My Guideline for Studying at TUM
How to Make the Best of Your Time as a Student?
A bit more than 2 years ago, I got accepted to a master’s degree program at the best university in Germany, the Technical University of Munich (TUM). At that time I was completely new to the university and the German education, so I had to learn everything through experience. Looking back, everything would have been easier if somebody could have given me some advice and shared with me some tips and tricks. That’s why I decided to make your life easier by writing this article. Keep in mind, that what I am going to share with you, is what worked best for me, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work wonders for you, however, you will have a good starting point.
I need to tell you right from the beginning that I am studying MSc. Management and Technology with specialization in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Informatics (major), so some of the tips are related to my study degree, however, some are general and I believe anyone can benefit from them. I have a feeling this is going to be a long article, so be prepared.
During my first semester at TUM, I got 2 tips from a TUM Alumna, that really impacted my studies.
First Tip
“Don’t rush. You don’t have to finish your master's in 2 years. Take your time. You are only 21. Find out what you like to learn and do in life. Study because you really want to learn something, even if this means you will prolong your master’s degree, and take some non-mandatory courses. Take every opportunity you can. Nobody cares in Germany if you prolong your studies for a year, of course, if you have a good reason to do so.”
And she was right. Prolonging my studies in my home country, Albania means only one thing: YOU ARE FAILING. But that was not the case in Germany. I could take up to 3 years to finish my master’s degree and I wouldn’t be judged for that. This meant I could also take more courses than the ones required in the curriculum, just because I wanted to learn about them. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could study what I wanted because I was highly interested in the topics and not because I had to. I have learned how to make the most of my time as a student, taken many opportunities that came my way, and lately even started a parallel honors degree. This time I took also allowed me to choose whether I wanted to specialize in Informatics or Computer Engineering, by taking courses from both and then deciding. You can also improve your grades, by taking more courses than needed and then substituting the grades you don’t like in your transcript. Or you can take the time to go on an exchange. You should also keep in mind that accommodation and public transportation are way cheaper for students, and you get discounts in opera, theater, museums, etc., so why not make use of it for a little longer? It also depends on how soon you want to start working. Maybe you are not that keen on studying anymore and want to start working immediately, then please do so. As for me, I am happy with my decision, and I am really glad I took this advice from the beginning.
Second Tip
“Apply for scholarships or a student job.”
During my master’s degree at TUM, I received €25,000 in scholarships that helped me fund my semester abroad at Stanford University in the US, Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, and Tsinghua University in China, and partially my living costs in Germany.
I put together a database with 33 scholarships I have thoroughly researched, and the cover letter that helped me receive 11 scholarships.
Many students in Germany choose to have a student job besides their studies. You can work a maximum of 20h/week as a student and that’s how much I am working currently. However, if I could go back in time, I would have put more effort into applying for scholarships. Why? The scholarship would have allowed me to invest more time in extracurricular activities (which I love), or even have more time to study. Also, it would have allowed me more time for my honors degree, but I will come to that one later. Nevertheless, I did continue applying for some scholarships during my studies at TUM and I am currently a Hans-Rudolf Stiftung and Lothar and Sigrid Rohde (for a semester abroad only) scholarships holder. You should know that in Germany you get a scholarship based on your GPA, extracurricular activities, and financial needs. Keep in mind also that most scholarships accept students who can speak fluent German, but not all. Also, last but not least, most scholarships support you only during the regular master’s period (2 years) however, there are exceptions. Have a look here for scholarships.
Again, this is my opinion on the matter. Some students prefer to work and gain experience, and you can find really good job opportunities in Munich, especially as a TUM student. I did learn a lot in my job, especially about German culture and work ethics, and I am very grateful for having one. However, now that I am pursuing two degrees, I am realizing that a scholarship or more would have provided me with more time, and isn’t time the most valuable thing? Nevertheless, it depends on you and what you are looking for. If you want to gain some work experience and add it to your CV, that is great! If you want to do some extracurricular activities, maybe even found your own startup, or follow an honors degree, then I would suggest you go for a scholarship. It is your choice at the end of the day.
These were the two tips I got from that Alumni and I must say they were a good start on my studies. I still remember them to this day because they really impacted my thoughts on studying at TUM. Right now, I am going to share with you the tips I gathered from my experience, and hopefully, they will help you make the right choices.
Third Tip
“Try to avoid exams.”
