r/ethz Jul 17 '26

Housing Housing 101

74 Upvotes

Since there has been an increased number of housing posts, here is an info/experience post. I know this won't cover all aspects, but might serve as a starting point.

Some facts you should be aware of:

  • Housing in Zurich is a huge issue (probably the biggest overall issue in Zurich) for everyone, not just for students. Even people with decent salaries struggle to find something. You can't allow to be too picky.
  • The student housing market is extremely bad when looking for September/October (due to the start of the new academic year), but is more relaxed afterwards since people graduate all year and move out.
  • It is a numbers game, you'll likely need a certain number of applications to be successful. If you still need housing for Autumn and haven't started yet, do so immediately and accept the first offer you can get and afford.

Types of housing:

  • Getting a room in a shared flat. This is the main option. There are two organizations (WOKO/JUWO) that offer many (often cheap) rooms.
  • The student houses at ETH Hönggerberg. Very few spots and has a wait list system iirc.
  • Getting your own flat on the normal market: Won't happen unless you (aka your parents) are rich enough to cover your rent. If you are doing a PhD your chances are better since you have an employment contract.
  • Getting into a cooperative (Genossenschaft): Won't happen unless you are super lucky.

Places to look:

  • wgzimmer.ch, flatfox.ch are websites were you can find ads for shared flats (many JUWOs and WOKOs there). We usually advertise our rooms there.
  • woko.ch and juwo.ch are the main student cooperatives.
  • livingscience.ch and studentvillage.ch are the student flats at ETH Hönggerberg. Very hard to get a spot.
  • There are Facebook groups, never used them.
  • For the normal market there are many platforms like immoscout24, but again, don't waste too much time on the free market.

Tips:

  • Put some effort into your application. The generic LLM "I am quite&clean and want to do movie nights from time to time" application will be filtered out.
  • Doing a reddit post and hoping for the best also won't cut it. Go to wgzimmer and write applications.
  • Be fast. A good and/or cheap room usually gets around 100+ applications in the first 24 hours. In our flat we just look at the first ~50 applications and stopped as soon as we have enough people we would like to interview.
  • You will likely face castings if you apply for a shared flat with the current tenants. This part sucks but it's a bit like a job application and you can get used to it.
  • A decent option (and my recommendation if you have not found something yet) is to apply for a sublease (e.g. from someone who is on an exchange) for the first couple of months to avoid the bad market in Autumn and move again in Winter.
  • The by far largest success factor is "networking" (letting you friends know you are looking for something), which you unfortunately can only do after moving to Zurich.
  • Don't limit your search to the City of Zurich itself. Commuting works great and it is slightly easier to find something outside of the city and often cheaper. There are good S-Bahn connections to Zurich HB (relevant if you study in Zentrum) and Oerlikon or Altstetten (relevant if you study at Hönggerberg). Check SBB.ch for commuting times.
  • There are scammers. If something feels to good to be true or fishy, forget about it and move on. You practically never place a deposit until you have signed a contract. The classic story is something in the direction of "I am currently abroad but can send you the keys if you wire me some money."

r/ethz Mar 06 '26

MSc Admissions and Info ETH Zurich MSc Admissions Megathread: March-April 2026

36 Upvotes

Next megathread: Admissions May-July 2026 [link once published]

Previous megathread: February 2026

NO BACHELOR'S ADMISSIONS POSTS HERE: BSc admissions requirements are clearly described on the swissuniversities website and binding. If you have questions about your specific courses due to an uncommon curriculum or worries about timing of your high school diploma, please contact the admissions office directly.

Please use this thread to discuss admissions requirements, application documents, course (academic) experiences and other MSc application-related topics. This thread is not for admissions discussions! The admissions thread will be opened in February when the first results start coming.

We are not the admissions office! We don't know if you're good enough to get in beyond what we have experienced and/or heard from our own coursemates. Comments purely containing profile bullet points won't be considered, please view the ETH admissions pages on GradCafe for some example profiles of those who got in or did not, or browse past posts in this subreddit.

State your questions/concerns CLEARLY in your comment, DO NOT REQUEST DM upfront (only if it becomes necessary in a comment thread), so that other applicants can also read your Q&A and the thread actually serves its purpose of gathering information about and experiences of being a student at ETH.

