Student for a Day - Getting a Taste of University Life at THI

Deciding what to do after leaving school is a big challenge for many people. In the past, you first had to leave school, but today many universities, such as the THI, offer the opportunity to gain an insight into the degree programme in advance.

An enriching experience: Student Emily Müller from Pfaffenhofen gained many new impressions during her day at the THI (Photo: Emily Müller/private).

It is a cold autumn morning when Emily Müller boards the train to Ingolstadt. The 17-year-old pupil from Schyren-Gymnasium Pfaffenhofen is excited: today she gets to immerse herself in the world of students for a day. She is taking part in the taster programme at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences (THI) and wants to find out what it feels like to study for a day.

‘As soon as I heard about the taster programme, I was immediately interested,’ says Emily. ‘It was exciting to try out studying and see how it differs from school.’ After enrolling, she was contacted by Samantha Rahimie, a student at THI. Samantha became her mentor for the day and accompanied her through everyday university life.

Together, the two attended the English-language lecture ‘Marketing & Sales’, which particularly impressed Emily. ‘It was exciting to see how a lecture is organised and to talk to the other students,’ says Emily. The exchange with fellow students and the lecturer gave her a clear impression of how freer studying is compared to school. ‘The students have much more responsibility for their learning. You have to organise a lot independently and motivate yourself,’ says Emily.

The taster programme at THI allows pupils to get to know the campus and get a taste of the world of studying. ‘We want to show the students what they can do after graduating from high school,’ explains Bettina Markl from the THI's Student Advisory Service. The university not only offers practice-oriented degree programmes in the fields of engineering and business but also international perspectives - 16 English-language degree programmes are currently on offer.

Emily is delighted with the day: ‘It was a great experience that helped me to think about my future. I would recommend it to anyone.’

Offers like this make the transition from school to university tangible. Perhaps one day Emily will come back to Ingolstadt - this time as a student.

 

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