Okay, this advice may sound weird, and I’m here to explain it to you. Exams in TUM are not easy. There is a lot of time pressure and often you are not able to finish answering all the questions. Also, usually, there is only a final exam for a course, which means all you have studied throughout your semester will be tested in this one exam. This was the main difference from my previous university. During my bachelor’s degree, throughout the semester I had a midterm exam, final exam, homework, and even quizzes. This means I was being tested regularly and my grade was spread out and not dependable on one single exam. Another difference I came to realize while taking my first exams, was that if in my bachelor’s degree, a 90 minutes exam meant answering 2–3 pages of questions, in TUM often you have around 20–25 pages of questions for 90 minutes. To be more precise, you have 1 minute to answer 1 question. Yes, TUM applies the 1-minute — 1 question rule. In general, I find exams stressful and outdated, and if you are like me, I’d suggest you avoid them. How can you do this?
Fourth Tip
“Take seminars and practical courses instead.”
TUM gives you the opportunity to take Advanced Seminars, which are research papers you have to write throughout the semester. There is a limited number of students who get accepted for these seminars, so make sure to apply for as many as possible. You can apply for Management seminars here. TUM sends you an email when the application period is open. TUM also recommends you not take seminars in your first semester, but I see no reason not to do so. If I would restart my master’s degree today, I would probably apply for these seminars. For the MSc. in Management & Technology, there is even a mandatory seminar to take in order to graduate. This seminar will help you prepare for your Master’s thesis. Besides Advanced Seminars, there are also Advanced Topics and Other limited courses offered by TUM. You apply for them at the same website as you do for Advanced Seminars. Advanced Topics and Other limited courses are classes based on discussions, case studies, and usually a written report at the end. The classes consist of 12–20 students so getting in is not easy, but I would highly encourage you to try! If you are studying Master's in Management & Technology with a specialization in Informatics, you need to know that TUM does not send you an email to remind you about the Informatics Seminars application period, which I do not find that nice. I could only apply this semester for seminars and internships in Informatics, since before I either didn’t know about it or had totally missed the application period. It is good to have a friend in the Informatics department to remind you about it since they do receive an email from TUM. The application is usually done during the exam period of each semester here.
Personally, I like practical courses, discussions, and research better than taking an exam. Also, it is not difficult to take a good grade in these courses, you can even take a 1.0 (the best grade in the German system). In the end, it again comes down to what you want to achieve. If you just want to put in only some effort and study one month prior to the exam in order to pass it, you can do that (even though passing is not always guaranteed). If you want to work in teams, do some research, and discuss with your classmates, while taking a good grade, then I would suggest you go with the second option. However, it does require some effort. I have met students who hate writing and also hate researching, and if you are one of them, then maybe it is better to take an exam. As I said, you are the one who decides what’s best for you.
Fifth Tip
“Take a project study and/or internship”
Project studies are something I learned about recently and I really wish I knew about them earlier. A project study is a 12 ECTs elective course, very similar to an internship. You work for a company half-time for 6 months or full-time for 3 months. In the end, you write a 15–20 pages report about your experience. Usually, you work in teams with other students taking the same project study. Last year, I was doing a Project Study with a startup called Pyoneer, which helps companies provide better customer experience by analyzing data through semi-supervised learning. I must say that I learned A LOT about online marketing during this time, and I really enjoyed this project study. As I mentioned before, I prefer practical courses more than theoretical ones, so this was the best choice for me. Instead of taking 2 courses, I took this project study. Of course, it was not easy to work at the same time in my student job and in the project study, but I managed it well. Also, from my experience and what I know from my friends, it is possible to get a 1.0 in a project study. Of course, this depends also on the company you are working for and the effort you put in. Here you can find companies that are searching for students for Project Study. I personally found out about Pyoneer in a TUM students’ WhatsApp group, so make sure to join these groups too.
About internships, I haven’t taken one so far. You can apply for an informatics internship when you are also applying for seminars. From what I have seen, it is usually 10 ECTs.
Sixth Tip
“Take practical entrepreneurship courses in UnternehmerTUM”
If you are specializing in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, or if you are really interested in entrepreneurship and would like to become a founder in the future, I would definitely recommend you take courses offered by UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators. UnternehmerTUM is the largest center for start-ups and innovation in Europe and it has a department dedicated to empowering the entrepreneurs of the future, the students. The courses offered by TechTALENTS are hands-on, include teamwork, and you learn by doing. There are no written exams. Not only will you learn a lot during these courses, but you can also take a good grade (of course you need to put in some work and effort). I have taken most of these courses, and I really recommend them.
