Problems with your studies

Taking time off can help if you are currently unable to study. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as

• overcoming an illness,
• sorting out family matters,
• finding yourself,
• working in order to build a nest egg,
• orientation internships.

The time off can take different forms: a leave of absence or an adapted study plan for short-term timeouts, or a de-registration from your study programme and a later re-enrolment. To find out what is the right path for you, a consultation at the Central Student Advisory Service is the best way.

There are short-term and longer-term leaves: These can give you complete or partial time off from your studies. If you need more time for certain things, reducing the number of modules often helps. If you are in need of more time at short notice, register for fewer exams or withdraw from some. This will create some free time for you. However, you have to bear in mind the provisions of the examination regulations and of BAföG. If you need to take some time off, but still want to continue studying at a reduced pace, part-time studies may be an alternative. If it is not possible for you to study at all in your current situation, a leave of absence is another option. Let us advise you on which path is best for you.

Part-time studies
Leave of absence

There are situations in life in which you might not want to or be able to study for a certain time. Taking a leave of absence from studying may then be the right choice. As a general rule of thumb, you must be absent from your studies for at least six weeks of the lecture period to apply for a leave of absence. Possible reasons may be, for example, bringing up a child, own illness, caring for family members, an internship or semester abroad, participation in organs within student bodies or student services organizations, or military service / social service.

It is possible to change from full-time to part-time studies and back again each semester when re-registering. To find out whether your study programme is compatible with part-time study, please refer to the Study Programme DatabaseExternal link.

In order to request a change to part-time studies, you need to provide reasons that allow and justify part-time studies. You can find more information and the application form here.

This is a tough question because no matter what degree you have, there is always a wide range of opportunities on the labour market. These can be very closely related to the subject, but can also be more cross-disciplinary and method-oriented. In addition, you will be working for about 40 years, and this period will be very dynamic and is therefore difficult to predict.

This is why it is helpful to not focus on the options available, but on what you actually want to do. What do I want to do after my studies, how and where? Envisioning your future is a stimulating and inspiring process. At the end, you will arrive at a career goal that suits you and that you can already work towards achieving during your studies, e.g. through relevant internships.

The Central Student Advisory Service will be happy to support you in your career orientation process, which can begin long before the end of your studies.

The feeling of not knowing what you are actually qualified for after your studies often comes up in counselling. One reason is that you have to individually transfer the extensive knowledge acquired during your studies into (job-related) competences. This is not a theoretical but primarily a practical process, which takes place on the job. However, the basis for these new competences is the theoretical and methodological knowledge acquired at university.

The other reason is that the feeling of not being able to do anything often has to do with not knowing what to expect from the working world later on, not knowing what will be expected from you, and with a lack of self-confidence. Internships in areas related to your subject allow you to gain experience, grow with your tasks and get confirmation of your competences.