Preparing successfully for the assessment year at HSG

Starting the assessment year at the renowned University of St.Gallen (HSG) is an exciting but also challenging event for many future students. To get off to a successful start, students first have to master the demanding assessment year, which is seen as the decisive hurdle on the way to academic excellence. Mathematics and Economics in particular are often a challenge, which is why targeted preparation is so important. In this blog post we share practical tips on how to prepare in the best possible way for the assessment year at HSG and, in particular, how to master the difficulties in Mathematics and Economics.

Time is your best ally: starting early pays off!

Make sure you don't leave your preparation for the assessment year to the last minute. The earlier you start, the more time you have to dive into the material and get familiar with the content. This applies especially to maths: a solid understanding of the basic concepts lays the foundation for a successful semester. We recommend taking a closer look again at the following topics from your Matura or Abitur (school-leaving exams):

Mathematics:

• Sequences and series (important for maths)
• Laws of exponents (an absolute must)
• Derivatives/differentiation (important for maths and economics)
• Curve sketching and functions (important for maths and economics)

If you went to a business-focused upper secondary school (Wirtschaftsgymnasium):

• Economics: supply and demand, including shifts of the curves
• Law: Swiss law, including an overview of the Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) and the Code of Obligations (OR); formation of contracts; performance of contracts in general and in specific types of contract
• Accounting: all your knowledge will be relevant

Need support preparing for HSG? We offer individual exam preparation for future HSG students! Here's our offer: Preparation for the HSG assessment year

Clear your head: get organised in St.Gallen!

Whether you commute between HSG and your home or move into a flatshare in St.Gallen – it's crucial to keep an eye on organising your studies. By overcoming possible organisational hurdles in advance, you create space to concentrate on the course material during the semester without distractions. Make sure you're well organised in the following areas in particular:

Finances: How high are the living costs during your studies? Do you need to work during the assessment year to cover your expenses? What costs can you expect for textbooks during this phase? For these financial questions, HSG offers a helpful resource that gives you a clear overview and supports you in getting organised. Here's the link: Living costs

Housing: For accommodation, besides the usual property and comparison portals such as comparis.ch, it's worth checking the Facebook group Sharing Is Caring University of St. Gallen (HSG), where HSG students regularly advertise rooms in flatshares. On the Marketplace of the HSG Student Union (SHSG) you'll also regularly find good flatshare rooms.

Friends: Many people are in the same situation and are pretty much on their own at first. But don't worry, HSG offers lots of opportunities to help its students connect quickly and meet interesting people. For one thing, you can make use of the Kick-off Week (Startwoche). Here you get the chance to explore HSG in more depth in a smaller group. For another, HSG has a wide range of clubs where you can meet like-minded people and get involved.

Study spaces: So that you can study undisturbed during the semester, HSG and other institutions in the city offer lots of spaces. Here's an overview:

On the HSG campus:

• HSG Library
• Quiet room in the main building (top floor)
• the Square (more info here)
• the Stage (more info here)
• the CO by SHSG (requires an introduction before use, more info here)

To see how many study spaces are available, the SHSG app provides up-to-date information in real time.

In the city of St.Gallen:

• Library in the Hauptpost St.Gallen right by the railway station (more info here)
• Library at OST University of Applied Sciences (also right by the station)

Textbooks and study materials: You'll buy your textbooks in the first week (Kick-off Week) together with your tutor at the Skriptekommission (SKK) at HSG. All the materials together cost about CHF 250. If that's too expensive for you, you can easily get second-hand materials via the SHSG Marketplace. Just make sure you always buy the latest editions. As for calculators, we recommend the TI-30X Pro, which HSG accepts for exams and which in our opinion is better than the model you can get directly from the Skriptekommission.

Laptop, iPad & co.: The choice of your tech companion – whether tablet, iPad or laptop – depends on your personal preferences. In general, we've had very good experiences with iPads and the GoodNotes or Notability app. With these apps you can easily annotate your lecturers' slides digitally and add handwritten notes. This is especially worthwhile when you need to write down mathematical formulas quickly. We've noticed that fewer and fewer students need a laptop during lectures (though they still use it for assignments and other tasks outside lecture time).

We hope these tips have helped you. If you have any further questions or need more information, don't hesitate to contact us at any time.

Whether you need support with mathematical concepts, economic relationships or organisational questions – we at the Coaching Institute are here to support you. Our passion is accompanying you on your way to academic excellence and giving you the confidence you need to navigate successfully through the assessment year at HSG.

We wish you every success for your start at HSG!

Your Coaching Institute team

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