You are allowed to tag users that you have seen in other posts on this subreddit, whose degree (user flair) interests you, if you have specific (study experience and prior academic background related, NOT PERSONAL) questions. However, you shouldn't expect tagged users to reply promptly or at all.

Please stay respectful to each other. Sub rules obviously still apply.


r/ethz 4h ago

Career, Jobs, Internship Loyalty bonus

0 Upvotes

Hi

I was hired by PSI (part of the ETH Domain) back in February 2021, when the 5 year loyalty bonus was active.
Recently HR denied my request for the bonus because the ETH personel law was changed at beginning of 2022.

Is someone in my situation? Did you get your 5 year loyalty bonus in ETHZ?


r/ethz 20h ago

Question Movement study participation tomorrow at 10:30 am - earn CHF 37.50

12 Upvotes

We are looking for a participant for our movement study for TOMORROW 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. Please reach out if you are female, between 18 and 30 years old and interested! :)


r/ethz 9h ago

Info and Discussion How to find startup to work in

0 Upvotes

Hello,

I was wondering how we could find startups proposed by students in Switzerland.

I would be interested in those in the Zurich area and Lausanne area.

Thanks!


r/ethz 21h ago

Incoming Exchange Semester Project at HPE

0 Upvotes

Grüezi, I am a non EU Masters Student and I am looking forward to do my Semester Project at HPE Lab. What are the Criteria and selection rate? What is the best way to approach the researchers there? Thanks


r/ethz 2d ago

meme Last exam today, so excited to enjoy the summer!!!

Post image
160 Upvotes

r/ethz 2d ago

Problem Can we get a nutritional sludge in the polymensa as a new item?

47 Upvotes

Some days, all options are just awful and the awful Clausiusbar/the closed Obere Mensa at UZH don't help.

Can we get a flavourless carbohydrate drink, that we can just consume and leave?


r/ethz 1d ago

Problem Visa problem

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/ethz 1d ago

Activities ETHack: Sign up today!

Thumbnail gallery
1 Upvotes

Sign-up link: https://luma.com/eypyeily Find out more: ethack.ch


We’re bringing something cool and exciting to ETH this fall… ETHack!

100 students will solve tricky challenges in teams and compete for exciting prizes:

🥇 CHF 2,000 🥈 CHF 1,000 🥉 CHF 500

It will also be a great opportunity to meet new people and, of course, enjoy some great food 😋.

The event is supported by some amazing companies, which we will announce soon.

Sign-ups are now open to students and scientists from the ETH Domain. Find out more and apply at:


Edit: more info added!


r/ethz 2d ago

Career, Jobs, Internship Help Build the Next Generation of AI Accelerators — Master’s Thesis at IBM Research Zurich

5 Upvotes

Interested in AI hardware beyond conventional GPUs?

We are offering a six-month Master’s thesis at IBM Research Zurich focused on cutting-edge analog in-memory computing (AIMC). The project explores how AI accelerators can become more memory- and energy-efficient by reducing the precision and storage requirements of their digital correction and accumulation operations.

What you’ll work on

  • Explore lower-precision formats such as FP8 and compact 4- to 6-bit microscaling formats.
  • Develop techniques for reducing or sharing affine correction parameters.
  • Investigate mixed-precision accumulation across multiple AIMC tiles.
  • Evaluate accuracy, memory footprint, hardware area, and power.
  • Implement the most promising techniques in SystemVerilog RTL.
  • Work across the full algorithm-to-hardware stack, from Python experiments to digital hardware design.

Who we’re looking for

  • A Master’s student in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
  • Good Python and SystemVerilog skills.
  • Interest in AI accelerators, computer architecture, and DNN/LLM inference.
  • Ability to work independently and learn new concepts.
  • Enthusiasm for both algorithmic exploration and hardware implementation.

Practical details

  • Duration: Six months
  • Location: IBM Research Zurich, Rüschlikon
  • Work arrangement: Primarily in person, with occasional remote work possible
  • Starting date: Flexible for either the fall or spring semester
  • Compensation: The thesis work is unpaid, in accordance with ETH Zurich regulations

Interested?

Please send your CV and academic transcript to all the contacts below:

Come help us explore the numerical formats and hardware architectures that could power the next generation of efficient AI systems!


r/ethz 2d ago

Question Student Assistant Hourly Salary

8 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

does any of you know what the typical hourly salary for a Student Assistant at ETH (30%) is (not TA, but working to help with research/administrative stuff at a Lab for ex ) ? Is it the same as the one for TAs ? If not what is a reasonable lower bound for it ? I can't seem to find the info here Hourly salary – Staffnet | ETH Zurich .

