friends with fellow international students. The content of group meetings varies depending on the time of the meeting, from course registrations to, for example, old exam loans.

We buddies are given several workshops so that we can support our mentees as well as possible during their first semester. I try to create a pleasant atmosphere and open communication with my mentees so that they can ask me their questions and talk to me about their problems without feeling shy. If I am not able to help with a topic, I try to direct them to the right contact person.

It's very important to me that my mentees don't feel lonely and helpless during their very first semester at TU Darmstadt.

What is very important in the PreCIS programme is the fulfilment of PreCIS participants. In addition to my work as a mentor in the Bbuddy Programme, I have been holding the digital study skills training in the PreCIS preliminary course with a colleague for two years. This year, after the preliminary course was over, two participants were briefly interviewed about the study skills training and the preliminary course. Both found the study skills training very helpful for the start of their studies:

You can find more testimonials about the PreCIS programme on the PreCIS website.

The application deadline for the PreCIS programme is 31 August each year. It is possible that some first-year Bachelor's students may not have received their letter of admission by then. In addition, there is a certain quota for the PreCIS programme and it is possible that the application will be rejected. But don't worry, there are other support programmes available at TU Darmstadt! Some of them are briefly described below.

As part of the Big Sister Mentoring Programme, international female students who have applied for the programme are assigned to a female student (mentor) in a higher semester. The programme runs from January to June, where the mentees meet with their mentor at least once a month. These meetings serve to pass on tips and tricks on organising studies and university life. The Big Sister mentoring programme aims to make it easier for international students to arrive and study at TU Darmstadt. Female students can apply for Big Sister regardless of their degree programme and semester. You can find more information about the Big Sister mentoring programme and the application process here.

All admitted or newly enrolled international Master's students in the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at TU Darmstadt are automatically registered for the MasterPlus buddy programme. Through the MasterPlus programme, international Master's students in the above-mentioned departments receive targeted support for the organisational preparation of their study and study-related support in the first semester from student buddies in the same department.

For more information about the MasterPlus Buddy Programme, please visit the TU Darmstadt website.

Some departments and degree programmes offer their own mentoring programme.

For example, the mentoring programme ‘Erfolgreich ins Informatik-Studium starten’ (eiiss) from the Department of Computer Science helps newly enrolled students to start their Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Mentors from higher semesters support first-year students with topics such as time management, learning strategies and study and self-organisation. Participation in eiiss is even compulsory. The website of the Department of Computer Science contains detailed information about eiis mentoring.

BioPrime from the Department of Biology and the Buddy Programme from the Intercultural Skills and Project Management course in the Master's degree programme in Synthetic Biology are other examples of internal support programmes.

In conclusion, it can be said that first-year students – especially international students – at TU Darmstadt do not need not to be afraid of the challenges of a new phase of life. Programmes such as the PreCIS mentoring programme provide them with strong support to help them quickly find their feet in their new environment and make a successful start to their studies. Whether it's academic issues, cultural differences or everyday life in Germany – you'll find the help you need to get off to a flying start at TU Darmstadt!