Julia Diekmann, Germany
After finishing high school in Germany, Julia Diekmann had a clear idea of what she wanted: to continue her focus on economics, both in her studies and in her future career. However, she found that in Germany there were a lot restrictions on entering Bachelor degree courses, while only a few universities offered the kind of programme she was looking for.
INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER
For Julia, the structure, content and even the location of the UT's International Business Administration course have provided her with the perfect solution. “To me, this Bachelor programme is unique, because of its international character and the broad possibilities it offers with respect to my later professional life.”
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Another key factor, in Julia’s view, is the UT’s division of each semester into quarters. “In Germany, you have to study for six months, followed by exams on lots of different subjects. Here, the programme structure results in a more varied study load, which means there are less intense periods once in a while.
The University of Twente was also near where I lived and offered a Bachelor’s degree with a specialisation in Supply Chain Management – the field I would like to have a career in. So the choice was obvious. I’m living on campus now. That’s really a unique part of this university: it offers studying and living facilities in the same place. Everything is nearby and you don’t waste time travelling.”
SKI PROJECT
“So far, the best project in my studies was the one I did for the 'Innovation and Entrepreneurship' course in my first year. The assignment we were given was to think about an original, innovative product that would offer something new to the market. We discovered that from December to April each year, one pair of skis is stolen every thirty minutes. This fact inspired us to develop our product idea: a ski lock with an integrated GPS function with which you can locate the skis if they get stolen. Our pitch earned us a really good grade.”
INTERNSHIP
Looking to the future, Julia would like to follow an internship programme that will enable her to build on her specialisation in Supply Chain Management. “The international part of my course will be a big advantage to achieving this ambition.”