First-year students

For many biology students, the demands of chemistry subjects are often very high at the beginning of their degree programme. Surveys of biology students have shown that they perceive the chemistry subjects as the greatest challenge in their degree programme. Many had very little or no chemistry in their school days.

To counteract these gaps, the faculty offers a preliminary chemistry course before the start of the degree programme.
Participation in this course is voluntary, but is strongly recommended.
The course is supervised by students from higher semesters who are themselves studying either biology or chemistry.

Contents

The preliminary course is primarily intended to prepare students for the lecture General Chemistry in the first semester, but is also useful as a basis for the lectures Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry in the following semesters.
Example topics:
-Atom, periodic table and chemical bonds
-Molecular structures
-Electron transitions: redox reactions
-Proton transitions: acid-base reactions

Period and registration in WS 25/26

22. until 26 Sept. 2025

You can take part either in the morning or afternoon.

Groups are offered from 8 am to 12 noon and from 1 pm to 5 pm.

When registering, you can choose your preferred group.

You must register for a group in SPUR by 28 September 2025 (link) (external link, opens in a new window)

Registration in SPUR (student portal of the University of Regensburg) is only possible after enrolment. To log in, you will need your CC account, which consists of three letters and five numbers (e.g.: vip12345), which you received when you enrolled.

Students who are not yet enrolled should contact elisabeth.brunner@ur.de

If you were unable to register for the preliminary course in time, you can still attend the course at any time during the course without registering. You will find the rooms in SPUR.

Contact: Study programme coordinator elisabeth.brunner@ur.de

Studying biology requires extensive knowledge of mathematics, which is acquired in the mathematics lectures. These build on a solid knowledge of basic mathematics (school level). To make it easier to get started, the Faculty of Mathematics offers a preliminary course on basic mathematics before the start of the winter semester. In general, the aim of the preliminary course is to repeat and harmonise previous school knowledge and thus provide the mathematical tools that are required in the mathematics lectures.

The course takes place in groups led by tutors. The mathematics basics are briefly repeated and consolidated by means of many exercises. Participation in the preliminary course is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended.

Literature:

• Erhard Cramer, Johana Neslehova. Vorkurs Mathematik: Workbook for the start of studies in Bachelor programmes. Springer Verlag.
• Arnfried Kemnitz. Mathematics for the start of studies: Basic knowledge for all technical, mathematical-natural sciences and economics degree programmes. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag.

Course content

The following school maths topics are repeated and deepened in the course:

• Elementary arithmetic operations
• Solving equations and inequalities
• Concept of functions, elementary functions

In WS 25/26, the preliminary course will take place from 30 Sept. to 7 October 2025, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (all day). (3rd October free)

Registration takes place in GRIPS:

https://elearning.uni-regensburg.de/course/view.php?id=57966 (external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window)

Registration for a course in GRIPS (e-learning platform of the University of Regensburg) is only possible after enrolment. To log in, you will need your CC account, which consists of three letters and five numbers (e.g.: vip12345), which you received when you enrolled.

If you were unable to register for the preliminary course in time, you can still join the course at any time during the course without registering. You will find the rooms in SPUR.

Introductory Events for New Students

Before the start of studies, the student council (for) Biology and Biochemistry organises Introductory Events for New Students, at which first-year students receive useful information about the start of studies. Introductory Events for New Students take place in the week before the start of lectures in the winter semester. For current dates, see the student council website (https://www.fs-biologie.de/ (external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window))!

Introductory video

You can find an introductory video with information about the start of the degree programme in the media library. Some of the dates in the video are from the winter semester 21/22, but the general information also applies to the current winter semester. To register, you will need the NDS account that you received when you enrolled. Link to the video! (external link, opens in a new window)

The basic and orientation examination must be passed in the first semester. Otherwise the degree programme is not passed and the student will be de-registered.

Module 1 and Module 2 are part of the basic and orientation examination:

- Module 1 "General Biology - Cell Biology and Botany" with the course "Cytology and Anatomy of Plants" and the lecture "General Biology - Cell Biology and Botany".

