Studying abroad and surpassing yourself

Studying abroad to become an industrial engineer specialising in computer science: Mohamed Amine Dhouib left his home country of Tunisia for his Bachelor's degree programme. His decision to come to Germany to study at RPTU in Kaiserslautern is no coincidence.

I love being around people, talking to them and learning more about them. In my future career, I would like to work in a field that combines technology and communication, where I can interact with people. My childhood was characterised by video games and social media. This probably sparked my interest in computer science, programming and communication systems. After school, I knew for sure that I wanted to study industrial engineering, specialising in computer science. At the time, I never thought that I would be studying abroad.

Studying abroad: Germany in the spotlight

But when it comes to engineering, Germany is my first choice because of its many innovations. In general, Germany has always played a big role in my life. My father and my uncle both studied business informatics at the University of Paderborn. While my father found a job in Tunisia, where he still has a lot to do with Germany, my uncle moved to Karlsruhe. I came to RPTU in Kaiserslautern by recommendation: My cousin is studying Business Administration here and told me so many good things about the city and the university. So, I packed my bags: I decided to study abroad in Germany.

A sense of community at RPTU

I was 19 years old when I arrived in Germany. My parents and all my friends stayed in Tunisia and I had to make new connections here. I like to push myself to get out of my comfort zone and grow. But studying abroad was still a challenge for me. I was glad to have at least part of my family here in Germany, who supported me in so many ways.

So, I was even happier when I became a student assistant in the International Office. This position gives me the opportunity to get in touch with other international students and answer the questions I also had at the beginning. I am as well part of the team that organises events specifically for international students. Here we talk about life in Kaiserslautern and what it is like to be studying abroad, but also about everyday life problems. It makes me and the others feel less alone. We are there for each other.

Studying abroad and learning more about yourself

I have now spent two semesters at RPTU and I have no regrets. Kaiserslautern is a small city with many opportunities and activities for students, which I like. I am also very happy with the degree programme. I can combine very different modules from business administration and computer science, which is exactly what I wanted for my studies. Of course, it would have been easier to study in Tunisia. Nevertheless, it was the right decision to take on the challenge of studying abroad, even for a Bachelor's degree. It helped me a lot personally.

And that is my advice to all international students: Set yourself goals and just try things out. Go out and get to know new people and activities. If you decide to study abroad, you will surpass yourself. And at RPTU you will find a great environment that will make your start abroad easier.

Author: Lisa Buu