How to navigate in the world of academia

"Student life is a new and exciting phase of life. However, it’s not only about the fun and adventure, but also studying independently and having the necessary discipline. Especially in the first semester, I was afraid to take some of the mandatory courses. The idea that it will be very difficult at the TU scared me and other fellow students. Unfortunately, the fear spreads like a wildfire.

Masha was facing a similar situation when she was about to enrol for her master’s degree programme.

"And there you have it! ACADEMIA – SO BIG AND SCARY! But let’s not paint the devil on the wall. Let me tell you a story! Being a person who easily grows bored of everything and having my first experience with corpus linguistics, a method in linguistics, I knew I needed an interesting project to stay focused. Who said that science cannot be fun?

Letting my fantasy flow, I finally settled on the topic, researching the phenomenon of espionage discourse in James Bond movies. Working on one of my favourite characters ensured that I would I work diligently. What you learn can also extend to your personal life i.e., your hobbies.

A friend of mine had to learn a programming language called Python. He then came up with his own project: writing an algorithm that helped classify his favourite Magic cards. I don't need to say that his programming skills are amazing now.

I think the best way to be successful and motivated in academia is to be inspired by what you do. Think of a project that you are genuinely interested in! This way, work turns into leisure. That's my biggest take away from the years I spent studying!"

Choosing a topic that you are passionate about is an important aspect when it comes to academic research. This is how you can use your so-called intrinsic motivation in your favor. Moritz decided to focus his research on the image of women in German rap – with surprising effects …

“If you study a non-technical subject at TU Darmstadt like myself, you are probably going to write a lot of term papers. Here you are often required to incorporate your own research interests and new ideas, which is not always easy. Some of my fellow students always had a hard time writing a term paper and doing the related research, because they were not interested in their topic. But that is exactly the advantage of the term paper! Within the framework you can write about whatever you want! The only important thing is to be creative and ideally to include your own interests. An example: I attended a seminar with the topic ”Text Analysis and Gender" and my term paper consisted of an investigation of the image of women in contemporary German rap. So, I was able to combine the content and what I learned in the seminar with an interest of mine and read into the research on rap. I even took it up a notch and wrote my bachelor's thesis on a topic concerning German rap. Writing about your own interests is great because you are motivated to see it through. Usually you already have a good basic understanding of the topic, which saves time in research! Furthermore, you get new insights and perspectives on a topic that you would never have gotten otherwise.

I most certainly had fun writing the paper, but including your own interests in your research also has the disadvantage that you get a different approach to the topic afterwards: I listen to rap much differently now, because I pay attention to other things and my taste has changed subsequently. Therefore, you should also be careful not to overdo it!

I hope I could get the fire burning within you with my perspective to also explore a somewhat “wilder” or more unusual topic. But always make sure that the lecturer approves your topic and gives you feedback on how you can implement it in the seminar!"

As fun as it is finding a topic: Richard points out that it is important to find reliable sources and people, on whom you can rely on to get proper help and guidance, as you venture into the world of academia.

“University can be overwhelming for freshmen. This is where mentoring programmes come into play. Senior students or professors take their time to answer questions concerning the university and furthermore teaching them study techniques and how to manoeuvre the life at university. You will be introduced to the programmes that are available to you at the beginning of your studies. If you missed them, you can also ask your faculty members or the study office. They can lead you to the right places.”

Catalina has some more tips for you on where to get help and support.

“On the path of our studies, we often come across various problems, difficulties, ask questions and look for answers to them. Starting with various little things up to topics that influence your further professional activities. We turn to various people and organizations in search of help. One of the organizations trying to answer all interested questions and help students is AStA – the General Student Committee (Allgemeiner Studierendenauschuss). They are committed to the interests of the students and offer many support opportunities as well as advice.”