Everardo Castolo Oviedo, M.Sc.

What‘s your nicest memory of Braunschweig and do you have a favorite place?

My fondest memory of my time at university is the friendships I made during my studies. Interestingly, many of these people were not from my own degree programme. It was through encounters in the university library, during study breaks, at Rotaract and ESN events, or at student parties that I made contacts that are now an important part of my life. My favourite place is the Botanical Garden. There, you can take a quiet, natural break from everyday student life and recharge your batteries.

Reasons why the TU Braunschweig is a great place to study:

The TU Braunschweig combines technical excellence with contemporary teaching content and international opportunities. The international focus was particularly valuable to me: during my Master's degree, I had the opportunity to represent the university in France and Brazil for two semesters. These experiences have permanently broadened my professional and personal horizons.

Which contents of your studies can you still use in your career today?

Every day, I benefit from the structured problem analysis skills I learned in the very practical lectures. The teamwork skills I practised intensively during my Master's programme are also a decisive factor in successfully implementing projects in my everyday working life. In addition, the scientific thinking and methodological approaches I developed in seminar papers and my Master's thesis are very helpful for my PhD work, as I can build on these foundations and do not have to start from scratch.

Are you still in touch with former fellow students? Do you see each other and if so, how often?

We do not have a fixed meeting, but try to meet every two or three months.

What advice would you give current students for their personal career planning?

1. Always give it a try: My attitude is that you've already got a "no" if you don't even try. That's why it's always worth giving things a go. If it doesn't work out, that's fine, but at least you tried.
2. Seek practical experience early on: industrial experience sharpens your eye for relevant issues and helps you to better contextualise theoretical knowledge.
3. Volunteering: University is an ideal time to get involved in society and take on responsibility.