- Module 2 "General Biology - Zoology" with the course "Cytology and Anatomy of Animals" and the lecture "General Biology - Zoology".

You must therefore complete the two courses "Cytology and Anatomy of Plants" (1st half of the semester) and "Cytology and Anatomy of Animals" (2nd half of the semester) in the first semester and take and pass the two module examinations "General Biology - Cell Biology and Botany" (mid-December) and "General Biology - Zoology" (at the end of the semester).

The two courses are also admission requirements for participation in the two module examinations "General Biology - Cell Biology and Botany" and "General Biology - Zoology".

If the two module examinations are not passed by the end of the first semester, they can be retaken on the following retake dates. If the respective retake date is also not passed, the degree programme is definitively failed at the end of the second semester. It is then no longer possible to resume the degree programme.

It is not necessary to register for the lectures.

Registration is only required for the following courses in the 1st semester:

Course Cytology and Anatomy (ZuA) of Plants

• Registration deadline 16 October 2025 in SPUR(link).
• Registration is possible after enrolment.
• As the course is a prerequisite for participation in the General Biology/Botany module examination in December, which in turn is part of the basic and orientation examination, the course must be completed in the 1st semester! The same applies to the course Cytology and Animal Anatomy in the 2nd half of the semester.
• If you have participated in the course ZuA der Pflanzen, you are automatically registered for the course ZuA der Tiere in the second half of the semester.

Exercises for the mathematics course

• Registration in GRIPS(link); the course is organised alphabetically

Tutorials for the lecture General Chemistry

• Register for a group in the course catalog in SPUR(link)

With your CC account you will receive a university e-mail address (vorname.name@stud.uni-r.de).

You can manage your e-mails with MicroFocus GroupWise, the UR e-mail programme.

Use your student e-mail address when sending enquiries to university institutions (e.g. Registrar's Office, Examinations Office, Student Advisory Service, professors, etc.). To ensure that we do not pass on your personal data to unauthorised third parties (keyword "data protection"), we can only process your questions if they are sent from your university e-mail address (or, of course, in a direct conversation).

Please remember to check your university e-mail account regularly so that you do not miss any important information about your studies. Notifications from the Examinations Office or other university institutions will only be sent to this e-mail address.

? Access to the university webmail (external link, opens in a new window)

For more information on Group-Wise see - link!

Access to GroupWise from outside the university is possible via WebAccess(https://gw.uni-regensburg.de (external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window)).

If you do not check your Group-Wise account regularly, you should set up the function in Group-Wise that automatically forwards all e-mails sent to your student e-mail address to your private e-mail address or mobile phone. For information see - link!

Info page for first-semester students: go.ur.de/bibliothek-erstsemester (external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window)

Tutorial for first-semester biology students: https://mediathek2.uni-regensburg.de/playthis/5f7c54d23d7d53.15790347 (external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window)

Information about the library for biology students summarised: /assets/bibliothek/bibliothek/pdf/infoblatt_biologie.pdf (external link, opens in a new window)

What are modules?

A module is a teaching unit consisting of several courses with a common learning objective. A degree programme is divided into modules, which are listed in a module catalogue. All modules must be completed.

The version of the module catalogue valid at the beginning of the degree programme applies.

Module catalogue - see!

Courses

Courses are lectures, tutorials, practicals, seminars and excursions.

In a seminar, each participant gives a presentation on a specific topic and then discusses it.

Information on the courses ? course catalogues (external link, opens in a new window) (SPUR).

Timetable

The timetable shows the courses organised by semester.

There you will also find further general information (e.g. registration procedure) on the courses.

Timetable - see!

To successfully complete a module, module examinations must be passed and/or coursework must be completed.

Module examinations (written exams)

Module examinations are graded written exams for courses in a module.

Further information on module examinations - see!

