Teeth, dental plates and caudal spines: Jaime Villafaña is a PhD student of Natural Sciences at the University of Vienna and spent two weeks at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles with the Short-term grants abroad (KWA) scholarship to study fossils of fishes.
“In 2017, I quit my full-time job and started studying Education at the University of Vienna. Until recently, my everyday life on weekdays consisted of commuting from my place of residence to Vienna to enjoy my courses. I spent the weekends trying to make a living from writing reports for a regional newspaper. A few … Continued
This unusual situation is a challenge for students and teachers alike. The current change from face-to-face teaching to remote learning alters the daily routine we are used to and that reliably structured our studies and our learning progress week after week. Therefore, structuring your personal routine is essential.
Learning the right way is especially tough under the current circumstances. Your daily routine has changed and switching to remote studying requires you to work independently. Learning techniques cannot take the load of learning off your shoulders, but they help you structure and optimise the way you study. It is important that you choose the … Continued
“So, what will you do after you have finished your studies?” I have never liked this question, since I decided to enrol in two degree programmes without a ‘specific’ job profile attached to them. I study Anglophone Literatures and Cultures and Conservation Biology and Biodiversity Management – not exactly degree programmes where it is immediately … Continued
“Coming from a small university in the city I’ve lived in all my life, the prospect of doing an Erasmus student exchange at the University of Vienna couldn’t have been more exciting. My BA programme in European Studies at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland requires me to complete two semesters abroad, studying through a foreign … Continued
“Sport means much more to me than just toning my biceps and trying to improve my performance. I am studying Sport Science because it allows me to combine academic knowledge with other approaches. I do sport out of enthusiasm, creativity, pleasure as well as out of passion. I read a lot about the evolution, consciousness … Continued
“What should I do after graduating from secondary school? This is a frequently asked question that worried me a lot. Starting to work sounds exciting and allows you to make a living. Taking a gap year sounds relaxing, but it requires a fat wallet. A degree programme offers many opportunities and gives you freedom too. … Continued
“The University of Vienna’s football team, the so-called Emperors, has accompanied me since the beginning of my studies. This way, the “Emps” have made my student years the time of my life. American football has played an important role throughout my life. The Emps allowed me to perfectly combine both my hobby and university. It … Continued
“I have always been one of those students who do everything pretty quickly. I was not driven by ambition, but rather by enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge. I was always convinced that I had chosen the right degree programme. Student life was tons of fun and I really enjoyed it. It all changed when, … Continued
“The teacher education programme in Biology allows me to look at nature from entirely different perspectives. Over the course of my studies, I caugth biophilia, which is quite common among nature lovers. It resulted in new hobbies such as birdwatching, microscopic examinations, botanical and zoological outdoor excursions for species identification and participating in lectures. I … Continued
