Successful start to university life thanks to the RPTUzero orientation programme

Mechanical engineering student Lucas Eric Weingart was able to gain his first university experience with the help of the RPTUzero orientation programme: In addition to various courses, he also completed an internship in research. The knowledge and contacts he gained there helped him to get a job as a student assistant in his first semester.

Do I want to study? And if so, is university the right choice for me? These are questions that many school leavers ask themselves. Answers can be found with the help of the one-semester orientation programme RPTUzero. This gives interested students an insight into the world of university, introduces them to subjects and degree programmes at the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) and allows them to try out the first courses on offer. At the same time, you can get to know the campus in Kaiserslautern and Landau - and make contacts with older students and lecturers.

Lucas Eric Weingart was once told by an acquaintance that the RPTUzero orientation programme is a great way to get a taste of university without any complications. However, the orientation programme is not only interesting for people who don't yet know where they want to go after school, emphasises the 20-year-old: ‘Even if you already know what you want to do, it has advantages.’ In addition to courses, you can already take exams: ‘If you pass them, they are recognised for your studies. But if you don't pass them, they are not counted as a failed attempt.’ This is an interesting advantage for anyone who might want to slowly approach the heavy university learning load.

Studying at a university is research-orientated - and goes into great depth

During his RPTU zero period in the summer semester of 2024, Lucas Eric Weingart mainly studied mechanical engineering: ‘I already knew that I wanted to go in this direction.’ So it was clear to him that he would then start his first ‘proper’ semester in winter semester 2024/ 25. Why did he decide to study mechanical engineering? ‘I've always been very interested in technology. I did computer science as an advanced course in sixth form. And I had already thought about going into IT later on.’ 

But at some point he realised that computer science didn't cover everything he was interested in. ‘At the time, my school had organised a project week. That's how I came into contact with mechanical engineering at the university in Kaiserslautern.’ He quickly realised that this very broad-based subject was more in line with his interests. ‘But then I had to decide whether I wanted to study at a university of applied sciences or a university.’ To find out, he sat in on lectures - both at a UAS and at university. ‘In this direct comparison, I liked the RPTU concept better.’ The ‘extended independence’ that only a university degree programme offers appealed to him. ‘A university degree programme is more research-oriented. The course content at a university of applied sciences is more practice-orientated. But I wanted to understand things in depth. And that works better at a university.’

Internship in research - already during the RPTUzero orientation programme

At the moment, he is mainly studying basic subjects - technical mechanics, maths and programming. This is normal at the beginning of a degree programme. ‘But we also have application-related content.’ Materials science and production engineering, for example.

Parallel to his studies, Lucas Eric Weingart is a student assistant at the Department of Mechanical Engineering - more specifically at the Chair of Machine Elements, Gears and Tribology. It's unusual to become a student assistant so early on in your studies. How did this come about? During his time at RPTUzero, he completed a two-week internship at the department, he explains. This gave him a ‘great insight’ into the research there - and allowed him to make his first contacts with older students and the academic staff there. ‘It was all very well organised. And you could see how professional research is. I think I got the job because of this internship.’ 

As a student assistant, he is currently mainly responsible for the programming work - as a service provider, so to speak, he supports the researchers. ‘Later, when I have progressed further in my studies, I naturally want to take on other tasks.’ Converting and analysing test benches, for example. ‘Elsewhere, student assistants also supervise courses. Here, it's mainly the case that the student assistants help the academic staff.’

Even if it's still a while away, where will Lucas Eric Weingart go later in his career? He can certainly imagine working as a team leader, a management position. ‘And maybe a doctorate straight after my Master's degree. Then I would work as a research assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering for five years.’ 

‘If you have any questions or problems, simply approach other students or the lecturers’

What advice would he like to give prospective students? What should you bring with you if you decide to study mechanical engineering? ‘Definitely an interest in technology and ideally some practical experience. It's not a bad idea to have already completed an internship in the field of mechanical engineering’ - this would be possible directly at a department at RPTU. ‘Then you know what to expect later.’ He also advises prospective students not to be afraid to talk to people: ‘If you have any questions or problems, just approach other students or the lecturers.’

Lucas Eric Weingart has arrived in university life. Looking back, he sees his start via RPTUzero as very positive: ‘It really is a great opportunity that I can only recommend to anyone.’