So you did it! You are the students of the first year of university study. In large rooms, as well as much smaller rooms and labs you will be addressed as student or learner, sometimes dear colleague.

All of the sudden everything is different and new. Maybe the reason is that you are far away from your home, living at residential halls or in private. You must handle it on your own.

Let's stay with study changes and obligations. You have index, student pass and written in it what you should successfully go through within the first 2 semesters of study.  One semester is about 15 weeks of lessons finished by examining period when you should learn and get to your mind everything you have heard and seen and successfully pass the exams. When this period is finished you should possess all credits being demanded.

            What does it all mean? You should not look over the rules of study and examining regulations. If doing so it would not pay off because even here the sentence "not knowing the law is not an excuse" has its place. The content of above mentioned rules you can find on website of your university. Read it carefully; highlight the subjects characteristics, credits, articles dealing with study period etc. Even some things seem to be far away in ahead it would not be bad thing to do to go over study checking, exams and credits. Re-exams and commissional exams let put aside for now.

            There are more basic things in study and examining regulation. Trust your skill to read understandably and use it. Needless questions addressing to study department workers usually do not meet with politeness.

            When the semester begins you would plan your weekly study yourself out of offer. We are living at IT time so use it. Through PC your results by the way will be registered as far as the credits, exams, contacts with pedagogues are concerned. 

            Lectures, seminars, exercises and excursions are waiting for you of course granted by demanding credits. When the school (academic) year finishes you should obtain given number of credits. If not you will not go further towards next school year or there will be conditions hardly being overcome for you and they would always be only unlikable burden.  

            Lectures are if not saying otherwise not obligatory. On the other hand the participation in exercises and seminars is obligatory and is registered. As for lectures - it pays off when you will listen to St Augustin: get know everything and what is good hold it! It pays off when you would participate in all lectures at least from the beginning. But if you find out that pedagogue just reads out of mimeographed (scriptum) or presents just facts easily accessible in textbooks think about going there again.  Most of pedagogues though accepted cooperative education process when you are drag in the lesson and not being present at the lecture would do harm to you!  

            At the university website you also find annotation of the particular subjects. You find there topics of particular weekly lectures and seminars, pedagogue's demands within the semester, list of recommended literature etc.

            Be active since the first day of study! It pays off! This recommendation sounds maybe little moralizing but it is experienced and proved over years. Cervantes knew what he is saying when he said: on the big watch of time is only one word: "now". Going along the street "then" we come to the house "never". 

            Examining period - together with before Christmas terms - will come sooner than you realize. With continuously prepared tasks on your back (sending often by email) enter for exams terms chosen in time. There will be several exams after each semester so you should very well plan your exams dates. Pedagogues very often open the dates of exams on the website so you actually have enough time to plan your terms. Be aware of the fact that you may not pass exam the first time so you should leave enough time to go for the exams for the second time (or commissional exam but you may not be allowed to go for).

            Knowing all this do not go for exam with the thought "let's just try it". The exam starts sooner than right in pedagogue's office. It is not good to go as a first one but the worse is to wait in front of the pedagogue's office being stressed by failure of your colleague being examined before you. You already know your colleagues as well as pedagogue being actually in examiner role. Do not go for exams right after your perfectly prepared colleague because your star would become matt. Also do not believe all these horror stories about your examiner. Maybe he will be the person one time in the future you will remember in spirit of the words of American general Patton, liberator of Plzeň: "I do not need soldiers to love me, I need them to fight!" In mentioned fight there exist very good weapons so called soft skills. It means the way how you enter the door, how you say greeting, your outfit and hair style, how you sit and how you communicate. The HR people would tell you a lot about this because they watch these ways when interviewing new labour applicants.   

Never keep silence when being examined!!! Believe that most of pedagogues do not consider this part of their activities very attractive. Nobody ever knows everything! If you keep silence a pedagogue will help you with some question. For him very easy thing to do but for you it can be disaster!

If you are going for exam after preparing yourself very hardly do not be scared of healthy stress. It goes along. By the way our notable psychiatrist Cyril Höschl thinks that "...a danger operates as a good trainer". It is just thing of having knowledge and having repository you can dig from. And experienced pedagogue get know very soon whether you are drowning or you just did not choose right style of swimming - and he throws you a lifebuoy.   

             You now stay at the door-step of beautiful life period. You are deciding on many things. Do not damage everything by your imprudence, laziness and slovenry in order not to identify you with Villon words: 

Oh god, if I would have studied  

and when young I would behaved only well,

today I would have house and bed.

I though as child disobedient run away from the school...

Now I write in such hard moment as the heart hurts

 Olomouc 12 April  2009

                                                                       Alžběta Peutelschmiedová