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And special thanks to Kareem Wahby aka Kombo
-CV: Study abroad program is an impressive addition to your CV, it shows that you have been exposed to a different culture and surrounding.
-Studying In Berlin: Most of the students who studied at the GUC in Berlin, came back with more than average grades, That maybe because they have extra time to study, or the different studying climate. Who knows...
-The Basics: The GUC goes to Berlin program offers students the chance to spend a semester or more in the GUC building in Berlin, Studying the same curriculum but with German and international professors and TA's.
-Location: Berlin Branch is located in a lively area with restaurants, malls and an underground station within walking distance.
-Cost: The cost of this program is the same tuition fee you pay in the GUC + the living costs.
-Living tips: According to all GUC students who went to the GUC in Berlin, it is much better to find a place to live during the semester in Berlin on your own instead of having the GUC find you one, due to the fact that the places offered by the GUC do not have internet and cannot get internet access.
-Bathroom: As we all know, the bathroom facilities in Europe aren't quite what we are used to here in Egypt, so it would be a good idea to take all the "Bathroom Utilities" with you, as you will be spending 5 months there.
-Having Trouble Keeping Up: If you are falling behind in a course, never feel lazy to go to your TA's office or Professor's office during their "Office hours" and ask them whatever you would like, they are here to help you. Utilize the office hours.
-GPA: It's not just a rumor or a way to scare students into studying, it is actually true that the first 2 years at the GUC could make or break your GPA. They may not be the best or the easiest 2 years, but they are definitely what count the most.
-Calculating your GPA: If you're having trouble calculating your own GPA then click this link, we made a GPA calculator for you.
-Configure GUC internet proxy(Windows): As you might know, the GUC has a proxy, and to be able to use the internet on campus you will have to do a few things 1st.
-Open your setting in your browser (We really Hope you are using Google Chrome).
-Find the button that says "Change proxy settings" (You might have to click "Show Advanced Settings")
-Click on Lan settings
-Check the box that says "Use proxy server for your lan"
-write in the address field "50.0.0.5" and in the port field "8080", Then click okay.
Remember to uncheck the "Use proxy" checkbox when you get home to disable proxy settings.
-By-passing the proxy: Many social networks, Games, etc.. Do not open on the GUC internet, as they are blocked by the proxy. Using a VPN "Virtual Private Network" is one way to get around the proxy. "Hotspot Shield" is a free VPN you might want to download it and give it a try. I don't promise that it will work this semester though.
-Language Courses: Try to finish all the languages as soon as you can, it will be a huge weight off your shoulders.
-Lectures: Do your best to attend most of the lectures, they are not a waste of time, they are very important. At least sit through the first half.
-German Books: If you have German tutorial make sure not to forget your books, otherwise you won't get attendance.
-Changing Password: By GUC policy all students are required to change their GUC passwords every 72 days, after 72 days have passed your password will expire and you can only change it from the computers on campus. So make sure to change your passwords regularly to avoid them expiring, and the way to do this is by accessing GUC mail (from Mail.guc.edu.eg) and clicking options > change password. Note that you won't be able to access your Email if your password has already expired.
-Forgot your password: If you forgot your password, you can head to the IT department in C1 and hand them your ID and they will give you a new password which you can then change.
-GUC Goes To Berlin: For Advice and info on the GUC goes to Berlin program, click this link.
-Travel Tips: Traveling with the University could be very fun, but make sure to take a friend with you, makes the trip worth while.
-Study Advice: The biggest lie you can tell yourself is "I've got a lot of time to study before the exam" or "Starting next semester i will attend all the lectures". If you want to make it at the GUC don't start tomorrow, start right now.
-Choosing Your Major: You have a whole year(sometimes more depending on your faculty) to pick a major, so take your time and think long and hard about this decision. If you are not sure about it, ask your older friends who have already chosen a major, or talk to a co-ordinator or dean and dont just join a major because someone told you to. Make the right choice, because transferring will cost time.
-Cleanliness: Try to clean up after yourself when you leave a place. Don't just leave empty bags or cans lying around, because the next person will have to clean up after you and that doesn't send a very good message.
