"The sociology program is very diverse, offering many opportunities for specialisation. I really like Mainz for all of its parks and trees. The people are, for the most part, nice, open, and helpful. There are also many locations which are clearly influenced by students. Even during the week, you can go out and meet new people. All of this makes up a great experience."
Why did you choose to study sociology? What interested or motivated you at the time?
I decided on a sociology degree because I was always interested in analysing processes. Above all, I was interested in micro situations (e.g. the communication between two individuals) and the processes which result from them. Simply put, what motivated me was the fact that I was interested in and enjoyed the subject.
What positively surprised you about the degree? What did you not expect?
What surprised me about this degree was that, despite the fact that many theoretical references go back more than 20 years, not to much has changed. Human behaviour has a certain systematic nature, which doesn’t change, even after a long period time, or if it does, only slightly. I didn’t expect that this field would have so many subcategories and opportunities for development, so that I could decide on my own focus.
What is special about your degree or course of studies, in your opinion?
The degree itself is characterized above all by independent work and discipline. There simply is no one there to take you by the hand and leads you through the program. Above all the degree is characterized by the fact that you learn to look at one and the same situation from very different perspectives. Through this you learn, above all, how to analyse situations and processes, identify problems, and provide alternative approaches and solutions. We also learn how to apply these skills is the area of statistics.
What are the particular focus points of your degree and later professional fields?
The focus points are in the areas of text analysis and the present circumstances. The professional fields are diverse, such as market research, areas of evaluation, human resources, as well as consulting for companies and research. There isn’t necessarily a market for sociologists, but with the skills we acquire we can adapt to many different professions.
What do you especially like about Mainz as a place to study?
What I particularly like about the Mainz campus is that you can reach everything quickly and easily. The university buildings form an interconnected campus, which shortens distances and offers many chances for establishing interdisciplinary contacts. The sociology program is also very diverse, offering many opportunities for specialisation. I really like Mainz for all of its parks and trees. The people are, for the most part, nice, open, and helpful. There are also many locations which are clearly influenced by students. Even during the week, you can go out and meet new people. All of this makes up a great experience.
