CASA Germany’s Post

For us, it is clear that a well-rounded study experience is not only about achieving academic excellence but also about making new friends, letting loose and creating unforgettable memories. We are convinced, that taking breaks from constant studying and participating in social activities can actually lead to better academic results. Never underestimate the power of a good party to unleash your true potential 😉 That is why we have launched the ‘Study Hard, Party Hard’ initiative! With this new campaign, arconsis supports student and faculty bodies (Fachschaften) from computer science related fields in the areas around Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. By applying, they have the chance to get one of our limited party tickets in form of financial support to create exactly the memorable und fun event they have in mind. If you want to know more about the campaign and how it works, follow this link 👉 https://lnkd.in/eXGM5CKB Now that the new semester is just about to start, it’s the perfect time to really kick off the initiative. The first ticket was already received by @iwi_fachschaft for their welcoming party for the first-year students last week! #study #party #computerscience #sponsoring

On 7th November 2022, I landed in a land better known for its state-of-the-art engineering called Germany and completed my one year! Here are some FAQs. [Pic: University Campus and me] This post won't have much technical info. Overall experience? Great! Amazing! Unforgettable! It's been a great year, and I think now I am one year younger than I was before. I witnessed many ups and downs throughout this year, but at the same time, I realized that it was all important to know myself better. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one! And this one full year helped me with that! Germany is a great and safe option to study and work, and after one year, I am proud that I made a great decision. Motivation for Germany? Five years back, when I was looking for universities to do my bachelor's in India, I got a recommendation on YouTube in a video by Bharat Chaudhary. In that video, he was showing his Hamburg University. It was the first time when I got to know about the German university. After watching that video, I was really impressed and shocked by this modern university, and I started my research about this and then made a dream about masters in Germany. How is your university? OMG, It's difficult! When I came to Germany in my first week, I met an Indonesian guy (Data Scientist). I asked him what he would suggest for my successful student life. The first thing he said was, "Always remember, FAU is easy to enter and hard to exit." And yes, he was accurate in his words! You can never pass core subs without going into deep knowledge of Maths and coding, and also often you will find yourself banging your head against the wall because you can't understand conditional probability basics (Thanks to Covid!). Is it difficult? Yes and No both! It depends on the ownership of the university, course, location, language! If you want to go to a public university with no tuition fee, English Course, in a metro city with great job opportunities, for a demanding course like Computer Science. Yes, It is going to be difficult but not impossible! You would need great research skills to look for a better university for better opportunities! Search for university? I started preparing for it even before I started my bachelors (5 years back). Things I did in 4 years, Watched as many Indian YouTubers in Germany as possible for 4 years! Analyzed almost every uni (and also read their course catalog)! Cleared IELTS and GRE! Joined Quora, Facebook Groups, and reached to seniors! Your suggestions? Be prepared to do some deep research to look for a better university for you, and it will take time. I took 3 years to do that, and in the 4th year, I gave IELTS, GRE and applied for universities and visa. Germany is becoming famous among Indians and some of the unis are now started taking a test to filter out the applications. So, from day one, please prepare a good profile and trying to focus on the basics of your core subjects, it will help to survive here.

Why do students differ in how they use technology for studying?   Together with my colleague, Marina Pumptow, a paper titled “Higher education students differ in their technology use” was recently published in Computers & Education Open.   In the paper, we aimed to comprehensively assess how higher education students use technology for their studies. We looked at both students’ individual characteristics and their academic disciplines to better understand what drives potential variations. The research was based on data collected from over 1200 German students across 105 different academic disciplines. Main results: 13% of differences in study-related technology use can be attributed to variations between disciplines. Digital-media self-efficacy is positively related to technology use across all disciplines. The relationship between perceived usefulness and technology use varies among disciplines. However, the specific characteristics explaining these differences were not identified and require further investigation in future studies, possibly involving measures of technology integration and teaching styles within disciplines. These findings also raise questions about the role of discipline-specific factors in shaping students' attitudes and behaviors related to technology use in their studies. Understanding these variations can help educators and institutions tailor their approaches to technology integration to better support students. Artikel is available open access at https://lnkd.in/gUCG6ups

How "digital" are our students? What digital skills do they have at the beginning of their studies? These are questions we are trying to answer for Graz University of Technology. Enjoy reading the scientific paper

Ville Kivimäki will defend his dissertation, " Designing Student Agency in Higher Education: The Cases of Individual Study Planning and a Structured Learning Diary," at the University of Helsinki's main building. I was able to get in the room just when Ville, his opponent Margus Pedaste, his supervisor Sari Lindblom, and his custos Auli Toom were still in the room, discussing and preparing. In days of online learning and AI being able to do many things instead of a learner, the topic is paramount. Students with high agency take responsibility for their own learning and are self-directed. Kivimäki's dissertation explores fostering this in the context of engineering education. The work builds around two design cases. Although there is a lot of theoretical discussion and fancy words in the thesis, I also loved the practical contextualization: First, Kivimäki describes the iterative development of a Personal Development Project Plan (PDPP) at the Aalto University School of Engineering. The background of this was the "disconnect between current study plans and their potential to genuinely guide and motivate students." In PDPP, students plan their future more holistically, including personal life, competencies, and future career. PDPP emphasized the importance of setting goals, teaching how to do this, keeping long-term aspirations in mind, and periodically reflecting on their progress. Second, Kivimäki has participated in developing structural learning diaries, in which students iteratively build concept maps by connecting course topics. This linkage between curriculum items is important, and letting students do those by themselves is even more critical. Although not investigated in this work, the iterative development of the concept maps could also help teachers understand how students approach their courses. 