-Using Flash Drives: Avoid using any important Flash Drives in ANY of the GUC computers, most of them are infested with viruses. If you have to use it, make sure to keep all of its contents copied somewhere safe, then format the flash drive when you're done. If you do get a virus that erases all your data, contact us at team@takeoffapps.com and we can help
-Listening Exam: You get only 2 trys in the listening exam. That is not true, you can get as many as you like... if you know how ;)
-Computer Science: Computer Science students do not necessarily know how to fix your broken computer, calculator, air conditioner, TV or any other electrical appliance.
-Food Court: If you've ever heard that there is or will ever be a food court, then tough luck, because that's never going to happen.
-Swimming Pool: There never was and will never be a swimming pool at the GUC.
-Summer Course 50%: we've heard people saying that courses taken in the summer will only have a 50% GPA weight, That is also not true. Just another Myth.
-Dr. Slim: Slim Not Equal Hacker!
-Graduation: Not everyone who graduates from the GUC gets to work in Germany.
-German courses: The German courses barely teach you any German. You will need a lot of practice and more than just 4 basic courses to learn a language.
-Switching Majors: Students will have a year or more (depending on their faculty) to pick a major and during those years the student will have time to think about their major, but it happens often that students make the wrong decision, then they will be able to switch majors before the announced deadline, and often switching between similar majors (IET and MET for example) will only cost the student a 1 or 2 course repetition.
-Switching Groups: Many Students find them selves stuck in the wrong academic group and wish to change (from Engineering to Management for Example) The GUC offers students the option to switch groups before the announced deadline, and also any common courses between the 2 groups will be transferred, in the case of switching from Engineering to management, if the student completed the "Introduction to Management" course, then he/she will not have to repeat it after the transfer is complete. Be sure to take your time thinking about the transfer very well, because switching will hold you back a semester or a year or maybe even 2 years, depending on when u transferred, so be sure to think long and hard before you take the decision.
-Media Engineering and Technology: The offered Majors in this Faculty are "Computer Science and Engineering" and "Digital Media and Engineering".
-Information Engineering and Technology: The offered Majors in this faculty are "Networks", "Communication" and "Electronics".
-Engineering and Material Science: The offered Majors in this faculty are "Material Engineering", "Design and Production", "Mechatronics" and "Civil Engineering".
-Academic Groups: There are 5 Academic groups at the GUC and for every Group there are a number of faculties available, These groups are "Engineering", "Biological Sciences", "Management", "Architecture" and "Applied Sciences and Arts".
-Engineering: There are 3 Faculties in the Engineering group and they are, "Engineering and Material Science", "Information Engineering and Technology" and "Media Engineering and Technology". Each Faculty has different majors within them and they will be discussed in detail further on.
-Biological Sciences: There are 2 majors within this faculty "Pharmacy" and "Biotechnology".
-Management: There are 3 majors within the management Faculty "General Management", "Technology-Based Management" and "Business Informatics".
-Applied Sciences and Arts: There are 3 majors within the Applied Arts faculty "Graphic Design", "Media Design", "Product Design" .
-Leisure Trips: As well as Educational Trips, the GUC also offers Leisure trips for its students, these trips are usually in the vacation between semesters (mid-year vacation) and the summer vacation. The GUC offers trips to many European countries as well as trips to the United States, these trips are usually 10 - 14 days and are reasonably priced.
-Trip Advice: For Advice about any of the Trips stated above please click this link.
-Study Trips: Students have the chance to take specialized courses for a period of 2-4 weeks and these courses aim to help students gain more skills and expertise in their field and have a broader idea about how their specialization is taught abroad.
-German Course Trips: During the summer period students have the chance to travel to Germany (usually Ulm and Berlin, sometimes other cities are available) to study German courses. The same curriculum will be taught there, but by German teachers, and also interacting with the native Germans helps students learn more about the language and culture of Germany. Note that German Courses could only be taken in pairs of either (German 1 and 2 / German 3 and 4 / German 5 and 6).
-Internships: The GUC helps the highly ranked students to get a chance to travel abroad and intern in another country to help them gain job experience and exposure to a different work atmosphere. for more information on how you can apply for an internship abroad, kindly visit the "Travel Office" in C1.
-Bachelor Thesis: Also for the High ranked students the GUC offers them the chance to spend an entire semester in Germany working on their Bachelor Thesis in a wide variety of German Universities. Note that to apply for a Bachelor thesis in Germany, the Student must have a GPA of 2.5 or better.