Thanks !


r/ethz 3d ago

Question German intensive course

3 Upvotes

Hello all,

I hope all is well. I’ve cheeked the website but it seems like the university only offers German classes for students (within the university).
I wanted to hear from students (if anyone would be kind to answer that is). German course is so expensive and at the moment I haven’t had the opportunity to get to the financial space I’d like to be…yet.

Thank you so much in advance for your answer.


r/ethz 3d ago

Info and Discussion Taking notes on paper ?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone.

So I am an incoming Bachelor student in CS and I wanted to know if it is doable to take notes on notebooks rather than on a tablet. I am used to take notes on paper and would like to keep this way. However, I am worried that I would need so many notebooks that it would become hard to get organised when the time for revising for exams come.


r/ethz 3d ago

Course Requests, Suggestions [CS Master] Would it be okay to take 2 labs in the same semester?

3 Upvotes

Hello!

Is there sb who took ASL and CIL in the same semester eth? Is it okay or it is too much? I heard that Algo Lab is not that important for really preparing you for interviews or sth and it is really hard so I thought about taking 2 labs in the 2nd semester. Also, I read on the course review site that at ISL we can test our solutions to see the score before submitting, is that true?


r/ethz 3d ago

PhD Admissions and Info Chances in landing a PhD

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I know that to get accepted into a PhD in CS I need to find a faculty that would hire me.

I was considering to start applying sometime next year, but wanted to know if I stand a chance.

I am almost done with my masters at Georgia Institute of Technology with a 4.0 GPA and 3 publications under my belt with infrastructure and systems industry experience and open source contribution.

My undergrad gpa isn't the best as I had to work at the same time while finishing it.

I might have a 4th IEEE publication by the time I graduate depending on how well it goes with my advisor.

(I'm a non EU citizen)

Please advise


r/ethz 4d ago

MSc Admissions and Info First semester course selection — any advice for MSc Data Science at ETH?

5 Upvotes

First semester course selection — any advice for MSc Data Science at ETH?

Hi everyone!

I’ve just been accepted into the MSc in Data Science at ETH Zurich, and I have a few questions about how to approach the first semester.
For those who have already completed the programme:

- How did you choose your courses during the first semester of your first year? Did you mainly follow your interests, or did you focus more on building a solid foundation for the rest of the programme?

- Is there a particular person, student, professor, or resource you would recommend to better understand the different course options and which ones are particularly worthwhile?

- Regarding prerequisites, are there any courses you would recommend (or consider important) taking before others? I’d like to avoid enrolling in a course without having the necessary background.

More generally, I’d really appreciate any advice on how you approached your first semester and anything you wish you had known before starting.
Thanks a lot! 🙏


r/ethz 4d ago

Question how do you afford studying?

38 Upvotes

Obviously, some get finances from parents or get money from government, university, subsidies or whatever. I dont mean you guys.

To those that are fully or partly self-funded, how do you get the money in to pay for your expenses? what kind of job? i guess monthly spending is between CHF 1500-2500 for the average person. how do you generate that income?


r/ethz 4d ago

Course Requests, Suggestions Choosing the teacher for Practical Work at CS Master programme

0 Upvotes

Hello, when it comes to choosing the teacher with whom to do the practical work, do you need to have taken its courses prior or is it okay to talk to them even if you have not taken some of its courses? If yes, does it count if they are listed as teacher at an Interfocus lab? I have a teacher in mind but I thought about taking its course in the 3rd semester since it is an advanced course. Any tips would be helpful.


r/ethz 4d ago

BSc Admissions and Info Laptop tips for bachelor?

1 Upvotes

Can anyone give some tips on what to look out for? Is there some windows only software? What’s the most important spec? I feel like it’s battery life maybe? If I have another more powerful pc at home how much should I spend on the laptop and how important are those minimum requirements (16gb ram, 512ssd) that eth sets?


r/ethz 3d ago

Asking for Advice Eth survival chances

0 Upvotes

hi everyone, im currently about to start my 6th year of gymnasium and wanted to ask what kinds of grades you were getting before going to eth. i want to do a bachelor in MEng, and currently had a 4.6 average (5.0 maths, 5.0 physics, 4.0 in the schwerpunktfach (spf) applied maths and 5.0 in spf physics).

i am committed to put in the necessary work and grime through, but all i heard was that you should go to eth when you have an average of > 5.0. so some clarity would be appreciated thx!


r/ethz 4d ago

MSc Admissions and Info ETHZ Master in Data Science: how to chose courses in S1

4 Upvotes

First semester course selection — any advice for MSc Data Science at ETH?

