From 2011-2015 I studied Water Management/Aquatic Ecotechnology at the HZ. Originally I started this programme, because I liked the idea of making the world a better place and water seemed to be the most important factor for that.
It has been a year since I graduated and thus a perfect time to reflect on the previous years and what has led me to doing a master degree afterwards. I am now doing my masters of Environmental and Resource Management at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Germany.
Practical experience at the HZ
In general the study programme at the HZ was very practical. Each semester we had at least one course that involved either lab practicals and excursions. These have helped me a lot to understand the content of the theory lessons better. The final grade for each course consists of these practicals, exams, assignments and group projects, which taught me a lot of about group dynamics and what to expect, when working in a team in a company. The lecturers are open minded and the atmosphere at the Delta Academy is quite personal, which I had to get used to in the beginning, but which I now really miss. Most of them know your name and what year you are in.
My internships and minor abroad
During the four-year international study programme I got to work with different people from all around the globe. I also got the opportunity to go abroad for one and a half years. So I used these opportunities to its full extent and went to Seoul, South Korea for my minor, to Fiji for my first internship at a marine consulting agency and to Germany at an ecological engineering company for my final thesis internship. All these places have had an effect on my and encouraged me in my decision to work or study in an international environment later on.
Finding a suitable Master's programme
During my graduation phase I started looking for jobs around the globe, but many research organisations, companies and consulting agencies were looking for graduates with a master degree. Even though I had not planned to do a master, I started looking into different options. Additionally, my internship and graduation supervisors suggested and encouraged me to continue studying. I found this international programme in Germany and thought it would fit quite well. The majority of my subjects are water related such as Integrated Water Resource Management and Wastewater and Sludge Treatment. I can follow the classes without difficulty as I have a good base knowledge from the HZ.
I am now planning to do another semester abroad and then I will be writing my final thesis. I am hoping to do that at an international company to get more work experience and to improve my professional network.