-Basic Info: There are 3 basic Scholarship categories (Category A, B and C) and an extra Category E for Applied arts students, Category A pays the least followed by B and C. Category E students pay a fee that is somewhere in between A and B (Prices may change per year, thus no prices will be mentioned here).
-Advance Categories: To advance to a better Category, example C to B, a student must achieve a total GPA of 2.5 or better. Note that a student may go down a category (go from A to B) due to a bad GPA(3.5 or worse) so make sure to maintain a good GPA to keep your Scholarship.
-GUC Grading System: The GPA system used at the GUC is The European Credit Transfer System "ECTS" with 0.7 being the best grade (A+) and 5 being the worst (F). A good GPA is considered to be around 2.5. Anything above 3.7 (Probation) is considered a very bad GPA. Click here for more information on Probation
A+ | ----> | 0.7 |
A | ----> | 1.0 |
A- | ----> | 1.3 |
B+ | ----> | 1.7 |
B | ----> | 2.0 |
B- | ----> | 2.3 |
C+ | ----> | 2.7 |
C | ----> | 3.0 |
C- | ----> | 3.3 |
D+ | ----> | 3.7 |
D | ----> | 4.0 |
F | ----> | 5.0 |
Fill the fields then click next to add another course. When you are done adding courses click Done.
-Rounds: There are 2 summer rounds, the 1st round is at the beginning of the summer and the 2nd round is at the end of the summer and each round is considered a semester on its own, so for example you can take a pre-requisite course in the first round and you can then take its advancement in the 2nd round. Each round has a maximum number of credit hours and there are some courses that could be available in one round but not the other.
-Summer Course Myth: Click this link to read more.
-Benefits: Going to the university and studying may not be the best way to spend your summer but it does come with its benefits. The best courses to take in the summer are language courses, since most language courses are only 2 credit hours, that means during the semester there is only 1 slot per week, but in the summer you could have up to 6 slots per week (2 per day, 3 times a week) and finish a course in 2-3 weeks, which will give you an extra free slot every week the next semester and you would have only sacrificed 3 weeks of your summer. Also if you happen to fail any course due to the workload of the course or how hard it was, during the summer you'd be focusing on only that course and maybe score a pretty good grade.
-Availability: Not all courses are available every summer round; the availability depends on the number of students who wish to attend the course and the availability of the lecturer. If a course is not scheduled in the summer, and you know many people who wish to take this course, making a petition and having them sign it would probably help you make the course available. To know which courses are and are not available during the summer, you can check the "Summer Course Registration" on the student's portal.
-Library Rules and Etiquette: We kindly advise all students to be very quiet in the library because it is one of the few places on campus where someone could sit and study peacefully. Also no group studying is allowed in the library (since you will have to talk to each other and most likely make noise) but they will allow it if you were really quiet.
-Closing hours: The library remains open starting from the 1st slot till the end of the day. You might find the Library closed on occasion due to exams, but you're free to enter as soon as the exam has finished.
-Location: The Library is located in C1 Basement floor (or -1 level).
-Capacity: The Library can seat an estimate of 220 people comfortably.
-Facilities: As well as a variety of books, the library has a number of PC's for those who want to study something on the internet or want to research in a quiet place without the noise of Computer Labs. There is also a laptop area, for those who would prefer to study on their personal computers.
-Members: The Library is open to all Under- and Post- Graduate students as well as GUC staff members.
-Checkout a Book: When you find the book you're looking for, just head to the Library Desk just beside the entrance, and hand them the book you want to checkout and your GUC ID. You'll be able to keep the book for up to 3 days, then you will have to come back and either renew your book reservation by handing them your ID again or return the book.
-Late Fees: If you fail to return the book by the deadline of reservation you will have to pay a late fee for every day (Not much, something like 5EGP/day, and sometimes they just forget).
-Places: The following places are very good for relaxation, reading, hanging out and some quiet time :-
-By the Stadium size Football court.
-The Green Area just outside the B area.
-The Gazebo ("Pergolat") outside the B area.
-The small grass strips next to the stairs leading to the C's.
-Places: The places where one can study peacefully include but are not limited to :-
-Library.
-Computer Labs.
-Study Rooms (B area).
-The large area next to BNP Paribas (under C5).