In the first semester of my studies, I took Tech Challenge, which provides challenges from different partners (corporates and startups), and in a semester you need to come up with a solution and a working prototype together with your interdisciplinary team. This experience taught me a lot about Ideation, Hypothesis Testing, Design Thinking, and Prototyping. Later on, I went to China, through the TIE2 Program, an amazing experience that allowed me to learn about how business is done in China, meet Chinese investors, and work with student founders from Tsinghua University. I also had the chance to experience Chinese culture and visit some places around Beijing. Afterward, I took the Technology Entrepreneurship Lab course, which gave me the needed training to become a coach for the students who were working on their ideas and MVPs. Then, I really wanted to know more about venture capitalists and how startups get funding and investment, and that’s why I joined the Venture Capital Lab. In this course, you will work in teams and act as a real-life VC that invests in startups that pitch to you every two weeks. Later on, you create a term sheet and negotiate with the team. I can only recommend it!
I haven’t taken the other courses, but I know that the Business Plan Seminar and Advanced Business Plan Seminar, are great for starting off developing your idea. Innovative Entrepreneurs lecture has founders and managers every week to inspire you with their stories, and Think.Make.Start allows you to ideate and prototype within two weeks. Also, keep in mind that UnternehmerTUM provides you with a whole system to help you become a founder.
If you want to know more about my experience with the courses offered by TechTALENTS, you can read the following articles: My Story in Tech Challenge, and My experience in TIE2 Program.
Seventh Tip
“Keep a good GPA in the first semesters, because that’s when you do most of your applications.”
This is something that worked for me. If you are satisfied with your high school’s or bachelor’s GPA, then take “easy courses” that allow you to keep a good GPA in the first semesters. Why? Because you will do most of your applications in the first and second semesters, whether it is for scholarships, a semester abroad, or other opportunities. I personally took all my management and elective courses in the beginning and decided to take my informatics courses later on. This strategy worked well for me.
Eighth Tip
“Do more than just your studies.”
I personally find it boring to not get involved in other extracurricular activities or take advantage of the opportunities offered. I seek growth by all means, and I believe that doing just university is not enough. Even university and a student job are not enough. At least not for me. There are so many opportunities out there to become a better person both professionally and personally. I am introducing to you some of them, so you don’t have to search.
Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM)
I am so happy to be part of this amazing community! CDTM is a joint institution of the two universities in Munich, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and the Technische Universität München (TUM). CDTM offers the interdisciplinary add-on study program „Technology Management“, which is part of the Elite Network of Bavaria. Students from various study backgrounds with creative ideas, great motivation, and an entrepreneurial mindset are offered the tools to put their ideas into practice.
CDTM focuses on three main topics: Innovation, Product Development, and Entrepreneurship. As the study program is very hands-on, CDTM closely cooperates with renowned partners from the industry as well as with start-ups and medium-sized companies. Research at the CDTM focuses on new technologies of high economic relevance that are expected to be ready for the market in five to ten years. If you are considering applying (which I highly recommend you to do), read the article I wrote about it some time ago: How Did I Get Into the CDTM? where I share my Letter of Purpose, and How to Prepare for the CDTM Interview? where I give you some tips.
Manage&More (M&M) is all about leadership and entrepreneurship. I must say I have met many awesome people there, and some are close friends of mine. M&M is to some degree comparable to CDTM, but with a slightly different focus. Also, keep in mind that M&M requires a B2 level of German.
In a mere 18 months as part of M&M, you’ll learn to apply methods of innovation such as Design Thinking and Business Design, develop innovations that can solve relevant problems, and turn these innovations into viable business models. You’ll discover which values and goals will form your compass, which drivers will enable you to accomplish great things and what your biggest strengths are, and how you can best bring them to the task.
180 Degrees Consulting is the world’s largest consultancy for non-profits & social enterprises. They provide high-quality consulting services to social impact organizations so they can improve and expand their services. They have over 10,000 carefully selected and professionally trained volunteer consultants worldwide. Makes me wonder, why haven’t I applied yet?!
If you dream of becoming a consultant, this is the right place for you. Academy Consult is the student management consultancy of the Munich universities. This is where students gather to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice and to give companies new impetus in external consulting projects.
Another program from UnternehmerTUM. When it comes to developing digital products, there’s nothing like working on projects to gain this experience. There are loads of methods, techniques, frameworks, tools, buzzwords, and communication strategies. But to reap the benefit and to see it all falling into place, you need to work on projects with different challenges. And alongside some great teammates. Keep in mind that this is a full-time program, but you also get a scholarship. I would highly recommend it!
START Munich is a student club at TU Munich, that brings together a new generation of entrepreneurs and offers direct access to the startup world. Since its foundation in 2003, over 250 members have been active in the club and have founded successful startups such as Freeletics, Bits & Pretzels, and Kreditech. Great opportunity if you want to found a startup, are looking for a network, or even cofounders!
