Electing Classes and Lectures at ICMS

Report by Sophia R.

In the following report, I want to give you a quick overview about what you have to know when you elect your classes and what to expect from lectures at ICMS.

Every student has the opportunity to elect their classes once they have been accepted to ICMS. To get an idea what kind of classes are offered, you will get an overview with all of them listed. It is important to pay attention to the numerical codes which are a part of the course name. If the class has a 100, for example ACC100, this means that the level of the class is lower than the others and that there are no prerequisites.

If it has a 200 it is a medium level and 300´s are very advanced. Once you have elected your classes, you have to wait until Orientation Week to get your final timetable. If you then realize that some of the classes are different than you want them – don’t panic – it is usually not a problem to change classes or timetables and the ICMS staff is more than willing to help with that. Most of the students only have classes on two or three days a week which is pretty convenient. A lecture itself takes 3 hours. Within that time there is a break of about 15 minutes included. The first part of the lecture is usually very theoretical – the lecturer simply giving a presentation. The second part of the lecture is supposed to be designed as a tutorial. Depending on the class you will take, there are different group works to apply what you have just learned. All the lecturers are really helpful and most of them are rather laid-back than strict. It might sound like a lot of free time only having class on two days a week but unfortunately that is because you have a whole lot to do yourself.

At the very beginning of the semester you will get an outline for every class from your lecturer. The outline contains the types of assignments you are expected to work on. This can mean to write reports or essays, to design a poster or factsheet, to take quizzes or to do group presentations. It might be a little bit overwhelming at the beginning but with good time management and some effort it is absolutely manageable.

Overall, I would say that the lectures at ICMS are very interesting. Due to the small sizes of the classes (approximately 30 people) the lectures are personal and leave room for discussions and interaction. But they also require some self-dependence to get additional assignments done without supervision.