-Any empty classroom (ask the security on the floor).
-Gym: I'm not sure you can quite call it a Gym, but it gets the job done, the "Gym" is found in B5, it is equipped with a weight lifting area, treadmills, bikes and a pull-up bar. There are separate shower rooms inside the Gym.
-Lockers: There are several lockers scattered all around campus. Renting a locker costs (100 EGP/Academic Year). To rent a locker kindly go to the financial department.
-Swimming Pool Myth: Click the Link to Read More.
-Courts: There are 3 Tennis courts (1 Hard and 2 Red Clay) and 3 Basketball courts (2 Big courts not far from the C area and 1 small court between the C's and B's), one Volleyball court, 2 Handball courts and 4 Football courts (including one international stadium size court and one 5-player grass court and 2 rough ground court) and an outdoor track and field.
-Teams: There are University teams for many of the sports available including a Football team, a Basketball team, a Handball team and an American Football team. To try out for any of the teams, kindly ask someone on the team to try out.
-Reserving a Ball or Court: In order to use one of the courts or balls, you have to give your GUC ID to the person responsible for handing out the balls (you can usually find him in the court between the B's and C's) and for reserving one of the big courts you have to see the coach responsible for the courts (you can find him in the wooden shed behind the C's club area).
-Table Tennis/Ping Pong: You can find 3 Ping Pong tables in B5 by the Gym. If you need balls or rackets, you'll find them in the Gym.
-Bus Drivers: Become friends with your bus driver as it comes with a lot of benefits. Try it and find out. Don't forget taking their numbers. It can save your life.
-Seating: The best seat in the bus is "The King" Seat. It's the last seat on the row opposite to the driver(speaking of the big buses of course). We think it is the best seat because there are no other seats behind you, so you can just pull your seat back as far as you want and relax. Note it is very hard to find that seat empty.
-Bus Registration: To register for the buses at the GUC you have to first visit the "Bus Department" at the B's, and fill a form and choose from numerous bus stops, the nearest one to you, you will be then given a payment order which you take to the CIB and pay the specified amount (currently 4500 EGP). After payment go back to the bus department and hand in the payment receipt to receive your bus ID.
-Bus Rounds: There are currently 2 rounds in the morning, one that arrives before the 1st slot, and another that arrives before the 2nd slot. There are 3 rounds leaving from the University, One that leaves after the 3rd slot (which is a "Short Round"), and another that leaves after the 4th slot, and a final round that leaves after the 5th slot. Note that during special events extra rounds will be available.
-Bus WiFi: Currently only very few buses have a working WiFi connection, and its password is "feedbee123". There is no proxy on the WiFi password. That means no websites are blocked, so you can access facebook, youtube etc. Hopefully more buses will have WiFi by next semester.
-Bus Etiquette: It is common courtesy to keep your voice down in the bus as a lot of people cherish the time slept in the bus. Also try not to pull your seat too far back if there is someone sitting behind you, because it will be a very uncomfortable ride for him/her.
-Hot Drinks: By far the best combination of taste and price would be Pronto's Hot drinks. They are very fast and effcient and cheap, but be advised in the morning the line of people waiting to get their morning dose of caffeine could be brutal. In those situations you could always go to "Bread Basket" or "Cilantro" (We wouldn't recommend L'Aroma unless there is no Line at all since they are incredibly slow).
-Cold Drinks: Not many people know this, but surprisingly Pronto makes very good Frappuccinos and iced coffee at very good prices. If you're ever in the mood for a fresh fruity drink, we would recommend "Boosters" in The B area. For Slushies and such you should definitely visit L'Aroma.
-Food Court Myth: Click the link to read more.
-Sandwiches: In our opinion the best place for "Affordable" sandwiches would be "3am sa3ad", you won't find anything that tastes good and fills you up with those prices. You have a wide range of sandwiches starting from "Fool w ta3meya w batates" to "Chicken pane and Hot dogs", but be advised at the end of the day, you won't find many things to eat. If you're willing to pay a little extra you could always go to Bread Basket for some pretty good, but at the same time overpriced sandwiches. For those on a diet, you could always find good Tuna and Turkey sandwiches at Pronto, for reasonable prices.
