Mike Schäfer is a fourth-year student of Geography. He is pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree, 1-subject programme.
What made you choose this degree programme?
Back in school, I found geography an interesting subject, because it was very diverse thanks to its interdisciplinary nature. Therefore, I studied advanced geography at A-level, as well as advanced mathematics. My original idea was to train as maths/geography teacher, and I initially enrolled in the respective course at RUB. However, after only one semester, I realised that I was much more interested in geography than in mathematics and teaching. Geography covers my range of interest (geology, meteorology, urbanism and urban history, climatology, soil science, economy and economics, sociology etc.). This is why I eventually decided to pursue solely a Bachelor’s degree in geography.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
My expectations have been fulfilled in terms of interdisciplinarity. Geography intersects with many disciplines and subjects, those including meteorology, geology and sociology. My expectation that the degree course will cover not only subjects related to natural sciences, but also those related to social studies has been definitely fulfilled. Moreover, the degree course also provides an introduction to computer-aided cartography methods, just as I expected. Drafting maps, for example, is one of the flagship disciplines of qualified geographers.
My expectations in terms of fieldwork have not been fulfilled. Before I took up the degree course, I imagined that subjects pertaining to natural sciences will be discussed on the basis of fieldwork or lab work. Even though fieldwork is part of the geography course, it is given short shrift, in my opinion. Which is a shame.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
Fieldwork is what I enjoy most in my degree course, even though it is given short shrift. This is where theoretical knowledge can be observed and discussed in nature. Exchanging ideas and discussing things with the team is a lot of fun.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
The greatest challenge so far was the main excursion, in my opinion. Students in the geography degree course are required to take part in a major excursion home or abroad, which can take 8 to 21 days, depending on the destination. Destinations include, for example, the Dutch coastal region, Vienna, Norway, and also remote destinations such as Bolivia or Hawaii. I took part in the excursion to Hawaii, which lasted 2.5 weeks. Long excursions such as this can be a physical and mental challenge, for example due to the climate conditions. It was my greatest challenge, because walking the distances scheduled for day trips could be very exhausting and draining due to the climate. On the other hand, it was definitely the best time I had in my degree course and in my life. This shows that geography entails a lot of hands-on fieldwork and excursions.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
I can imagine to work in the field of climate or soil protection and to develop concepts for improving urban climates (see smog or urban heat islands etc.) or to restore the usability of contaminated brownfields. Because of the multifaceted character of the degree course, qualified geographers can find many niches in the labour market. I will decide where my journey takes me after finishing my Master’s degree.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
I would definitely tell them that even though the geography degree course does have several aspects in common with the school subject geography, it is much more comprehensive and interdisciplinary than the school subject. At university, geography is one of the natural sciences, unlike in school; this means that subjects such as physics/statistics/chemistry are also touched upon in the degree course, especially in climatology and soil sciences.
Moreover, I would definitely recommend acquiring organisation skills, because students are required to write many term papers and presentations, in addition to exams. The degree course provides instructions on how to prepare such things, but it can’t hurt to know how to get organised and to how to take responsibility from the outset.
Other than that, I would advise everyone to visit the module guide on the homepage of the Department of Geography to check which modules will be part of the degree course and which subjects will be covered. The module guide provides a good overview.
