Students took to the stage at the Radhaus Kleve to explain that dropping out of university is not a failure, but rather a fresh start. They spoke openly about their own personal experiences and also had some tips for the audience.
For the first time, the Radhaus Kleve provided a platform for students to share their ‘failures’, detours, setbacks, rash decisions and disappointments. The idea arose as part of the “NEXT STEP niederrhein” project in collaboration with the Radhaus Kleve and the Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Three students and a former student took to the stage to talk about their very personal moments of doubt and dropping out of university. “It was very important to us to organise a joint event for all students, so we presented two talks in German and two in English. This was certainly an experiment, but it went down very well,” explains Stefanie Winde, project manager for “NEXT STEP niederrhein” at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
The audience, consisting mainly of students, were thus able to hear about the speakers’ experiences, how they coped, what they learnt along the way, and, above all, the message they had for other students. For example, Michelle Urbigkeit dropped out of her degree in Düsseldorf and transferred to the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences to make a fresh start on the Gender and Diversity programme. Her advice to the audience was: “Talk to someone if you’re having problems with your studies and make use of the support available at the university.” Jannick Kesper also changed degree programmes and is now studying Electrical Engineering at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences. He is thoroughly enjoying it and even works as a tutor. “If you don’t live where you study, you won’t study” is one of his key insights. Andrea Dahmen offered a different perspective. A few years ago, after eight semesters, Dahmen dropped out of her law degree and decided to train as a publishing clerk. She has never regretted this decision and explained that, at the time, it was above all the discussions she had with friends that helped her find the right path. Furthermore, her professional career has shown that vocational training can also lead to a successful career path, and that people who have dropped out of university can be highly attractive candidates for companies.
