Miscellaneous
What is re-registration and how does it work?
Each semester you have to inform the University that you will continue your studies next semester by paying the study fee. This is re-registration or Rückmeldung.This does not happen automatically!
You will be informed through an email that the re-registration period is open. It usually lasts for about a month at the end of the lecture period. If you fail to re-register in this period you will have to pay a fine in addition to the study fee. You will find more information about the process and exact dates here.
The re-registration is conducted through myOVGU portal. There you will have to create a SEPA Direct Debit mandate by stating your bank details to allow the University to collect the fee and then confirm your re-registration.
If you have questions or problems with the re-registration contact the Campus Service Center.
What are the best practices to learn German?
There are a multitude of options for learning the German language. Our University provides many different language courses in the Sprachzentrum, however these can fill up really fast as the demand is very high. IKUS, a student run community, also provides free language courses.
We would also recommend looking at Studienkolleg Germany for curriculum based intensive German language courses. For a more hands-on learning experience, you can try services such as Tandem Language Exchange and Chatterbug. If you are able to pay for courses you can try online courses, for example from Goethe Institut or several language schools in Magdeburg, for example Volkshochschule.
If you are learning the language yourself, try to immerse yourself in the language. For example Deutsche Welle publishes materials for different language levels both in written and in audio form. The Zeit magazine has Deutsch Perfekt magazine, with materials about culture and day-to-day life in German-speaking countries.Mobile apps serve as great tools to learn German as well, e.g. Duolingo or Memrise.
Eventually it depends on the time and money you are able and willing to invest. Experience shows that students can get a head start on their peers when applying for jobs here if they have German skills in addition to their professional expertise.
What are the responsibilities of the examination office? (translation from examinations office homepage)
The tasks of the examination office include:
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Checking admission requirements for exams; scheduling exams and coordinating with examiner and student
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registering accomplished achievements (exam grades, certificates)
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issuing confirmations and certificates of (almost) every kind
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providing advice for students in most matters of their study. Where they are at a loss, they will refer you to the right person.
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and of course, a cup of mint tea when the exam nerves, test anxiety or other emotional distress hit.
The tasks of the examination office do not include for example:
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giving exams, there is more qualified personnel available for that task
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taking exams for the students, that is in the responsibility of said persons.
! Important ! E-mails from the examination office will be sent exclusively to your official student email address @st.ovgu.de. Be sure to check that account regularly!
Check this video for an interview with a member of the examination office.
The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) is a payment-integration initiative of the European Union for simplification of bank transfers denominated in euro (Wikipedia). SEPA enables customers to make cashless euro payments which are automatically deducted from their bank account on agreeing to the mandate. It can be used to make regular repetitive payments such as rent, insurance payment, enrollment, mobile, and internet bills.
What is Steueridentifikationsnummer? Why it's important to keep this?
Steueridentifikationsnummer/ Personalidentifikationsnummer is your tax number which is received via a letter. Students need to present this document or the number whenever they are applying for any kind of a job.
I just got a bill from a radio station that I never use. Do I need to pay?
Yes! Even if you are not using the service, you have to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag (Licence Fee). There are several paying rhythms, you can either pay in the middle of each three months, or four, three of one time(s) a year on the first of the month. If you can’t afford it, you also can pay in rates.
At the time of writing (June 2022) the Rundfunkbeitrag amounts to 18,36 EUR monthly. It is paid per apartment (German: Wohnung), not per person.
You need to register your apartment online. If there are several persons in the apartment, officially only one person should pay the Licence Fee.
Further details can be found here.
FIN is an acronym that stands for "Fakultät für INformatik" - Faculty of Computer Science. It is the old official name of the faculty and currently it’s unofficial nickname that is still very common.
What type of different research groups are in FIN department?
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Institute for Intelligent Cooperating Systems
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Artificial Intelligence Lab
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Autonomous Multisensor Systems
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Communication and Networked Systems
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Computational Intelligence
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Theoretical Computer Science
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Networks and Distributed Systems
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Software Engineering
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Parallel Computing and I/O
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Institute for Simulation and Graphics
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Algorithmic Geometry
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Real-time Computer Graphics
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Simulation and Modeling
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Virtual and Augmented Reality
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Visualization
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Visual Computing
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Institute for Technical & Business Information Systems
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Advanced Multimedia and Security
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Data & Knowledge Engineering Group
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Databases & Software Engineering
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Digital Transformation and Digital Humanities
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Knowledge Management & Discovery Lab
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Management Information Systems (Managementinformationssysteme)
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Business Informatics
Where can I get my transcript of records for job applications or internships?
You can download your transcript of records on your LSF page under “Administration of exams”.
I have successfully defended my thesis, but don’t have my diploma certificate yet. Is there a temporary passing certificate?
You can contact the examinations office, and they will provide you with a temporary passing certificate. Please note, that it is temporary, and you will have to hand in a copy of your diploma certificate for your job or university application, after you receive it.
Where can I find sports courses on campus?
The university sports center (SPOZ) offers a wide variety of sports courses and facilities. Signup for the courses usually happens at the start of the semesters. Keep in mind that some courses can fill up fast. Additionally, some sports facilities on campus are available to students. Check the SPOZ website to find out more.
Is there any way of getting a software license from University?
The university provides licences for several softwares, a list of which can be found here.
Where can I find a private Internet connection for my apartment?
There are a lot of internet providers available, like Telecom, MDCC, O2, MD DSL. Some of them offer student-friendly plans. You can look up their offers on their respective websites, or visit some of them directly in their offices.
I have lost my Social Security Card (Sozialversicherungsausweis). What should I do?
To get your social security number, contact either your health insurance provider, pension insurance provider or visit this page for online assistance.
If you are experiencing harassment, what should you do?
In case you have been harassed for any intent please contact the Student Council Awareness Team and share the incident with them. You can also contact Claudia Krull (claudia@isg.cs.uni-magdeburg.de), the equal opportunities officer of the faculty, for further information.
If you have been harassed for racial intent, this document can provide you with more details on what steps you should take.