Another Update
The winter semester came to an end on Tuesday, so here is the usual report.
First, a note concerning Topologie II: It was, indeed, way over my head. The problem was not so much that I hadn't taken Topologie I, but that I hadn't taken Analysis II, where many of the basic terms and concepts are introduced, and that I was only able to attend one of the two weekly lectures. In that respect, I suppose it was an unpromising (aussichtslos!) endeavour from the start. Incidentally, I found it a pity that the professor held the lectures in English. However good his English may have been, it didn't have nearly as much charm.
In any case, I duly abandoned that course and concentrated on the remaining ones:
Algebra und Zahlentheorie (1,0): I was disappointed by this course, much as I was disappointed by Analysis I. Partly to blame, I think, is the fact that much of the material (mainly, of course, at the beginning) had already been covered in Lineare Algebra I.
Übersetzerbau (1,0): This course was also a little disappointing. I enjoyed the professor's humour and use of language very much, but I found that she explained concepts at rather more length than necessary. In short, the pace was slow enough that I was able to drift off during lectures without suffering negative consequences.
Netzprogrammierung (unknown, probably bad): This course was the most inspiring one this semester, mainly because of the assignments (few though they were). The web-related ones, in particular, gave me some experience with tools and concepts (e.g. Java Servlets and PHP) that have a myriad of exciting, concrete applications. In general, the assignments allowed for creativity and freedom, which rendered them enjoyable in themselves.
That said, I do not have high hopes for the exam result. Although I wrote something in answer to every question, I suspect that the answers were lacking in quality, if not outright wrong.
Technische Informatik: I was in charge of two groups: a small one on Thursdays and an average-sized one on Fridays. I had actually looked forward to having a smaller group, but it ended up being by far the more difficult one. There were two main problems: First, I wasn't able to connect with the students. Second, I didn't feel confident in my understanding of the material. Insecure as I was, I tended to ramble on in my little bubble, rather than making the necessary effort to communicate.
The larger group was easier, because there were several outgoing students in it -- students who raised their hand to answer questions or ask their own, and students who cracked jokes from time to time. It is not, of course, students' job to make the atmosphere of the tutorial pleasant, but I am very grateful if they do it anyway, because it clearly isn't my strong suit.
Well, so much for the past semester. Some plans for the future (more or less immediate):
I'll be attending a Blockkurs, with daily lectures and tutorials, starting on Monday. Like Softwaretechnik, it's an ABV (career preparation) course, so I'm not particularly enthusiastic. The exam will be in mid-March, which leaves me with about three or four weeks of holidays before the summer semester begins in mid-April.
Speaking of the summer semester, it won't be my last, although six semesters is the official number of semesters required to obtain a Bachelor's degree. I've been taking things slowly, and want to continue doing so, so I plan to write my bachelor thesis (dissertation?) in my seventh semester (i.e. next winter semester). Before that, during the summer holidays, I'll complete an internship (also a graduation requirement).