Ersti Guide

A collection of thoughts, systems, and observations from my first year in Computer Science at ETH Zurich. I hope this can help you build your own sustainable approach to not just surviving, but enjoying the journey.

Welcome to ETH. You’ve earned a place at a remarkable institution, and the coming years will be some of the most challenging and rewarding of your life. This document is an attempt to distill what I’ve learned about navigating this environment, things I wish I had understood from the beginning. It’s not a set of rigid rules, but a framework of ideas to help you build your own effective and, crucially, sustainable way of working.

What’s the Point of All This?

It’s easy to dismiss a deep dive into workflow and study habits as overly pedantic or a form of procrastination. I certainly held that view in the past. However, the reality of ETH is that the volume and complexity of the material demand a conscious approach. The habits that got you here may not be sufficient to carry you through.

The core idea is this: investing a small amount of time upfront to build a personal “operating system” for how you learn, organize, and live pays enormous dividends. Life here gets busy, and the “right time” to optimize your process will never magically appear. It’s a matter of making small, continuous improvements from the start.

Think of it this way: every bit of friction you remove from your daily workflow, every moment saved searching for notes, every ounce of mental energy not spent worrying about a looming deadline, is energy that can be reinvested into understanding difficult concepts or simply having a life outside of your studies. This guide is about reducing that friction, and being efficient and effective.

The Academic Workflow

Your primary task here is to learn. But how you learn is a skill in itself, and your first semester is the perfect time to experiment and find what works for you.

On Lectures and Exercise Sessions

One of the first freedoms you’ll encounter is the choice of whether to attend class. My experience has been that a hybrid approach is most effective. I suggest attending everything for the first two or three weeks to get a feel for each course and professor. After that, you can make a more informed decision.

I found that for many courses, the recorded lectures were a more efficient learning tool. The ability to pause, re-watch a difficult derivation, and increase the playback speed (1.5x-3x is often a sweet spot) allows you to tailor the information intake to your own pace. A two-hour lecture can often be processed with deeper focus in under an hour.

However, this only works if you have the self-discipline to consistently engage with the material. If you find that the structure of in-person attendance is what keeps you on track, then that is the right choice for you. Some professors are also simply brilliant lecturers, and their passion and clarity are worth experiencing live (for most lectures this isn’t the case).

The same logic applies to the Übungsstunden. They can be invaluable if you’re truly stuck and need a human to walk you through a concept. But if you’re able to work through the problem sets on your own (perhaps with the help of online resources or an LLM as a Socratic partner), you might find your time is better spent in the library, deeply focused.

How to Approach the Scripts

The official course scripts at ETH are (in my opinion) typically written as reference documents, not as pedagogical tutorials. They are dense, formal, and aim for mathematical precision. For someone learning a topic for the first time, this can be an intimidating and inefficient starting point.

A strategy that worked well for me was to treat the script as a syllabus and a final source of truth, rather than a primary learning text.

1. The 5-Page Test: Read the first few pages. In rare cases, you might find a script is exceptionally well-written and clicks with your way of thinking (for me, the Discrete Math script was one such case). If so, by all means, use it.
2. Map the Territory: For the others, I found it helpful to use a tool like Claude or ChatGPT to generate a bullet-point summary of each chapter. This gives you a high-level map of the concepts you need to master.
3. Learn from the Masters: With this map, you can then turn to the wealth of resources online. Platforms like MIT OpenCourseWare, YouTube channels like 3Blue1Brown, or standard textbooks (many of which can be found on Anna’s Archive) often provide far more intuitive explanations (you can find these resources under the “Useful Resouces” page under each subject on this site).
4. Return for Precision: Once you have a solid conceptual understanding, you can return to the ETH script to learn the specific notation and formalisms your professor will expect on the exam.

Exercises: Your Most Important Feedback Loop

If there is one non-negotiable piece of advice, it is this: take the exercises seriously. They are not just homework; they are the primary feedback mechanism for your learning. Especially if you skip lectures and Übungsstunden.

• Bonus points are not optional. If an exercise offers bonus points, treat it as a mandatory part of the course. It is the lowest-effort way to improve your grade and insure against a difficult exam. (I know people who skipped these too and did very well in the exams, however chances are, you aren’t that cracked. Don’t gamble with these, especially in your first semester)
• They are a diagnostic tool. Your ability (or inability) to solve the current week’s problem set is the most accurate indicator of your preparedness for next week’s material. Concepts at ETH are cumulative. A small gap in understanding one week can quickly become a debilitating deficit. This is where I’ve seen many people stumble.
• Be honest with yourself. It’s tempting to skip problems that seem easy or to look at the solution too quickly. Resist this. The struggle is where the learning happens. Your success in high school is not a reliable predictor of your performance here; humility and consistent effort are far more valuable.