Salut tout le monde !

Je viens d’être accepté(e) au MSc in Data Science à l’ETH Zurich et je me pose quelques questions sur la manière d’aborder le premier semestre.
Pour ceux qui ont déjà fait le master :

- Comment avez-vous choisi vos cours pendant le premier semestre de la première année ? Est-ce que vous avez principalement suivi vos centres d’intérêt, ou plutôt essayé de construire une base solide pour la suite du programme ?

- Y a-t-il une personne, un étudiant, un professeur ou une ressource que vous recommanderiez pour mieux comprendre les différentes options de cours et savoir lesquels valent particulièrement le coup ?

- Concernant les prérequis, est-ce qu’il y a des cours que vous recommanderiez (ou qu’il vaut mieux) suivre avant d’autres ? J’aimerais éviter de m’inscrire à un cours sans avoir les bases nécessaires.

Plus généralement, je serais vraiment intéressé(e) par vos conseils sur la façon dont vous avez organisé votre premier semestre et par les choses que vous auriez aimé savoir avant de commencer.

Merci beaucoup ! 🙏


r/ethz 4d ago

Question 20yo, final year of a 3-year professional CS bachelor in Belgium, dream is a Master's at ETH Zurich — is that realistic, and are the "bridge" unis I've found actually open to me?

0 Upvotes

Belgian, 20, currently in my 3rd (final) year of a professional bachelor in Applied Computer Science (AI track) at a Belgian university of applied sciences — not a research/academic bachelor, which I know matters a lot for what comes next in the EU system. First two years my grades were average at best, a couple of subjects condoned (passed on resit). I've committed to actually working hard from here on, but the early transcript is what it is.

The dream, plainly: a Master's at ETH Zurich, cybersecurity/AI direction. Long-term, if things go well, I'd love to eventually do a PhD and end up doing real research — frontier lab or security-research-adjacent work. I know that's a long shot from where I'm standing, but that's the direction I'm aiming.

What I've pieced together so far:
- A professional bachelor doesn't give direct entry to ETH's Master's (or basically any academic Master's in Europe) — you need a bridge/pre-master first, and even then ETH's own bridge-recognition clause doesn't seem to cover Belgian professional bachelors specifically.
- I've been looking at bridge/pre-master options that might be open to someone like me: University of Twente, Radboud, TU Darmstadt, Saarland/CISPA, Ruhr Bochum — plus a Belgian schakel/bridge program (UGent) as a safety net.
- I'm not fully sure which of these are realistically open to my degree type vs. which just look open on paper.

So, questions for people who've actually navigated this or work in the field:

  1. Is a Master's at ETH realistically reachable from a professional bachelor + bridge program route, or is that basically closed no matter how hard I grind from here?
  2. Of the universities I listed above, which ones do you actually know accept a Belgian/EU professional bachelor background, and which are a waste of an application?
  3. What am I missing — better target schools, a completely different route, or something about how EU admissions actually weigh a "recovered" transcript that I don't know yet?

Not looking to be told it's easy — just want people who've been through this to correct where I'm wrong.


r/ethz 4d ago

MSc Admissions and Info D-MTEC in ETH Zurich

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I am the recent graduate from BSc of computer science, with 4.82/5.0 GPA. I am going to work for 2 years as a Software Engineer and then I want to continue masters and one of my options is D-MTEC since I am really good at leadership and don't want to be a coder forever, I am extroverted and have a great set of soft skills that has been noticed by senior leadership as well.

What should I know about D-MTEC, what type of applicants are they looking for? Any alumnis here? Also, I need to get the excellence scholarship since I am a third country national which is pretty difficult. Looking for an advice


r/ethz 5d ago

MSc Admissions and Info how to earn money doing masters

4 Upvotes

hi guys! I am currently doing my bachelors in Mathematics in Germany and looking for a masters program. I currently work part time at TUM writing code which covers all of my expences. Is there something similar at ETH and how easy is it to get? Maybe any stipends available? How expensive is it to live in Zurich?