Intercultural and Academic Training for International Students:
The Online Self-Learning Course
Helping international students to settle into the academic, linguistic and cultural environment in Passau, the aim of this course is to raise awareness of the cultural character of communication and to learn techniques, practices and customs that are common at German universities.
What is considered appropriate in communication varies from cultural area to cultural area. This becomes evident in differences such as handshakes or bows, acceptable speaking volume and distance to the interlocutor, or the choice of words in a newspaper report. The same applies to communication in science and in the academic field.
This course was designed with the help of international students, who shared their personal experience starting at the University of Passau.
The goal was to learn about the "oh, I wish I had known that beforehand" - moments, so that we can provide you with exactly that information right from the start.
However, we also know that student life can be busy.
Simultaneously juggling seminars and lectures as well as extra curriculars, work and free-time can be challenging; especially if you are new to the country.
Therefore, aiming for easier accessibility as well as independency of time and place, we decided for an asynchronous self-learning online course format, that can provide exactly that.
Goals of the course:
- Create awareness for the cultural diversity of communication
- Rhetoric and behavioral training
- Training in academic writing
Participation in the event is creditable for the iStudi Pass (Module C or E).
Contents of the course
Module 1: Cultural Orientation
Module 2: Orientation at the University of Passau
Module 3: Everyday Student Life
Module 4: Dealing with Literature
Module 5: Writing a Term Paper
Course Access
This is a direct link forwarding you to the course "Intercultural and Academic Training for International Students: The Online Self-Learning Course".
There is no password necessary to enter the course.
The Essay Doctor
The Essay Doctor provides tutoring support for the course "Intercultural and Academic Training for International Students".
A team of student assistants, who are themselves studying for a master's degree, offers support and assistance on all aspects of "writing academic papers".
Just like the course advertised above, the Essay Doctor is also aimed at international students of all courses and faculties.
In addition to useful information documents on topics such as literature research, citation and the basics for term papers, we offer individual consultation appointments to discuss individual concerns.
Consultation hours:
Students can drop in for office hours without prior appointment. Consultation hours are every second Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Nikolakloster NK 205, more precisely on 17.10., 31.10., 14.11., 28.11., 12.12., 09.01., 23.01. and 06.02. Students are also welcome to contact us via e-mail with questions (iStudiCoach@uni-passau.de).
In addition to the open office hours, brief presentations (in English) on specific topics regarding academic writing and working will be given on the other Tuesdays. After the short presentation there will be the possibility to discuss individual concerns and questions about the respective topic.
The following topics will be covered in the winter semester: holding a presentation, writing a term paper, research methods, literature research, and quoting and handling bibliography. The times are every second Tuesday (Oct. 24, Nov. 07, Nov. 21, Dec. 05, Jan. 16) from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in NK 205. Interested students can register on StudIP under course number 62044 to receive information about the current semester and access to info materials on the respective topics. Participation in the individual lectures is also possible without registration on StudIP.
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