I have always been interested in mathematics and science. For me, mechanical engineering is special because it allows me to better understand everyday things. As a mechanical engineer, you also find technical solutions to the pressing challenges of our time, such as the energy transition. So you could say that mechanical engineering enables us to change the world for the better.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
I was aware that studying mechanical engineering would be challenging: long and difficult exam periods, a fast pace, a full timetable... But what surprised me was the support I received at the beginning of my studies, especially from the student council and the faculty. I also made lots of friends, who motivate and support one another.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
The internships! They enable us to gain insight into various activities and apply our knowledge in practice, which makes us look forward to the specialisations we will have to choose from the 5th semester onwards.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Although exams are only taken at the end of the semester, you still have to revise the material constantly. However, you should find ways to counterbalance your studies, such as through sports, voluntary work and spending time with friends, in order to successfully complete your degree.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
After completing my studies, I would like to work in the energy and process engineering sector or perhaps later on in research.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
Every beginning is difficult, but ‘where there's a will, there's a way’. As mentioned above, from the fifth semester onwards, you choose a specialisation and find out what you enjoy and in which direction you want to specialise: design and automation technology, materials technology...
The mechanical engineering degree at RUB opens up many possibilities.
Lukas Hetnöcker, eighth semester student in Mechanical Engineering. He is pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree, 1-subject programme.
What made you choose this degree programme?
I was an engineering enthusiast even as a child. Back at school, I developed an interest in the energy revolution and in regenerative energies. Consequently, I knew from the very start that I would opt for an engineering degree. The mechanical engineering degree at RUB was a particularly attractive option, because you don’t choose a major until the 5th semester. If I had realised at some point during the degree course that I’d prefer majoring in a different subject, I would have been free to go for it. Some of my fellow students have changed their mind about the subject of choice during the first 4 semesters and have settled for a different major than they’d originally planned. However, I have seen my interests confirmed, which is why I chose energy and process engineering as my major in the 5th semester.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
At the start of the mechanical engineering course, you expect to be able to handle large machinery and be taught about the latest technological developments. However, the basic courses, which comprise the first 4 semesters, are very theoretical. The typical questions emerged: “What will I ever need this for?” and “Do I really want to do this till the end of my life?” Starting with the 5th semester – following the choice of the major – the degree course got very interesting. In hindsight, I appreciate that many of the mathematical principles taught in the basic course are necessary. And once you recognise a direct relevance for an engineering problem, it stops being dry maths, because you know what you “need it for”.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
I enjoyed calculating plants or components based on realistic standards, i.e. 1:1, the way it is done in the industry. In construction engineering, for example, we designed a go-cart, and in thermodynamics the turbine for a steam power plant.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
The greatest challenge is maintaining your motivation throughout the exam phases and not losing sight of your goals. In mechanical engineering, exams are written during the semester break. This means that after the semester ends, you don’t get to enjoy a 10-week holiday; instead, you will spend a lot of time revising. At some point, motivation dwindles. In moments such as these, it is important to have fellow students who help you struggle through these difficult times.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
The mechanical engineering degree at RUB opens up many possibilities. Your chosen major can point you in a particular direction; but thanks to the basic courses, you will have acquired a range of expertise that will enable you to work in other fields, too. This is why my future place of work should be very diverse and provide an ongoing stream of challenges. This will ensure that my work will never get boring and I will continue to learn something new.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
In order to pursue a mechanical engineering degree, you must not have an aversion against mathematics – maths will be inevitable. But don’t worry: the moment you use maths to solve concrete technical problems, rather than schematically, it can be a lot of fun! And don’t let the basic courses discourage you; you will need those basics one day, even though you will only realise that in hindsight.
