From an old excavator to a degree in mechanical engineering

"This degree program provides a broad foundation—and the career prospects later on are just as diverse," says Lasse Wack, who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He sums it up: “The program is great. I’m very satisfied.” He recommends that prospective students and freshmen gain practical experience as early as possible—as a student assistant, for example.

When asked why he chose to study mechanical engineering, Lasse Wack can’t help but smile, as the perfect anecdote immediately comes to mind: A few years ago, he and his family renovated an old farmhouse. “At some point during that, my dad wanted to get an old excavator back in working order.” Lasse Wack researched in detail how to get the old machine up and running again: “That was fun. And it made it clear to me what I wanted to study.” He enrolled in the bachelor’s program in mechanical engineering at RPTU. The most obvious choice of university for this field—from the perspective of someone from the Saarland.

Broad Foundational Knowledge: The Mechanical Engineering Program Has a Little Bit of Everything

It’s a decision he hasn’t regretted to this day: “The program is cool. I’m very satisfied.” Why does he like it? What’s special about his field? “It has a little bit of everything. It’s broad in scope; you gain a comprehensive foundation of knowledge.” The curriculum for bachelor’s students covers the development, design, and operation of systems, machines, and technical products of all kinds—throughout their entire life cycle. Lasse Wack: “We have mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering, design theory, and machine elements.” The most important topics from these engineering subdisciplines—taught in a seven-semester degree program.

Students can begin choosing their areas of specialization as early as the fifth semester

Starting in the fifth semester, students can also choose their own area of specialization, adds the 24-year-old. Options include product development, automotive engineering, materials science and engineering, production engineering, computational engineering, applied Computer Science, as well as mechatronics and automation engineering. These specializations, in turn, form the foundation for the subsequent master’s degree programs. Lasse Wack is specializing in mechatronics and automation. His upcoming bachelor’s thesis will also focus on this area: “I don’t know exactly what the topic will be yet. Maybe it will be about automating a test bench.”

But despite all his enthusiasm, surely his studies also have their challenging aspects? “The fact that mechanical engineering covers such a broad range can sometimes be difficult. After all, there are always parts of it that don’t come as easily to you. But if you sit down and put in the work, it’s all doable.”

From the automotive industry to aerospace: His professional future is diverse

He doesn’t yet have a “specific idea” about his professional future, says Lasse Wack, who definitely plans to pursue a master’s degree after completing his bachelor’s. “I’d be interested in a lot of things.” Possible fields of work with this degree include design, research, and development. “There are also various subfields here, such as the development of pumps.” The aerospace and automotive industries could also be potential fields of work later on.

Gaining Practical Experience as a Student Assistant

And what should prospective students know? How can you get off to a good start in your studies? Lasse Wack recommends accepting a position as a student assistant—a so-called “Hiwi” position—at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering as early as possible, and getting directly involved in the lab, for example: “This is a great way to put what you’ve learned in your studies into practice. And you can start building connections within the department right away.”

He adds that it’s also important to join a study group: “That makes a lot of things easier.” According to Lasse Wack, you should complete the basic internship—which you theoretically have until the sixth semester to do—as early as possible: “That’s six weeks spent at a company, maybe a metalworking shop.” There, you learn important hands-on skills: “Welding or pressing, for example.” It’s good to familiarize yourself with such fundamentals as early as possible. “And that also takes the time pressure off the entire degree program.”

Enthusiasm for Machines

What personal qualities should you bring to the table? “You should be motivated and have an interest in math and physics.” And besides—the bachelor’s student adds—“I notice time and again that many of my fellow students have a passion for machines.” This is exactly what you’ll find in Lasse Wack—a passion first sparked by an old excavator.