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Your education

While you are enrolled in a specific program with certain mandatory courses and so on, there remains much room for shaping your own education. The actual details vary depending on program but this chapter will describe common scenarios and when it is time to make decisions. We try to remain neutral as to which choices you should make. You will however find testimonials and comparisons from both satisfied and unsatisfied students.

N.B. As it currently stands, this chapter only includes information for new students but will be expanded upon as time permits.

Credits / Högskolepoäng (hp)

All courses you take will give you hp. At Chalmers and GU most courses are standardized to 7.5hp or multiples thereof. 60hp is equivalent to full-time studies during one year, meaning that each study period will give you 15hp. In Sweden, a bachelor's degree is standardized to 180hp or 3 years worth of full-time studies, while a master's degree is another 120 hp or another 2 years worth of full-time studies.

Grades

You will encounter two different grading systems. The first is the UG scale, which consists of a pass and a fail. This scale is common to both GU and Chalmers.

You will also encounter the TH scale, which consists of U,3,4,5 where U is a failing grade. GU students will sometimes encounter the UV scale instead. This scale consists of U, G and VG, where U is a failing grade. A 5 and a VG is generally very close, although VG tends to be a few percent lower.

The UG scale is mostly used to grade projects where individual assessment is difficult, while the TH and UV are mostly used for exams. Sometimes you have several compulsory elements in a course (for example both a lab and an exam) which can use different scales. It is up to each course to define the final score, although it is most common that the exam is used to set the final score, given that all other activities have been passed.

It is rare to actually receive a failing grade on a project, usually failing a project would simply mean that you have to put in more time to complete the assignment and that a grade is withheld until the project is finished. Project courses can however be challenging since they often require a large amount of teamwork and have loose requirements. In particular, try to get to know your team and set expectations and aspirations early to avoid any miscommunication.

Try not to worry about your grade too much, extremely few relevant companies hire based solely on grades and as long as you have your degree it is usually a greater merit to have partaken in extra-curricular activities.

While studying at university there are two reasons to care about your grades, aside from the obvious fact that a higher grade means that you have learned more, which are either if you wish to do exchange studies or if you want to compete for a doctors degree. Both require greater than passing grades but we will go into more detail about that later.

Students at Chalmers who pass all their courses during their first year (including re-exams) are eligible for Adlerbertska stiftelsens stipendium.

Centrala studiestödsnämnden (CSN)

You most likely already know that CSN provides financial support to students. However, it is important to remember that you must complete a certain number of credits each year to continue to receive support. For your first year, this is 37,5hp or 5 whole courses. For following years this is increased to 45hp or 6 whole courses. Almost all courses gives you three exam oppurtunities to pass a course each academic year, the exception being courses in the final study period as they instead have re-exams during the autumn. All courses have re-exams in August and you can attempt an exam as many times as you would like.

Remember that completed labs count towards your total.

Trouble during your studies

It is very common for students to discover their limitations during their studies, as it can be very stressful. This is not only due to the intensity of the studies but also because, for many, it is the first time they are living on their own or in a foreign country.

Chalmers has a wide safety net to assist you. During the reception, you can always talk to the reception committee, who can direct you to where you can find help. Alternatively, you can always speak with your student guidance counselor.

Student Guidance Councelor

If you feel that you aren't performing as well as you would like in your studies you should speak to your student guidance councelor (SVL). They can help you with putting together a personalized study plan, getting in contact with a psychologist or point you to other resources that could help you in your studies.

Don't delay contacting your SVL, the earlier you tell them, the earlier they can help you!

Studying with functional disabilities

Students with functional disabilities have the right to get assistance. This may mean extended hours or quiet rooms during exams but also include many other kinds of help such as a study mentor. Most students do not know that they have the right to receive support even if they only consider their variations to be mild, so don't hesitate to contact Chalmers if you feel that it would help you in your studies! Please go to this page to find out more.

It is also possible to get paid for providing lecture notes. Find out more about that here.