After getting my A-levels, I first completed an apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer for refrigeration technology. During this time, I gained a lot of practical experience and developed a growing interest in technical processes. That's why I wanted to solidify my practical knowledge with in-depth expertise. Studying mechanical engineering offered me a broad range of engineering fundamentals with the prospect of specialising in a specific area.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
I started studying mechanical engineering because I hoped it would overlap with my training. This turned out to be true, but I quickly realised how versatile and extensive mechanical engineering is and how important interdisciplinary skills such as computer science, control engineering and economics are. Accordingly, a lot is demanded of you in terms of learning. I had to get used to that at first.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
I have specialised in energy and process engineering. In the Master's programme in particular, there are more and more modules that offer top-down perspectives in addition to bottom-up ones. This means that you not only learn in detail how technologies work, and how they can be improved, but also how their potential and developments can be classified in a macroeconomic context. Keywords: energy policy and energy transition.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
My biggest challenge was getting back into studying after completing my traineeship and mastering the already very demanding subjects and the vast amount of information.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
I am interested in developments of various technologies and would like to share my newly acquired knowledge. I see myself less as an expert in one particular field and more as someone who is eager to learn about new innovative and sustainable technologies and their developments in terms of economic efficiency, politics and social acceptance. That is why I can well imagine working in the field of science communication.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
Mechanical engineering is a demanding degree programme. I must admit that I would not have managed it without my fellow students. I therefore encourage everyone to form study groups, which will hopefully lead to lifelong friendships, as they did for me.
If you want to study Mechanical Engineering, you should have an interest in technology and not get discouraged easily. One failed exam is not the end of the world.
Niklas Stoepel is Mechanical Engineering student in his 5th semester. He is pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree. Niklas’ major is Material Engineering.
What made you choose this degree programme?
I’ve always been interested in “the system behind”, ever since school (advanced courses: biology and physics). Why does something work the way you want? How can you use technology to put thoughts and ideas into practice? Machine Engineering is the right engineering science to deal with this kind of questions.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
I found the sheer volume of theoretical knowledge that is forced down your brain disappointing at first. However, as you gain deep insights into the matter in the course of the first four semesters, you really look forward to majoring in the subject.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
Getting an insight into processes that explain how most of our technology works. From touchscreens, through gearboxes to power plant turbines – (almost) everything makes sense sooner or later.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
The first exam phase. University exams are different than school exams after all. With diligence and hard work, however, the exam phase can be mastered.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
After graduating, I’d like to work with material technology in the fields of aviation and aerospace. But nothing’s cast in stone yet. I’ve still got a lot ahead of me.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
You should definitely have an interest in technology and technological systems and not get discouraged easily. One failed exam is not the end of the world. You’ll reap your rewards from the 5th semester on, when you study those subjects you really enjoy in your major.
The importance of the much-cited early interest in engineering for the mechanical engineering degree is overrated, I think.
Niklas Küppers is a Mechanical Engineering student in his 10th semester. He is pursuing the Master of Science degree.
What made you choose this degree programme?
My interest in energy engineering was roused following my first encounters with thermodynamics, taught in physics resp. chemistry at school. However after my A-levels, I was also interested in a number of non-engineering subjects, those including maths, music and architecture. I made the decision to study mechanical engineering after a gap year (volunteering in social work, internships). The internships in particular gave me an insight into what my future job as an engineer might look like. As a result, I was convinced that taking up the mechanical engineering degree was the right thing to do.
In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?
The mechanical engineering degree course at RUB is subdivided into two parts: the “first four semesters” and the “rest”. In the first four semesters, students are confronted with many subjects that are not yet interesting at this stage. You have to get used to the format of (frontal) lectures and the (for the most part) challenging exams. Due to the rigid structure, you might at first feel like you’re back at school, which can be frustrating.
The later part of the degree course, on the other hand, offers a wealth of major fields of study, and you have the option to choose your subjects at will. In that phase, you will acknowledge that the basics through which you struggled in the first four semesters were perhaps not very interesting, but that they have been fundamental for understanding the subsequent modules.
Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?
It is very satisfying to immerse yourself in issues and subjects you knew nothing about and to deepen and broaden your understanding in the process. Because you can choose your major fields of study, you will be able to improve your competencies in those subjects that you are genuinely interested in.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Organising a “Transcript of Records” in English and the first exam phase.
What would you like to become after completing your degree?
I would like to work as project manager the field of energy and process engineering on an international level. At present (August 2016), I am also tempted to start my own business in this field. The mechanical engineering degree at RUB has prepared me for both options, in my opinion.
Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?
The importance of the much-cited “early interest in engineering” for the mechanical engineering degree is overrated, I think. The degree programme is indeed very demanding, but everyone struggles with the same hurdles. Students who didn’t take advanced maths in the sixth form can (but don’t have to) compensate for it by attending preliminary courses at university; in physics and chemistry, the modules then pick up where the school curriculum left off. As to the other subjects, they will also be new to many of the students who have been interested in engineering. You should not let the first setbacks discourage you; only a small minority passes the exams on the first attempt.