-Peking: The best 2 dishes in our opinion would be the "Sweet and Sour Chicken" or the "Kung Pao Chicken", but also be advised the "Sweet and Sour Chicken" is the first thing to go so order quick. Their prices are also very reasonable and their food is very filling, it's the closest thing to homemade you're going to get at the GUC.
-Pasta: Another homemade food would be 3am sa3ad's Pasta, very tasty and very well priced.
-Ordering Food: If you're not in the mood for any of the food offered at the GUC, or if you're staying on campus late at night and everything is closed, there is always the option of ordering food from outside the University. Just pick up your phone, dial you're favorite place to eat and wait for the delivery man to arrive at the front gates of the GUC. Note you should give him your number so he can call you when he gets there.
-Credit Hour Weight: The weight of all language courses is equal to only 50% of the course credit hours, that means if a language course is 4 credit hours, it will only affect the Total GPA in the transcript as if it was 2 credit hours.
-German Exams: All mid-term and final exams in German are computerized, although in German 3, 4 there is an Oral exam + the computerized exam.
-Failing a Language Course: To fail a language course means either to score less than 50% in the course work and exams combined (F) or to fail the final exam (FF), in either of the 2 cases you have to repeat the course as there are no makeup exams for the language courses.
-Attendance: The attendance policy for languages is very strict, if you come to class more than 15 minutes (sometimes less, sometimes more depending on the TA) you won't get attendance, and in the case of German courses "No book, No attendance". So make sure to bring your German books with you every time.
-Grading German Courses: All German courses are 4 credit hours, but each course cancels out the grade of the previous one, so when you reach German IV it will be the only grade that counts in your transcript, and note if you score a B+ or higher in the German level IV course it will count as 8 credit course, and if you score less than B+ it will count as 4 credit hours.
-Languages Pre- and Co- Requisites: Any of the following courses are co-requisites and the prior course is also a pre-requisite meaning that 2 consecutive courses could be taken in order; example (AS in one semester then SM in the other) or they could be taken together in the same semester; example(AS and SM together or German 1 and German 2 together) same applies for CPS + RPW, and German 3 + German 4. Note that SM and CPS cannot be taken together and neither can German 2 and German 3.
-SM (course): The "Scientific Methodology" course aims mainly on developing the students way of thinking into a more scientific way (problem solving, observation, analysis, inferencing, interpretation, and argumentation) in reading, oral and written expression (2 credit hours).
-CPS (course): The "Communication and Presentation Skills", all you need to know about this course is in its name. This course helps students develop their presentation skills by learning how to speak in front of a crowd, learning body language and how to keep the audience's attention focused on the presenter. It is a very important course that will teach the students skills to carry on for the remainder of their careers (2 credit hours).
-RPW (course): The "Research Paper Writing" course is a completion of the courses Academic Study Skills (AS), and Critical Thinking and Scientific Methods (SM), and aims to teach students how to read and review research papers correctly (2 credit hours).
-German 1 (course): This course offers basic knowledge about the German language for beginners without any previous knowledge, it offers knowledge about Grammar, Reading, Writing and Listening.
-German 2 and 3 (course): The course offers basic German to beginners with some previous knowledge.
-German 4 (course): A more advanced German course, includes writing essays in German, being able to hold a conversation in German, as well as reading and listening.
-The Basics: All GUC students must pass all the English and German courses to be able to graduate.
There are 4 mandatory German courses, and 2 electives. The first 4 levels of German courses are mandatory for every student except those who already know the language, could skip the courses and go straight to a placement exam which will shed light on their current German knowledge and place them in the correct level or skip the courses all together.
There are 5 English courses (AE, AS, SM, CPS, RPW) and are mandatory for every student. There is a placement test though which will allow the student to skip the AE course if he/she scored a high enough grade.
-AE (course): The "Academic English" is the first and by far the easiest of the English courses. As stated above, if you do well in the English placement test, you'd skip the AE course and jump straight to the AS. Students learn to write paragraphs, read critically, listen to lectures and take notes, use grammar effectively, and become more effective learners (Grade gets cancelled by AS grade).
-AS (course): The "Academic Study Skills" aims to teach students to look at topics and articles from various points of views, and helping the students write argumentative essays, critical reading and academic writing in a more structured and coherent way (4 credit hours).
