Between job and lecture room: Christina's path to success

Christina Hinz doesn't really have time for long conversations at the moment. Actually. She is about to complete her part-time bachelor program in International Business Studies at the Kufstein UAS. The last pages of her bachlor's thesis still need to be finalized and the exam prepared. And yet the 27-year-old from Zell am See is taking her time, because she likes to talk about her degree program.

NEW PERSPECTIVES IN YOUR LUGGAGE

After a long assignment abroad for her company in Mexico, Christina realized: “That can't be the end of it.” The desire for further training was there, and so the decision was made to do a degree program. Full-time? Not an option. She had just bought her own apartment and was working in SAP at an industrial company - her life plan was clear: work and study, both at the same time.

She found the right degree program in Kufstein. “The fact that the degree program is offered part-time and bilingually in English and German was only available here,” she recalls. She accepts the two-hour journey, especially as many things can be done online thanks to hybrid formats. A real plus point for Christina: “The mix of face-to-face and online helps a lot. It saves time and makes the degree program easier to plan.”

BETWEEN PRODUCTION HALL AND LECTURE ROOM

She experiences the close relationship between theory and practice on a daily basis. “I learn something during my degree program and can observe or even apply it directly in my job,” she says. This is a great advantage, especially for students with professional experience: “I don't think you can understand many processes in a company without the theoretical knowledge.”

The Kufstein Uni attaches great importance to this transfer: small year groups, lecturers from the business world and practical project work ensure a direct link to the world of work. For Christina, this means: “Not only can I deepen my knowledge, I suddenly have a much better understanding of how everything is connected.”

Typical week? Full-time job from Monday to Friday, Friday lunchtime degree program. Saturday: also. Sunday: quality time with family and friends. And yet there is still room for sports, friendships - and spontaneous study sessions with fellow students; classmates; peers. “We meet online, exchange ideas, then everyone works on their own, and at the end we discuss what we've achieved,” says Christina. “This community helps enormously.”

INTERNATIONAL INSIGHTS INCLUDED

In addition to everyday life as a student in Tyrol, Christina also gained international experience. She remembers the study trip to Riga as a particularly formative community experience. “Being out and about together in the evenings, gathering new impressions, that was really cool,” she says. Another highlight: a one-week Erasmus stay in Kajaani (Finland). “That was a great opportunity to get to know a different study system. And the subject was even credited.” Although such offers are voluntary, they are just that little bit extra that made her degree program special.

PERSONALLY SUPPORTED - DIGITALLY ACCOMPANIED

Studying part-time means juggling a lot of balls. At the Kufstein UAS, the lecturers know this too. “If something comes up at work, many professors are very accommodating,” says Christina. Deadlines are postponed if necessary and appreciation is also shown when merit scholarships are awarded: “You stand on the stage and realize that it was worth it.”

The general conditions are also right in other respects: Catering on Saturdays, friendly canteen team, good access to the library. All seemingly small things that make a difference in everyday life. It soon became clear to Christina that she wanted to continue her degree program: in the fall, she will begin a part-time Master's degree in ERP Systems & Business Process Management - again at the FH Kufstein Tirol.

A MODEL WITH A FUTURE

Studying part-time means: a lot of organization, little time for spontaneity - but also: personal growth, professional added value and new perspectives. The Kufstein Uni offers a total of twelve part-time degree programs, and with currently 806 students in this area, the higher education institution offers an attractive model for working students. The students range in age from their early 20s to their mid-60s and Christina is convinced: “I would do it again at any time.” And recommends the model to anyone who wants to develop further - not despite, but precisely because of their professional and private commitments.

Links:

• International Business Studies | pt
• ERP Systems & Business Process Management | pt