The Basisprüfung and the Art of the Cheat Sheet

Your first year culminates in the Basisprüfungen, two exam blocks which cover all your core subjects. It is the main filter of the program, and you must pass these within two years (with a maximum of two attempts).

Many exams allow a cheat sheet. Do not view this as a crutch, but as a powerful study tool. The process of creating a cheat sheet, of distilling an entire semester’s worth of information down to a few pages, is one of the most effective forms of revision you can do. It forces you to identify the most important concepts, understand their connections, and summarize them concisely. Even if you start with a template from VIS, the act of personalizing and rewriting it is where the real value lies. I recommend doing this even for subjects where a cheatsheet is not allowed…

Your Personal Toolkit

The tools you choose shape how you think and work. It’s worth being intentional about them.

Guiding Principles for Choosing Tools

I base my choices on a few core principles:

• Efficiency: The tool should be fast, lightweight, and reduce the friction between an idea and its execution. I favor keyboard-centric interfaces that keep me in the flow.
• Sustainability & Data Ownership: I prefer free and open-source software with strong communities. This ensures the tools won’t disappear behind a paywall or become obsolete. I want to own my data in open, non-proprietary formats.
• Focus: The best tools get out of the way and let you focus on the task at hand. I avoid software cluttered with unnecessary features, notifications, and distractions.

Your Digital Environment: OS and Tools

My personal recommendation leans heavily towards a Unix-based system like Linux or macOS. Using such an environment for your daily work implicitly teaches a host of invaluable skills: navigating the command line, using package managers, understanding file permissions, and working with SSH. These are the native tools of the computer science world. For Windows users, the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is an excellent and highly recommended solution.

One critical caveat: The Safe Exam Browser (SEB) used for exams does not run on Linux. You will need access to a Windows or macOS machine for exams. A dual-boot setup or a simple, secondary laptop is a common and necessary solution.

For notes, I’ve found Obsidian (or for FOSS: Logseq, NVIM with obsidian.nvim, …) to be exceptional (I literally use it for this website :D). Its use of plain markdown files aligns with the principles of data ownership, and its linking capabilities allow you to create a personal knowledge base. For tasks, a simple system is often the most robust. I use a digital calendar to block out time for lectures and events, and each evening, I write down the 3-4 most important tasks for the next day. This simple act provides clarity and focus.

The ETH Ecosystem: More Than Just a Degree

While the education at ETH Zurich is undeniably world-class, to focus solely on lectures and coursework is to miss the essence of the ETH experience. The true, unique value of this institution lies in its vibrant and dense ecosystem.

Forging Your Network: Peers, Mentors, and Future Colleagues

The most valuable and lasting resource you will find at ETH is the people. Building a strong network is not just beneficial, it’s integral to your success and well-being.

• Discover Your Study Style: The first few weeks are a crucial time for experimentation. Some thrive in collaborative study groups, finding that explaining concepts to others solidifies their own understanding. Others work best in a hybrid model or alone. Take the time to figure out what approach maximizes your learning and stick with it.
• Connect with Upper-Year Students: Students in higher semesters are an invaluable source of information. They have navigated the complexities of the curriculum, passed the exams, and can offer candid advice on which courses are unexpectedly demanding and which professors are particularly inspiring. Your student association common room, like that of VIS (the student association for computer science), is an excellent place to connect with them. Don’t hesitate to ask for their insights or old notes, most are happy to help.
• Engage with TAs and Doctoral Students: Your Teaching Assistants (TAs) are often just a few years ahead of you and can offer targeted academic support. Building a good rapport with them and with PhD students can provide deeper insights into your field and may open doors to future research opportunities.

Beyond the Classroom: Events and Career Opportunities

A degree from ETH is a significant achievement, but in a competitive job market, it’s often not enough. Actively participating in events will give you a considerable edge.

• Career Fairs and Tech Talks: Make it a priority to attend major career fairs like Polymesse, a three-day event connecting students from all disciplines with over 140 companies, and the VIS Kontaktparty, Switzerland’s largest academic IT job fair. These events, along with numerous company talks on campus, are your chance to understand industry trends, identify in-demand skills, and build a professional network long before you graduate.
• Hackathons and Workshops: Immerse yourself in hackathons and workshops. In a single weekend, you can learn more about teamwork, practical problem-solving, and deploying a project than in weeks of lectures. These intense, collaborative events are both educational and a great way to showcase your abilities.
• Staying Informed: A great way to stay updated on the multitude of opportunities is to browse the VSETH organizations page. Join the mailing lists or social media groups of the clubs that pique your interest. Creating a LinkedIn profile early on is also highly recommended; it is the essential social network for the professional world and a similar great way of being up to date on events around campus.