The TUM: Junge Akademie offers its students precisely this independent creative freedom on their way to becoming responsible in modern society. Among other things, the funding should introduce the best students to open and particularly difficult issues at an early stage and teach them to deal with them. Right from the start, the members are part of a lively network consisting of alumni of the academy, members of the active professors as well as the Emeriti of Excellence of TUM and young researchers. Exclusively organized workshops and cultural highlights, as well as the financial resources for the project ideas, enable extensive further training and personal development beyond your own subject.
Europe’s largest climate innovation summer school for graduates and young professionals. Is Climate Change your calling? Cause it is indeed one of mine. So what are you waiting for? Join the summer school and save planet Earth, PLEASE.
Social Entrepreneurship Akademie (SEA)
Do you want to be among those who don’t just ask questions, but also find answers? SEA trains people who want to act entrepreneurially and think socially. You don’t have to choose. They empower people to implement solutions that are economically viable, socially effective, and environmentally sustainable. Have a look at their website since they offer many programs related to Social Entrepreneurship!
This was my first touch with consultancy. The TUM Business Game is a two-day and a half case competition where 60 students compete in teams of four over four challenges, provided by corporate partners. I’d highly recommend joining it. I had a blast.
Whaat? There is such a thing as TEDxTUM? Yes, there is, my friends, and you can become part of the organizing team if you fulfill all the requirements. Think about how cool it is to select the speakers and help them prepare their speeches!
These guys literally won every.single.competition of Elon Musk, and even met him in person! How cool is that? Currently, they are developing a full-scale transportation system, a climate-neutral, ground-based transportation system, meeting the demand for ultra-fast connections between mobility hubs. I meeean!!!
Is there a challenge provided by Elon Musk that TUM students can’t solve? NOPE. TUM Boring — Innovation in Tunneling is an initiative of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) consisting of 60 highly motivated students who have teamed up to innovate toward a greener future in which they waste less time commuting. They see building tunnels as a technology destined for disruption and want to shape the future of tunneling through innovation. To achieve this, they aim to build the world’s fastest tunnel boring machine and compete in Elon Musk’s Not-a-Boring Competition. Excited? Join the team!
I don’t know how would I have survived my first days in TUM without my buddy. It all seemed too complicated, however, my buddy was there to support me, give me advice, and even show me how to navigate through the TUM campuses (yes, you will get lost a couple of times). I also was a buddy and enjoyed helping out newbies. I am still doing it with this article, so thank me later (jk).
The Student Council TUM SOM represents all students currently enrolled at the TUM School of Management in matters involving the university. Did you always dream of becoming part of a student council or even the President of it? That’s your chance. I joined it for a while but ended up being too busy to stay active :(
I am sure there are many more programs and opportunities out there, but I believe you’ll have a good start with these ones. Let me know if you find other interesting ones in the comments below :)
Ninth Tip
“Go on a semester abroad if you can”
When I first came to Germany, I noticed that the majority of students I met had gone at least once on an exchange. For me, coming to Germany was my first experience living and studying abroad. During my Bachelor’s degree exchanges were not really promoted, and I didn’t have many examples of alumni having gone abroad that could encourage me to do the same. However, when I came here, there was a totally different mindset. And to be honest, I felt bad for not having gone abroad during my Bachelor’s and missing out on a new self-discovering experience. I realized during my first semester in Munich, how much of an impact studying somewhere else can have on the person. New country, language, culture, way of living, all these make you look at the world and the people from a different perspective. I can surely say that I am another version of myself from the Kei that first came to Germany, and I am proud of that. And I also know this wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t left my home country. By the way, if you are interested and have time you can also read my other articles about my experience in Germany: What Made Me Leave My Home Country?, The German Hug, and How are Germans, really?. What I want to emphasize is that if you have the chance, please go on a semester abroad. Think of it as an investment in yourself, and you probably will get an ERASMUS scholarship so no worries about the costs of living abroad. Luckily for you, TUM offers many options to go abroad!
The TUMexchange Program offers students in all faculties the possibility for a study-related stay in the selected country outside Europe. The application process opens once a year at the beginning of the winter term for both the winter and summer terms. Application is possible in October, just so you keep that in mind.
Spending some time abroad requires good preparation and several administrative and organizational steps. With TUM SOMex (incl. ERASMUS+), you receive valuable support before, during, and after your stay abroad. The process may sound like it involves a great deal of effort, but don’t forget that the experiences you gain and the people you meet during your exchange are priceless. The deadline for application is usually at the beginning of January, but please check it out.
