Study abroad and surpass yourself

Studying industrial engineering with a focus on computer science abroad: Mohamed Amine Dhouib left his home country of Tunisia to study for his Bachelor's degree. The fact that he ended up in Germany at RPTU in Kaiserslautern is no coincidence, as he tells us.

"I love being around people, talking to them and learning more about them. I would love to work in a profession that combines technology and communication and where I have a lot to do with people. My childhood was dominated by video games and social media. That probably sparked my interest in computer science, programming and communication systems. After school, I knew for sure that I wanted to study industrial engineering, and computer science was also going to be a focus. At the time, I would never have thought that I would study abroad."

Studying abroad: Germany firmly in sight

"But when it comes to engineering, Germany comes first for me because of its many innovations. And in general, Germany has always played a big role in my life. My father and my uncle 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 through a recommendation: My cousin is studying Business Administration here and told me so many good things about the location and the university. So I packed my bags: I also wanted 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 friends here. I like to push myself to get out of my comfort zone and develop myself further. 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 all the more pleased 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 had at the beginning. I am also part of the organizational team that organizes events specifically for international students. Here we talk about life in Kaiserslautern and what it's like to study abroad, but also about everyday problems. It gives me and the others the feeling that we are not so alone. We are there for each other."

Studying abroad and learning more about yourself

"I've been at RPTU for two semesters now and have no regrets. Kaiserslautern is a small city with lots of opportunities and activities for students, which I like. And I'm also very happy with my studies. I can combine very different modules from the fields of business 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 up the challenge and study abroad, even for the Bachelor's degree. It has helped me personally so much.

And that is also 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'll find a great environment that will make your start abroad easier."