Academic achievements

Academic achievements are the successful participation in an exercise (course), a practical course or a seminar. To prove successful participation, students must, for example, write minutes in the courses and practicals or give a presentation in the seminars. Coursework is not graded.

Registration in SPUR, G.R.I.P.S. and Flexnow is only possible after enrolment. To log in, you will need your CC account, which consists of three letters and five numbers (e.g.: vip12345), which you received when you enrolled.

SPUR

You can access the course catalogues via our campus portal SPUR:

? to the course catalog (external link, opens in a new window)(SPUR)

• The course catalog lists all courses by degree programme and semester.
• All current information on a course is stored there.
• In some cases, registration for a course, e.g. for the courses in the 1st semester and for the compulsory electives and project internships, takes place in SPUR.

G.R.I.P.S.

= is the e-learning platform of the University of Regensburg.

• Documents for the courses, e.g. lecture notes, slides for lectures etc. are uploaded to G.R.I.P.S..
• To do this, students must enrol in the relevant course in G.R.I.P.S.
• see G.R.I.P.S.

Flexnow

= electronic examination administration system

• Flexnow is used to register for module examinations (written exams) and coursework.
• Important !!! Participation in a module examination (written exam) is only possible by registering in Flexnow.
• The registration deadline for written exams is five working days before the exam!
• If you have problems registering, please contact the Biology/Biochemistry Examinations Office or the degree programme coordinator before (!) the written exam.
• Registration for a written exam will be checked before or during the exam, or must be confirmed by the student on a cover sheet by signature.
• Students can access the documentation of their own examination results in Flexnow at any time.

Examination regulations

There are examination regulations for each degree programme, which set out the framework conditions, including for examinations.

The version of the examination regulations valid at the start of the degree programme applies.

Examination regulations B.Sc. Biology - see!

Examination Office

Important information on examination matters (e.g. inability to take examinations, registration for final theses, recognition of externally acquired academic achievements, BAf?G registration form, etc.) can be found on the Examinations Office website.

Examination Office - see!

Course-related information and advice

If you have any questions about your studies or problems that arise during your studies, the two student advisors Dr Elisabeth Brunner or Prof Oliver Bosch can help.

Course-related information and advice - see!

If you have any organisational questions about your studies (written exams, internships, modules, Flexnow, etc.), you can contact the programme coordinator Elisabeth Brunner at any time.

Study programme coordinator - see!

Examination Office

All examination matters are administered in the Examinations Office. For example, a certificate for written exams must be submitted here. Later in your degree programme, you have to register for your bachelor's thesis here.

Examination office - see!

Student council (for) Biology

The Student Council (for) is a group of volunteers and elected students of Biology, Biochemistry and Teaching Biology. They represent the interests of the students of the faculty. If you have any questions or problems during your studies, you can also contact the student council (for).

Student council (for) Biology - see! (external link, opens in a new window)

Offer from the student council (for) Biology/Biochemistry - "Learning to learn"!

The student council (for) offers counselling for students who do not yet know exactly how to learn efficiently at university level. One-to-one discussions during the semester and before the examination phases are the best way to address personal needs. To arrange these, we (the student council (for)) can be contacted (opens your email program) at the email address: lernmanagement.biologie​(at)​ur.de (opens your email program). Appointments are made by e-mail. In addition, there will be a general meeting every first Wednesday of the month (6-7pm) to which all students are welcome to come. The meeting point is in front of the student council room. It is recommended that students take advantage of our help during the semester if they already know that they are having problems with their studies.

Start-up help and academic learning advice and support unit at the University of Regensburg

• Online course "Fit for your studies" - link!
• Academic learning advice and support unit of the General Student Advisory Service - link!
• Academic writing counselling

General information on the start of studies at the University of Regensburg can be found here - link! (external link, opens in a new window)

Courses that are partly offered online are transmitted via Zoom. As a student, you can use the "Campus Licence" of the University of Regensburg. You should download the free Zoom client at https://uni-regensburg.zoom.us/ (external link, opens in a new window) before the start of the courses and familiarise yourself with the functions of Zoom.