Your First Semester at TUM or LMU

Once you have accepted your place at TUM (Technical University of Munich) or LMU (Ludwig Maximilian University), the most important first step is completing your enrollment (Immatrikulation). This typically involves submitting your final documents, paying the semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag), and officially activating your student status.

Your student ID card (Studentenausweis) functions as more than just an identification document. At TUM, it is your TUMcard, and at LMU it is your LMU Card. Both double as a library card, a public transport card, and an access card for campus facilities depending on your programme. Keep it with you at all times during your student life.

The semester contribution is paid every six months and is separate from tuition (which is free for most programmes at public German universities). It covers the cost of your semester ticket, student union services, and administrative fees. At both TUM and LMU, this typically costs around 150 to 180 euros per semester.

Your semester contribution includes one of Munich's most useful student perks: the semester ticket. This gives you unlimited travel on Munich's entire public transport network (MVV), including buses, trams, the S-Bahn, and the U-Bahn, for the full duration of the semester.

The ticket is loaded onto your student card. You do not need a separate card or paper ticket. Just tap or show your student card when needed. Make sure to validate it for the current semester before you travel.

The semester ticket covers all zones within the Munich network, which means you can travel to the airport, the suburbs, and popular weekend destinations like Starnberg or the Ammersee at no extra cost. This is a significant financial benefit compared to a standard MVV monthly pass.

If you plan to travel further within Bavaria, Bayern-Ticket offers affordable day passes for regional trains that are popular for group trips.

Munich's university libraries are world-class. Both TUM and LMU operate multiple library branches across their campuses, many of which offer extended opening hours including evenings and weekends during exam periods.

To access the library, you need your student card and to register with the library system (this is usually done automatically upon enrollment but worth confirming). You can borrow physical books, access thousands of digital journals and textbooks through university subscriptions, and book private study rooms online.

Beyond the university libraries, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) near the Odeonsplatz area is open to students and offers quiet study space across multiple reading rooms along with an enormous collection. Registration is free with your student ID.

For informal study, many students use university cafeterias (Mensen) off-peak, university common rooms, and various cafes across the city. Spaces near TUM's main campus in Garching or the city campus in Arcisstrasse are popular. LMU students often gather around the Geschwister-Scholl-Platz area.

Both TUM and LMU offer a wide range of support services for international students that are genuinely useful and worth knowing about early on.

The International Office at both universities helps with administrative questions related to your studies, handles exchange programmes, and provides guidance on visa-related academic matters. They often run orientation events specifically for international students at the start of each semester.

The Studentenwerk München (Munich Student Services) manages student housing waitlists, canteens (Mensen), psychological counselling, social counselship, and financial aid information for students in hardship. If you are on a tight budget or facing difficulties, their website has information on emergency funds and interest-free loans available to students.

Language courses through the university language centres (Sprachenzentrum at TUM, Sprachkurs at LMU) are often free or heavily subsidised for enrolled students. Improving your German even while studying in English makes life outside campus significantly easier.

German-language student organisations and societies (Hochschulgruppen) are a great way to meet local and international students. Both universities have dozens of clubs covering everything from football to entrepreneurship to cultural exchange.

German academic culture has a few characteristics that can feel different if you are coming from a Moroccan or other non-European education system.

Lectures (Vorlesungen) are often large and can feel quite passive. Professors typically present material and expect students to complement lectures with independent reading and self-study. Tutorials (Übungen or Tutorien) are smaller sessions where you apply what you have learned, and these are usually more interactive.

Exams are high-stakes. Many courses have only one or two exams per semester, which count for the majority or all of your grade. There are fewer small assignments and quizzes than you might be used to. Starting your revision weeks in advance rather than cramming is strongly advised.

Office hours (Sprechstunden) are the designated times when you can speak directly with your professor or teaching assistant. Do not be afraid to use them. Asking questions shows engagement, and professors appreciate it.

Academic honesty is taken very seriously. Plagiarism, even unintentional, can have severe academic consequences including expulsion. If you are unsure how to cite sources or what constitutes plagiarism in a German academic context, ask your university or check their official academic integrity guidelines.