Gaining Practical Experience: From Theory to Application

Software Engineering $\ne$ Computer Science (!!!)

ETH provides a phenomenal foundation in theoretical concepts. However, it is largely up to you to translate that knowledge into the practical skills of a software engineer, a researcher, or an entrepreneur.

• Internships: Prioritize getting an internship, even as early as your first summer break (yes, that’s entirely possible, I did so). In a competitive market, practical experience is what makes you stand out. Start your search early, as recruitment often begins the autumn before. To prepare for technical interviews, dedicate 1-2 weeks to review concepts and practice coding challenges (e.g. LeetCode), assuming you’ve kept up with your coursework. This is the most direct way to apply your knowledge, build your resume, and explore career paths. A successful internship often leads to a full-time job offer.

• On-Campus Projects and Clubs: Getting involved in student organizations is one of the best ways to gain hands-on experience alongside your studies. There is a vast and diverse range of clubs and projects to choose from:

  • For direct software development and IT experience, consider joining a VIS (Association of Computer Science Students) commission like CAT (Computer Application Team), which develops applications for students, or CIT (Computer Infrastructure Team), which maintains the student association’s IT infrastructure. The SEK (Software Entwicklungs Kommission), a VSETH commission, also offers opportunities to develop applications that benefit the wider ETH student body.
  • For those interested in competitive, hands-on engineering challenges, there are numerous high-profile projects such as AMZ Racing (building electric and driverless racing cars), Swissloop (developing Hyperloop technology), and ARIS (designing and building rockets).
  • To explore specific fields and connect with like-minded peers, you can join clubs like the Analytics Club (for data science and machine learning enthusiasts), the Entrepreneur Club (for aspiring startup founders), the Cyber Group, or the Robotics Club.

Engaging with the ETH ecosystem is not an extracurricular activity; it is an essential part of the education. It will challenge you, expand your horizons, and ultimately, it is what will transform your time here from a standard university education into a truly formative experience.

Life in Zurich - Thriving Outside the Lecture Hall

Your performance at ETH is deeply connected to your well-being. A sustainable pace requires a life outside of problem sets and lecture halls.

Finding Balance: The Role of ASVZ

The ASVZ (Academic Sports Association Zurich) is one of the best perks of being a student here. For a very small (which is obligatory either way) semester fee, you get access to an incredible range of sports and facilities. I cannot overstate how important physical activity is for managing stress and maintaining mental clarity. Whether it’s lifting weights, climbing, rowing on the lake, or taking a dance class, find something that gets you moving and make it a non-negotiable part of your week. It’s an investment in your academic performance and your sanity. As one says, go touch some grass…

Maintaining Your Identity: Hobbies and Creative Outlets

It’s easy to let your identity become “ETH CS student.” This is a recipe for burnout. It’s crucial to maintain hobbies and interests that have nothing to do with technology or academics. Whether it’s playing an instrument, painting, hiking, or joining a non-technical club, these activities are what keep you grounded and provide a necessary escape. They remind you that your worth is not tied to your latest grade.

The Zurich Housing Challenge

Finding a place to live in Zurich is notoriously difficult. The market is competitive and expensive.

• Personalize Your Messages: When applying for a room in a shared flat (WG), don’t send a generic copy-paste message. Write a thoughtful paragraph about who you are, what you study, your hobbies, and why you think you’d be a good flatmate. People are choosing someone to live with, not just a tenant.
• Be Persistent and Patient: It can take time. Don’t get discouraged. Use platforms like WOKO (the student housing foundation), the ETH housing office portal, and various Facebook groups.
• Budget Realistically: Be prepared for rents in the range of CHF 800-1200 per month for a room.

Mental Health as a Foundation

Finally, please know that it is normal to feel overwhelmed or to struggle with imposter syndrome. Everyone here is brilliant, and the pace is relentless. ETH provides free and confidential Psychological Counseling Services. Using these resources is a sign of strength and self-awareness. They are there to help you develop coping strategies and manage the pressure before it becomes a crisis. Useful Links for Help/Counselling

Final Thoughts

Your time at ETH is a unique opportunity. You are surrounded by people and resources that can help you achieve remarkable things. Success here is less about innate genius and more about the conscious cultivation of good habits, a resilient mindset, and the curiosity to explore the rich ecosystem around you.

Build your systems, stay curious, ask for help when you need it, and don’t forget to enjoy the process. Welcome to ETH.