Thomas Janssen, Mechatronics

After completing my industrial training at Siemens AG in 2002 and successfully completing my vocational baccalaureate at the same time, the decision to study came very quickly during the first few months of work at my first employer. At the time, I was working in the mobility/train construction department and was involved in commissioning and measuring/aligning trains. Despite the very interesting field of work, my desire to learn more about the technical interrelationships quickly grew. I wanted to be able to cover more possibilities and a wider range with a mechatronics degree programme. And I wanted to act as quickly as possible so that I didn't get stuck "on the spot".

It took me a while to learn to love Aachen. As a "true Niederrheiner", you have to get involved with the dialect and a foreign sense of humour. Due to some difficult circumstances in my family, I wasn't able to use my free time in the beginning to get to know and "love" the city and its people. But that changed over time and I really enjoyed my time in Aachen. The city has a special flair for me, both the warm summers like during the 2006 World Cup and the heavy downpours that "once again hung over the valley". Aachen is an interesting and great city with interesting and great people and if you keep your mind, eyes and ears open, you can learn and experience a lot.

The range of FH Aachen and the fact that it has different locations scattered around the city also shows the versatility of the city and study opportunities. In my time, the flair of the premises ranged from the 70s to the 90s to the chic new building. The lecture halls were sometimes rustic, but always allowed for appropriate participation without feeling lost in them. It was the same with the professors and lecturers, sometimes rustic, but you were never left alone.

I found it relatively "difficult", especially at the beginning of my degree programme. As I mentioned, this probably also had to do with the family aspects. The theory in the foundation course was less suited to my more practically orientated approach. After a death in the family and a reorientation, I had collected a few extra semesters, but I had become more "grown up".

In my main degree programme, my practice-oriented approach stood me in good stead. I was now able to combine theory with the main and elective subjects. In my current professional life, I still live from the experience I gained in microtechnology, for example. The mixture of practical trainings, lectures and exercises was perfect for me. In addition, the subject of mechatronics combines everything from physics and electrical engineering to mechanical engineering. An additional highlight was hands-on practical training in Zweibrücken, organised by Professor Kämper, where we were able to build sensors ourselves in the clean room. Interestingly, there were also courses, such as "Management Knowledge", which often made me realise the reality of today's professional world, with a real sense of irony.

For me, studying at the University of Applied Sciences was one of the most important building blocks in my professional and personal development. You have endless opportunities to develop and try out new things in your field. The whole thing is always related to professional practice with a good sense of proportion. The personal situation and learning how to deal with it had a particular influence on my character and strengthened me for the future.

One of the things you learn during your studies is what it's like to "fall flat on your face" and then get up again under your own steam. That strengthens your character. There are many ways to make your way, but you shouldn't give up immediately if it doesn't work right away.

In my opinion, if you decide to study, you should enjoy and be interested in what you are doing. The mechatronics degree programme offered a wide range of opportunities. But I can't say that everything always fits in with practice. The world has become more fast-moving and is in a state of flux. Many "dead certain industries" are changing enormously and digitalisation is also increasing the pace of this change. In addition, the coronavirus situation, for example, shows that the way we work is also changing (keyword: home office). And I don't think these changes will go away.

You can learn a lot over time without studying, but you need to have the right foundation. To be honest, I think that some technical content sometimes doesn't match what happens in professional life. Many calculations and theoretical subtleties are not taken into account in practice because, for example, digitalisation is now taking over many tasks. This may be different if you work in R&D.

In my opinion, depending on the task, professional life is strongly characterised by the breadth of knowledge and the soft skills learned. I learnt my basic "trade" during my mechatronics studies. But as Head of Section, I no longer need specialised knowledge of every technical detail. Now it's important to understand what it's all about and, if in doubt, to delegate or have the ability to familiarise yourself with a topic as quickly and in depth as possible if required.