-Ith: "Incomplete Theoretical" In courses which have theoretical and practical parts, if the student was not able to satisfy the objectives of the theoretical part of the course, the grade that will appear on the transcript would be "Ith". The student must obtain a passing grade for the course to be counted in the GPA in one year maximum, otherwise it will not be counted.
-Ip: "Incomplete Practical" In courses which have theoretical and practical parts, if the student was not able to satisfy the objectives of the practical part of the course, the grade that will appear on the transcript would be "Ip". The student must obtain a passing grade for the course to be counted in the GPA in one year maximum, otherwise it will not be counted.
-Remarking: The purpose of remarking is being able to see your mid-term or final exam paper. You can view what you lost marks on and write remarks on the paper if you think that you lost marks for something correct, then the paper is submitted for "remarking" by a TA supervised by the professor or by the professor directly. Then if your total grade does not change a whole grade (Go from B- to B or B to B+ etc...) then you will pay 300 EGP as cost of remarking, although if the grade does change you won't pay anything.
-Short Round: Short Round is the name given to the bus round which leaves after the 3rd slot, it is called the short round because it does not complete the full bus cycle as usual, it stops usually halfway there at certain places (landmarks).
-Probation: Academic Probation is a warning to students who acquired a low GPA (worse than 3.7). Probation status affects the student from multiple things such as extracurricular activities, financial aid program, scholarships, and more. If the student could not improve their GPA within an academic year, they are advised to change their study program or will be excluded from the university (The warnings about exclusion from the university were only rumors in previous years, but have been taking affect as of this year).
-The Difference Between F and FF: A grade F on a course means that the student acquired less than 50% in the total course grade including course work, mid-term and final exam. FF means that the student failed the final exam "Fail Final".
-Fx: "Fail Excuse" is the grade that appears on the students' transcript when they missed a final due to a medical reason (after submitting a medical excuse of course). For more information about medical excuses see page 5.
-Fa: "Fail Attendance" is the grade that appears on the students' transcript if they didn't attend the final exam or they got a "drop course" for being absent for more than 25% of the course tutorials.
-Fc: "Fail Cheating" As of the beginning of 2013 the GUC welcomed a new policy that forbids students from entering the examination hall with any electronic devices such as (Mobile phones, iPads, iPods, smart watches). If a students fails to comply to the above rules he/she will receive a grade of Fc on their transcript.
-Improvement: Students who scored a grade between D to B+ and would like to improve their grade, could sit in for an improvement exam under the following conditions:-
- Only one improvement per course.
- You can only improve a course within one academic year of receiving the original grade.
- The student must pay the applicable exam fee (2000 EGP).
- The exam will replace the grade of the mid-term and final exams.
- If the student scores a lower grade in the improvement exam than in the original exam(which is a pretty bad thing), the student
will have the chance to revert the grade back to the original grade, but can only do this THREE TIMES during the entire study period.
-Pre-requisites: The term implies a progression from less advanced to a more advanced study field or course.
Students must satisfy the prerequisite(s) before registering for a course.
Students who fail in a pre-requisite course are allowed to attend the advanced course without considering their final grade
provided they score a passing grade in the course work (minimum D).
-Co-requisites: Co-requisite courses must be taken concurrently with each other.
A course could be listed as a pre-requisite and co-requisite at the same time, then it could be taken prior, or concurrently with the other course.
-Advising: To be an advising student would mean that you are carrying with you more than 2 failed courses or you are repeating a course which does not belong to your current semester that has been overdue for more than a year, which by then would be an obligation for you and you can't drop the course. Advising comes with its benefits, as you get to make your own schedule and be put in any group you wish, although it does come with some limitations (such as applying for the GUC Goes to Berlin Program).
-Make Up Exam: A student can take a make up exam if he/she either failed the course, failed the final exam, or had a medical excuse not to attend the exam. The make up exam in most cases replaces the grade of the mid-term exam and the final exam in one (except for the case of medical excuses).
-2nd Make Up: A student who failed a course and also failed the make up exam gets the chance to sit for a 2nd make up exam, which would be the same as the first make up, only it would be your last chance to pass the course, or else you would have to repeat it. The 2nd make up also replaces the grade of the mid-term and final exam.
-Medical Excuse: A student who had a medical reason not to attend the final exam would present a "Medical Certificate" (شهادة مرضية) proving that he/she was really ill. In that case the 1st make up exam would count as only the final exam.