Freshers guide
Student Life at TUM: Setup, Study Spaces & Working Alongside
Beyond exams and registration, most questions are simply practical: what equipment do you need, where can you actually work, and how much time is left for a job or an internship.
Getting set up
You do not need a high-end machine. Any laptop that runs a browser, Office and Excel comfortably is enough, statistics and operations research courses occasionally use software that runs on both Windows and macOS.
For lecture halls and seminar rooms, NavigaTUM (nav.tum.de) resolves every room code across all campuses.
Time, work and sports
Between the semesters there are several weeks without lectures, which is when most students do internships, keep in mind the exam and retake periods at the start and end of that window.
Working alongside your studies is common, especially from the third semester onwards once the GOP pressure is over. ZHS gives you access to the university sports programme of TUM and LMU; you book courses online, no card needed.
Questions students ask us
8 answers on this topic, collected from your fellow students. Every question has its own link, so you can share a single answer.
+What laptop do I need?
It should be running Windows 11 or MacOS: Both work (especially for computer engineering / informatics). For mechanical engineering it can look a bit different.
My tip: Don’t have an ARM64 laptop as your only device. While it works fine most of the time, sometimes compatibility issues may arise.
+On what do I take notes?
Some write digitally, some on a notebook, some type. It really depends on the subject and preference.
I'd suggest having the opportunity to type and write on a screen.
+Are there rooms where you can talk and work?
- Bookable group study rooms in each TUM library
- StudiTUM houses
- In front of the Carl von Linde
- LMU Philologicum: “Forum”
+How can I find where my room is?
If you want to check the location of a room, use the TUM Roomfinder/NavigaTum, link above.
You can also look up rooms in Garching there.
+How do I register for ZHS sports courses and how does it work?
Since WS 24/25 there is no physical ZHS card anymore. Log in on the ZHS website, choose the course you want and book it online. Your validated student ID and the booking confirmation are enough to attend, and the semester fee is charged with your first booking.
You can find the current information here: ZHS München.
Last updated: September 2026
+Can I manage working and studying at the same time?
It’s manageable as long as you plan your time wisely. However, it’s recommended to first focus on your GOPs in the first semester before starting a job, to make sure you pass your mandatory courses.
+How much time do I have between semesters for an internship?
There is no fixed internship break between semesters, because exam dates and retakes vary.
As a rough orientation: after the winter semester you usually have around one month, after the summer semester around two months.
The best way to plan is to check your last exam date and the start of lectures in the next semester. The official lecture periods are listed here: TUM Academic Calendar.
Last updated: September 2026
+Do you have tips for the admission test?
For the Bachelor in Management & Technology in Munich, the second stage of the aptitude assessment is an admission test, not an interview.
If you are invited, TUM will send you the date and instructions. Check the official application page for the current format and requirements, as these can change.
The binding rules are in the Satzung über die Eignungsfeststellung, which you can find in TUM's statute database.
Last updated: September 2026
Kurz auf Deutsch
Für das Studium reicht ein normaler Laptop, der Browser und Office flüssig ausführt. Räume findest du über NavigaTUM, Lern- und Gruppenräume gibt es auf dem Campus und in den Bibliotheken.
Nebenjob und Praktika sind gut machbar, besonders ab dem dritten Semester. Über den ZHS bekommst du Zugang zum Hochschulsport von TUM und LMU; Kurse buchst du online, eine Karte brauchst du nicht mehr.