Tutoring programme for Bachelor first-year students
Supervised study groups for an optimal start to your studies (start in the winter semester)
[last updated on 08 September 2026, 1:30 p.m.]
Dear first-semester students,
Your optimal support during the introductory phase of your studies is very important to us, which is why exercises and tutorials (= self-calculation exercises) with a small number of participants are offered for you in many courses during the first two semesters. Small group sizes and fixed study groups should help you to find your feet. The places in these study groups, with whom you will attend the exercises and tutorials in your first two semesters of study, will be allocated together with the Mechanical Engineering Student Council and the Industrial Engineering and Management Group (HG Wing) at the beginning of the orientation phase , which will take place from 5 October 2026 (one week before the start of lectures). Please keep the orientation week free!
In addition to putting together a suitable study group for you, we will help you with the organisational aspects of starting your studies. You will be guided step by step and, should any problems arise, referred to the relevant departments. We will then arrange an individual follow-up appointment to catch up on the organisational part with you, so that hopefully you can all start your studies well prepared! You will also get to know new people who may be just as expectant and perhaps a little uncertain as you are about starting this new phase of your life - the student representatives from the Mechanical Engineering Student Council and the HG Wing university group will help you with their respective linked programmes.
We would therefore strongly recommend that you take part in the introductory events during the orientation phase. In order not to leave you alone with the course content, we have developed a concept for your start as a first semester student that enables you to attend small group events such as tutorials and exercises on campus with your familiar study group. Different learning group timetables have been developed for you. Please decide on one in advance, taking into account your individual time preferences and coordinating with future fellow students (e.g. carpooling), so that you are registered together in the same study group. It is part of the concept to maintain the selected group in the current semester (i.e. not to change or jump between the different learning group dates) in order to provide you with a constant learning environment. Please understand this!
Selection and allocation of study groups
To put together a study group that suits you, first-year students on the Bachelor’s study programme should, from Monday 5 October 2026, after the welcome session (at around 11.30 am), select…
- … Sustainable Mechanical Engineering ( Ba. MB for short) one of the study groups MB1 or MB2 via their shared timetable. The timetables available for selection will be available from 2 October 2026 here; you must make your choice using the tool* that will soon be linked here by Monday 5 October 2026 at 17:30 at the latest .
- … Industrial Engineering with Mechanical Engineering (abbreviated as: Ba. WIng MB) – choose one of the study groups W1 or W2 via their joint timetable. The timetables available for selection will be available from 2 October 2026 here; the election must be made using the tool* to be linked here shortly by 6 October 2026 at 9 pm at the latest .
- … Chemical Engineering ( abbreviated to Ba. CIW): the CIW study group via its shared timetable, which you can find from 2 October 2026 here , using the DFN tool* which will soon be linked here. The election will remain open until Monday 5 October 2026 at 5.30 pm.
Please discuss this with friends or car-share partners in advance! Using this selected timetable, you will set your joint small-group session dates for the 2026/27 winter semester together with your first-year study group. You will then be notified by email (so please ensure you provide your correct email address, which you check regularly!) of the date and meeting point for your guided class registration in PAUL** together with your study group.
*) The DFN tool used is a scheduling tool similar to Doodle; however, unlike Doodle, it is not a commercial service, so you need not worry about your data.
**) Paderborner Assistenzsystem für Universität und Lehre
When is what planned?
- Apply for a Uni-Account by today at the latest – activation takes 24 hours! Please ensure you set up a university account for computer access before the actual orientation programme begins. This is essential not only for registering for lectures – for which we will be offering support on Tuesday and Thursday – and for later exam registrations, but also for accessing the digital orientation programme resources. You can find out how to do this on the ZIM user administration help pages; please follow the instructions. If you are unable to create an account – for example, because you have not yet received a transaction number (TAN) – please contact the ZIM by email to ensure you can register as soon as possible
- 9 a.m. central Welcome Event of the first semester students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering by the Dean of Studies Mechanical Engineering in lecture hall L1,
- approx. 10:15 a.m. Presentation of the tutorial programme
- approx. 10:45 a.m. Welcome by the MB/HG Wing student council and tour of the university in small (teamer) groups
- by 5:30 p.m. at the latest, the final study group allocations for the Ba. MB and CIW degree programmes will be finalised using an online tool (see above), followed by the allocation of slots for group-based course registration on the following Tuesday.
- from today: view useful content on starting your studies, including our tutoring programme in the specially created online learning offer in PANDA Z.EXT.00064 Studienstart-Begleitung im Maschinenbau Jahrgang 2026/27, which also offers us the opportunity to exchange ideas.
Prerequisite: Your university account is activated, you know your user name and password to log in there.
- For Ba. MB first-semester students: course registrations take place in PAUL (Paderborn University Assistance System for Teaching and Learning); you will receive the specific dates by e-mail according to your pre-selected timetable.
- For Ba. CIW first-semester students: course registration takes place in PAUL. You will receive the specific date by e-mail.
Your O-week programme on campus starts in lecture hall L2 (see map of the university, building marked with the letter "L", with lecture hall L2 on the ground floor).
