Ralf Fischer, M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering

I knew early on during my A-levels that I wanted to study something technical. Even though I didn't know exactly what I wanted to study, I decided on mechanical engineering, as this is where I could best imagine how to apply the knowledge I had learned - I can best understand systems that I can visualize and touch. For this reason, I decided to enrol at Aachen University of Applied Sciences, as there were many internships on offer during my studies that dealt intensively with the knowledge from the lectures.

The decision to move to Aachen was comparatively easy for me. In addition to the excellent reputation of the University and Aachen University of Applied Sciences in the field of mechanical engineering, the city is large enough to be considered a major city, but small enough to reach all the important points quickly on foot or by bike. The high student density also made it easy for me to make new friends, who are still important to me today.

I can only describe the first semester after my Abitur as tough. The biggest hurdle for me was learning how to learn. Especially for basic modules such as mathematics or mechanics, it was necessary to constantly repeat the tasks. My tip here is to find a group of friends and work on problems together. It is also worth looking for a place to work, whether in the library, at the department or at home. If you still have questions afterwards, the professors are always ready to help. This is possible thanks to the small size of the university and is another plus point for FH Aachen. After completing the basic subjects, the specializations were much easier for me and many others.

From around my third semester, I started a student assistant position at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. Here I was introduced to the topic of additive manufacturing of metallic materials. Today, I would say that this was one of the highlights of my studies, as experiencing science live rekindled my interest in mechanical engineering.

Another highlight was my internship at Auburn University in the USA, where I am still today. Thanks to the help and support of Prof. Reichert, I was able to write my bachelor's thesis abroad. The topic of my bachelor's thesis, ceramic thermal barrier coatings for jet turbines, was completely new to me. I noticed how well the time at the UAS prepared me for familiarizing myself with new topics and creative problem solving. I also came into contact with my current supervisor, who was looking for new students for his research group. Thanks to my internship and my experience as a student assistant at the Fraunhofer Institute, I have now obtained my Master's degree here and am currently completing my doctorate in the field of materials science with a focus on laser powder bed fusion.

In conclusion, I can only warmly recommend studying mechanical engineering to anyone. The degree prepares you for many different scenarios, and allows you to specialize in many different directions once you know more about where you want to go. What surprised me most about the whole course was how versatile these specializations can be: whether production engineering, automation engineering, research and development, materials science or, as in my case, a mixture of all of these.