Combining the strengths of two or more universities in different countries is often the perfect preparation for an international career. The Joint International Programs offered at TUM School of Management are not separate degrees — they combine different courses from our portfolio with those of our various renowned partner universities.
Courses and exams are usually equally recognized by all universities within the Joint International Program. Depending on the program, students receive a Master of Science degree from the Technical University of Munich plus the qualification from the corresponding partner institution. TUM School of Management currently offers five different Joint International Programs. Check them out on the website!
ATHENS — Study one week in Europe
The ATHENS Programme offers students and doctoral candidates of TUM the opportunity to stay abroad at 24 partner universities in Europe (e.g. ParisTech, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Delft University of Technology). Twice a year — in mid-March and mid-November — specialized courses take place at the same time at all ATHENS universities.
Free mover and other ways to go abroad
You can go abroad as a free mover, by arranging everything yourself, or also for a competition or internship. There are many ways, all you need is the motivation to go abroad and have once in a lifetime experience.
Also, with CDTM and Manage&More programs, you can go abroad to some of the top universities in the world such as MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and many more!
Now you are probably thinking about whether I have even gone abroad. Oh, that’s a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short. I applied for TUMexchange and got nominated to go to Swinburne University in Australia (daydreaming about beaches while experiencing the cold winters in Germany). What happened? I got declined from Swinbourne University because of some Migration Laws (being Albanian has many benefits, right? Nope). So yeah, TUM was surprised by this, and the same was I, but it is what it is, and I decided to apply again next time, cause if I really want something, I don’t easily give up.
A year later, I applied for TUM SOMex, because I wanted to go to Israel! Why Israel? Long story again, will write another article about that. And guess what happened, Corona happened. I was supposed to be in Israel in the winter semester of 2020, but I couldn’t go there. This does not mean I am not going there next semester in Summer 2021! I mean if you think about it, I’d choose summer in Israel anyway (daydreaming about those beaches again). Where exactly will I go to study in Israel? Oh, I’ll let you know soon about that. The current situation with Corona and the lockdown in Israel may delay my time of arrival there, which to be honest sucks. But anyway, I got my hopes high.
UPDATE: I went to Israel! And it was AMAZING. If you are curious about my experience there, you can read My Semester Abroad in Israel.
And yes, I did apply for ATHENS program too and was supposed to go to Paris last year, but needless to say, Corona happened. But you need to stay positive my friends. And yes, I also applied for the Joint International Programs, and had an interview for studying at the NUS university in Singapore, but didn’t make it in. Some things are just not meant to be. So yeah, that’s my story about studying abroad, but I am pretty sure things will be better soon, and you can enjoy your exchange semester next year! Fingers crossed :)
Tenth Tip
“Some advice on Master’s thesis”
I haven’t written my Master’s thesis yet, and I do not plan on doing it anytime soon. However, when I do, I’ll make sure to come back to this article and update this part, so you’ll have a full guideline on studying at TUM based on my experience. You’ll just have to wait for a bit.
UPDATE: Eleventh Tip
Take sports courses at ZHS. For real. You will never be able to try cool sports courses (such as sailing, skiing, etc.) later in life with the student prices offered by ZHS. So take advantage of your time as a student! I personally registered only recently for ZHS courses, and I wish I could have registered for more courses throughout my studies. And remember, doing sport is a great way to keep your body and mind healthy.
Be aware of the registration date and time for the course you are interested in and be quick! You’ll be surprised to see how quickly these courses get fully booked.
BONUS TIP
For internationals: Learn German, really. If you have the chance, learn German before starting your studies at TUM. Why? You will simply have more opportunities when it comes to courses you can take, job positions you can apply for, and scholarships you can get. Also, it will make your life easier, by communicating with the natives and making some German friends. TUM offers language courses for free to the students, so take this opportunity to learn German. I regret not having learned German before starting my Master’s Degree, however, I do take the German language courses that TUM offers every semester.
Congrats! You made it to the end of this article. It was a long one, wasn’t it? But believe me, it took me longer to write it, however, it was totally worth it, and I really enjoyed it. I hope you find some of these tips helpful, and as I have mentioned many times throughout the article, these tips worked for me, and it doesn't necessarily mean they will work for you. You have your own journey to go through, and you do you, so take what helps you from this article and leave the rest. I wish you a great journey at TUM, make the best out of it, and enjoy it. It probably won’t come twice as an opportunity.
PS. If you found these tips helpful, please share them with your friends. I’d be happy to know that many students benefited from this article and that I didn’t write it for no reason :D
PPS. I wrote an article about The 3 Free Online Tools Every Student Should Use - you can check it here.
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