At the company: CFL Company location, country: Luxembourg, Luxembourg Company homepage:http://www.cfl.lu Author's name: Johnny Lorang Degreeprogramme at FH Aachen, Faculty 8: Mechatronics
Start and end of stay abroad: 01/10/2015 to 07/03/2016
In which subject-specific semester did you complete your Bachelor's thesis: 7
Name of the supervisor of the Bachelor's thesis at the FH: Prof. Dr M.Sc. Raphael Pfaff
Preparations
When did you start the organisation? I started looking for suitable companies and making applications during the summer semester of 2015.
How did you contact the employer? Contact was made through an unsolicited application after a brief prior consultation.
How long did the application process take and what documents were required? I received a positive response from the company after two or three weeks. No special documents were required in my case.
Did you need a visa and if so, did you have to organise it yourself or did the employer apply for it for you? As I am a Luxembourg citizen, I did not need to apply for a visa.
Useful tips or further information on preparation: In any case, it is an advantage to start preparing early. It can also be useful to get in touch with your potential supervisor before choosing a company, as they can advise you on the choice of company.
Financial
Did you receive any funding to finance your stay abroad? No.
Did you receive a salary from your employer? No.
Approximately how much did you spend travelling to the host country? You can travel to the host country by train or car. The costs range from €20 to €50.
What are the approximate living and accommodation costs in the host country? Housing costs in Luxembourg are comparatively high. Other living costs are comparable to those in Germany.
Is further insurance necessary? In my case, no further insurance was necessary.
On site
What formalities have to be completed after arrival? In my case, there were no special formalities to take care of.
How did you find accommodation? I lived with my parents during my stay.
Where is the best place to live? This depends very much on your personal interests and budget. In the south of the country, there are good transport links and lots of shopping and leisure facilities. However, housing costs are much higher here than in the northern part of the country.
What are the local shopping facilities like? There are many and varied shopping opportunities. These range from Aldi to organic food shops, for example.
What is cheap or expensive in the host country? Petrol, coffee and tobacco products are comparatively cheap. Food is slightly more expensive than in Germany, but is usually of good quality.
How far did you live from the company and what was the daily commute to work like? The daily commute to work consisted of a 1-hour train journey and a 20-minute walk. The public transport network is well developed and the use of public transport is very cheap (4€ for a day ticket to use all public transport throughout the country).
What can you say about the company location? The company has various locations in Luxembourg. I myself worked in Luxembourg City. Leisure activities range from cafés and discos to museums, cinemas, skate halls, skating rinks, etc. Well-known tourist attractions include the fortress and the casemates of Luxembourg City, which together with the historic city centre are listed as a World Heritage Site. The Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean (MUDAM) is also worth a visit.
Are there any special customs/customs among the locals and what is an absolute taboo? Customs and traditions are very similar to those in Germany. Under no circumstances should the Luxembourgish language (Luxembourgish) be described as a dialect, as some Luxembourgers react very sensitively to this.
About the employer
Briefly describe the company! CFL is the Luxembourg state railway company. Groupe CFL employs over 4000 people in total.
Which Section do you work in? In the Qualité, Sécurité, Incidents et Environnement (Quality, Safety, Incidents and Environment) sub-department of the Trains et Matériel (Trains and Material) Section.
Were there any special features worth mentioning? All three official languages of the country are spoken within the company (Luxembourgish, French, German), all three of which are also spoken by the majority of employees. However, internal company documents are usually only available in one of these languages.
Topic of your bachelor thesis: Development of a model for standardising and optimising wheelset replacement.
Was the topic of the project work specified by the company or were you able to choose it yourself? The topic was suggested by the company.
How many hours did you work on average? 40 hours/week
Final considerations - Conclusion
How would you rate your stay abroad overall? Very good.
What were the high and low points of your stay? The highlights were definitely the two concerts with work colleagues. There weren't really any low points.
What will remain unforgotten? The day when I was able to accompany a railcar driver and sit behind the wheel of a train.
What advice would you give to other students on your degree programme who decide to spend a semester abroad in this country?Invest enough time in planning so that as few unforeseen complications as possible arise during your stay.
