Hello Yuan, where are you from and what drew you to Munich?

Hello, I am from China. I knew Munich from its annual Oktoberfest celebration and the football club of Bayern Munich.

Did you come to Munich alone?

At the beginning I came to Munich alone, after finishing the exams of the first semester, my wife and my 2 year’s old daughter also came to Munich to live together with me.

How long have you been studying at the university?

I have been studying nearly four semesters here at the university.

How did you come to the consecutive Master in Paper Technology?

After working in a paper mill for 10 years, I really want to go back to university and learn more knowledge, I think that is very helpful to my career. The consecutive Master program of paper technology from Hochschule München is taught in English, and the tuition fee is free, It is very fit for me, then I decided to apply and come.

What did you do before the master?

As I said, I worked in a paper mill for 10 years, there I was a technical engineer. My bachelor is also in paper technology.

Did you like studying there from the very beginning?

Yes, definitely. I like sitting in the classroom again and studying something, and this time I have a very different feeling, I already had some practical experience of paper making, so I am capable to learn and think more intensively.

Should life fit into work or work into life?

To me, Life and work are both important. I love spending time with my family, I also like doing an interesting work.

What was your favourite subject at university?

I love all the subjects in this master program, paper making, paper chemistry and coating are the main subjects which are very important to the paper technology engineers, but other subjects such as automation, sustainability, statistics are also important in paper making, I was also glad from the subject of intercultural communication I learned how to understand and communicate with people from a new country where has a very different culture.

How do you organise yourself during your studies? What is difficult about it?

To finish my studying in time, I managed myself to learn all the lectures given in the semesters. Normally I concentrated myself during listening to the lectures, I also took notes that help me to follow the lectures very well. After the lectures, I often went through my notes and did more research for the parts that I did not understand very well.

Was it difficult to settle into student life at the beginning of your studies?

At the beginning, as an international student, it is a little bit hard. For example, I need to get my accommodation, extend my visa, find doctors when I am ill etc. Because of the new language and the different culture, it takes time to adapt the new environment.

Did you have a job besides your studies?

After finishing one semester of full time studying, I started a student job in the university lab. I did many improvements to the pilot paper machine in the university, I am happy to see colour paper was produced from this paper machine by students and Christmas cards were made from the colour paper.

Are you socially committed at the university?

I was glad that we had opportunities to join the International Munich Paper Symposiums where we meet many experts from paper industry, I was glad we had some excursions and discussions to some companies from the paper industry.

Did you find it difficult that the Master’s is in English? Is it perhaps even an enrichment for you? How is it to study with so many international students?

English is my second language, I took many years to learn, I am happy my English could be enhanced from this master program. It is great to study with international students from around the world, that made me to know more about other countries and their cultures.

What about your German language skills?

My German is at the beginner’s level, but I am interested to learn a new language. I am still  learning German and  I hope I could use the German language as soon.

What does success mean to you?

Success means to me having a great job, living a happy life and to be helpful to other people.

What are your impressions about studying?

I would say my impression is studying hard, studying hard and be ready to pass the exams.

What is the biggest difference to school?

We have a small class, the professors are experts and experienced in the industry, students could ask questions at any time in the class, sometimes we have a group project to finish.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to continue to work in the paper industry and become an expert in the future.