I didn’t even know this guy living 10 minutes walk from my house. I met Lorenzo Micheletti a few days after he contacted me in dm. We live in the same village in the North of Italy, so I said: “just go out and meet!” Despite being in his 1st year at university, he believes he could do something more besides studying but doesn’t know where to start. This made me think. And the question came to me naturally: What's the best way to accelerate a university/career path in tech? ✅ International experience: it’s not a suggestion, it’s another must. ➡ I know a very talented student in Mathematics. She was the best in high school and still remained among the very best in her course: she is still in a little university in Italy. Listen, if she wants to make that groundbreaking impact, she needs to leave and go to a top university, otherwise she will never remain at the top of her field. ⏩ If you are Italian, Lead The Future Mentorship is a great group to get that flavor of internationality you need. I definitely suggest applying and, if you are in that 15% of applicants, you will have the chance to surround yourself with like-minded people. ⏩ Otherwise, try to contact people who have achieved similar goals as the ones you are aiming at. If, like me, you don’t know anybody, reach out to people on Linkedin. A conversation can change your life. ✅ Choose carefully who you get suggestions from. ⏩ e.g. If you don't know whether it is worth studying abroad and you only listen to the suggestions of senior students or professors in your university, well they will likely push you to stay there, simply because they don't know what's outside or don't care about you. ✅ University matters, a lot. ➡ When I was in Italy people were arguing: “University of Padua is the best for Engineering”, “Well, no actually according to this ranking (that nobody ever heard of) the University of Venice is the best”. Now listen, the truth is that it’s completely meaningless. They are all the same from the outside: good, but not even slightly comparable to the top universities. ➡ Moreover, they are located in the same region, the north-east of Italy, which, for tech is not great: at the end of university I already tell you that 99% you will end up working for a local company or founding a startup that most likely will never see the light.  It can be ok, but if you have great ambitions, you need to experiment much more. ⏩ What you can do is investigate top universities, considering costs, location (the companies around the university gives an idea of how much money is invested in the area and how much research & development are there), rankings (they are all highly biased, so dont take them as truth. However, I think the best is still the QS ranking, filtering for your subject of interest).  In a nutshell, do the research now, plan to go abroad and don't be shy to reach out to people with the expertise you want.

Shaping the Future of Education and Technology! 📚💻 We believe that the path to innovation begins with a commitment to lifelong learning. We're thrilled to share why we actively participate in PIS (Software Engineering Project), a subject at the Faculty of Engineering in Universidad de la República, where we present a project for students to work on. We highlighted these main reasons: 1️⃣ Staying on the Cutting Edge: In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying ahead is key. Engaging with college subjects and students keeps us updated on the latest trends, tools, and techniques. It ensures our software solutions are always up-to-date in technology. 2️⃣ Nurturing Future Talent: We empower students to bridge the gap between university studies and industry. 3️⃣ Collaborative Innovation: By actively participating in college subjects, we foster a collaborative ecosystem where academia and industry work hand in hand to drive innovation forward. 4️⃣ Problem Solving: Through our involvement in EdTech, we engage with complex challenges in the education sector, helping us refine our problem-solving skills and develop solutions that truly matter. 5️⃣ Inspirational Journey: We want to inspire others in the industry to join this important mission. Join us in this exciting journey at the intersection of education and technology. 🌐 Let's shape a brighter future together, where learning knows no boundaries, and innovation thrives. 👩🎓👨💻 #EdTech #Innovation #EducationForAll #TechInEducation #Collaboration #FutureOfLearning

New fields that qualify for STEM OPT! Question: Do you think communication skills are important for landing a job as an international students? How can universities best support these skills, if so?

Top #Scholarships for #Online #Design #Courses Online design courses have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. They offer students the flexibility to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule, making it easier than ever to pursue a career in design. However, the cost of these courses can be a barrier for some students. That’s where scholarships come in. In this article, we will explore the top scholarships for online design courses and provide tips on how to apply for them. Read more ... https://lnkd.in/ddCvGNzy

I came across this interesting Times Higher Ed article highlighting the crucial role of student engagement in shaping the future of (HE) systems. By using technology, universities can effectively gather and act upon student feedback, enhancing accessibility and learning experiences. See what Northumbria University have done using Anthology Ally, among other tools and initiatives, that have improved student agency and outcomes!! https://lnkd.in/d7QWeWBH