FiMS is like a break from everyday school life and just the thing for puzzle fans: Laura Engels found her way into math studies via the early study program

"It's a surprise for many people: mathematics is totally research-oriented," grins Laura Engels about her late-found love for the world of numbers and formulas. The 19-year-old from Cuxhaven has arrived: at university and in Kaiserslautern. She is deeply satisfied with her choice of course. But it wasn't her first choice: she wanted to study business informatics because she has always enjoyed puzzling and tinkering with new codes.

Then one thing led to another: Participation in a Math Talent School workshop for MINT-EC schools at the Fraunhofer Institute in Kaiserslautern, the simultaneous Math Day at RPTU Kaiserslautern and the first information about FiMS, the early entry into mathematics studies.

FiMS: Early math studies for puzzlers and researchers

"FiMS was the perfect opportunity for me to test whether math is really exactly what I want to study - after all, before the workshop at Fraunhofer, I was still sure that I would go into computer science," says Laura Engels. When the budding mathematician began her early studies, she was 17 years old, still attending grammar school in Cuxhaven and preparing for her Abitur. "The good thing about FiMS is that it's a distance learning course." The students in the early study program receive their assignments from the supervising lecturers and submit the solutions digitally. Thanks to the flexibility in terms of time, Laura was able to integrate FiMS well into her everyday school life. "I have to say that I often took learning a little too seriously. The FiMS tasks were like a short break from my stressful everyday life." The full focus on puzzles, riddles and finding solutions outside of the school curriculum was a distraction I quickly grew to love.

Preparing for proper studies

"Unfortunately, I only became aware of FiMS late on. So I only had the pleasure for just under a semester." Theoretically, she could have started her early math studies at the age of 15. In addition to the joy of puzzling and a first insight into university life, this also has advantages for your later studies: if you decide to study math afterwards, you can have credits from FiMS credited and thus shorten your study time.

"Unfortunately, that didn't work out for me. I started too late for that and I didn't manage to write the final exam in addition to my A-levels." In retrospect, Laura doesn't think that's such a bad thing: gaining something from FiMS is much more important to her than passing an exam. "For me, it has given me the certainty that math is exactly what I was looking for." Laura actually assumed that math was dry and not very application-oriented - just like the math she knew from school. "But it's not comparable at all: University mathematics is still very theoretical in the Bachelor's degree, but during the Math Talent School at Fraunhofer in Kaiserslautern, I realized how practically applicable this knowledge is."

The influence of the teacher

Laura is honest: up until sixth form, she assumed that math wasn't exactly her strong point. "I was always between a two and a three in math - there were other high-flyers." Perhaps this was also due to the fact that her math teacher at elementary school told her that she would not make it to grammar school based on her performance in math. "My high school math teacher was the game changer. He focused on logic, among other things, and suddenly math suited me too. Solving puzzles and finding logical solutions has always been easy for me."

"At first, FiMS sounded to me like some kind of gifted program, but it's not at all." Of course it helps to do well at school, because FiMS requires a letter of recommendation from your own math teacher, among other things. But the most important requirement is a penchant for puzzles and research. And Laura has always had that: "I've been in the Jugend forscht AG since seventh grade. For me, the AG was the door opener to all the MINT-EC programs and that in turn was the door opener for FiMS." However, Laura emphasizes that no prior knowledge is necessary.

FiMS was like a cherished hobby

It has now been almost two years since Laura completed FiMS. She is now a Felix Klein scholarship holder. Her passion for applied mathematics runs like a thread through her studies.

"When I look back on FiMS, I have to say that it was like a cherished hobby: it was fun, I could be flexible, without pressure and - like any other hobby - I needed time for it." On average, Laura spent around eight to twelve hours a week on her FiMS studies. "FiMS was 'studying light' for me," she concludes. Thanks to a lot of personal support, the workload was easy to manage. "The only thing I missed was the analog contact." Although the video calls provided flexibility in terms of space, they could not replace analog contact for Laura.

Things are different now: she has long since found her new home in Kaiserslautern. The diversity of the city, the international atmosphere and the flair of the campus university with its short distances have made it easy for her to feel at home. "I enjoy student life. The personal interaction and working on mathematical solutions together," beams the bachelor's student of mathematics.

Although she is now studying hard, she makes time to think outside the box. Just this autumn, she took part in the Felix Klein Center's one-week autumn school, which was held at the neighboring Fraunhofer Institute in Kaiserslautern. "For me, RPTU at the Kaiserslautern campus is a huge stroke of luck: research institutes are located right next to the campus and the campus itself offers a very comfortable place to study. I would say: Kaiserslautern is my feel-good campus - everything is right here: studies, opportunities and support."

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Good to know: Participation in FiMS is possible in the winter semester (registration by September 15) and in the summer semester (registration by March 15). You can find more information on this and what preparation is helpful in advance on the FiMS pages.

Or should it be physics? With FiPS, RPTU also offers a program for early entry into physics studies. You can find more information on this and for whom it is suitable on the FiPS pages.