University

After being successfully admitted to the University of Mannheim, you should finalize your registration in person. You need to provide your address, as registered in the municipality, and confirm your health status. The easiest way to do this is in person at the International Office. It's advisable to complete this process at least one week before the start of the semester, as it takes roughly that amount of time for the delivery of your ECUM card (refer to ECUM card section).

The ECUM card is obtained when you have successfully and "completely" enrolled in the university. "Completely" means that you have been successfully admitted and registered at the university, verified your health status through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), provided your address through Portal2 or at the International Office, and successfully attached a photo to the portal.

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In addition to being your student ID, the ECUM card also serves as your debit card for the university. You can use it to pay for your meals in the canteen, buy drinks and snacks from various vending machines throughout the campus, pay for laundry services if you're in a state-owned dormitory, and pay for printing in the libraries. You can load money onto the card in two ways: in cash at the Infothek, located next to the canteen, or through the "Auto Load" feature by connecting it to a German bank account. With the second option, you set a limit, and when your balance falls below that limit, you'll be asked if you want to automatically reload a predetermined amount chosen by you. This reloading process can be done at the cashier's desk or at the food and beverage vending machines, as well as the laundry machines.

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Furthermore, the ECUM card offers various discounts at different places, including restaurants, cafés, and cultural institutions.

The university has four modern European libraries, as well as a center for borrowing books and textbooks. Most students manage to find peace and solitude in these libraries to concentrate on acquiring new knowledge. They offer both group study areas and quiet zones, as well as individual workstations where you can be completely isolated from any noise and distractions. The libraries are distributed across the faculties, but you are not obligated to visit a specific one. The only detail is that the textbooks and books are selected for each specific faculty. In the libraries, you can also find scanners and printers designed for student use at preferential prices. You can find more information about available seats, opening hours, and more at: https://www.bib.uni-mannheim.de/.

The types of events at the university are divided into three categories: lectures, exercises, and "Tutorium." Lectures are usually conducted by professors and aim at acquiring new knowledge and understanding the theoretical part of the material. Exercises are organized by lecturers or students who have successfully completed the subject, and their main goal is to apply what was learned in the lectures. "Tutorium" is somewhat similar to exercises but in smaller groups of students, and its primary purpose is to consolidate knowledge. It's not mandatory for all three types to be available for a specific subject, but lectures and exercises are offered for every course. To participate in these events, you need to enroll through the "Studienplanner" section on Portal2. In addition to these events, you also need to register for exams on the portal, using the "Prüfungsverwaltung" section.

The Semesterticket is a ticket valid for 6 months available to students, which includes the entire public transportation network within the VRN area, as well as regional trains (excluding fast trains such as IC, ICE, ICE-sprinter, etc.). Your first semester ticket is obtained for free by registering with the municipality, and subsequent ones can be purchased from devices located at the university and printed onto your ECUM card. The current price for the ticket is 185€.

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More information can be found here: [Semesterticket](https://www.vrn.de/tickets/ticketuebersicht/semester-ticket/semester-ticket/index.html)

As a student at the University of Mannheim, you also receive free access to the Microsoft Office suite. More information can be found here: [Microsoft 365 for Students](https://www.uni-mannheim.de/it/services/microsoft-365/)