Here, participants in the Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) report on their experiences in the Department of Media Informatics and Multimedia Systems at the University of Oldenburg.

Where are you based and what are your responsibilities?

I am completing my FWJ at the Department of Computing Science, in the Media Informatics and Multimedia Systems section, under the supervision of Prof. Susanne Boll.

The University of Oldenburg and the affiliated institute OFFIS – Institute for Computing Science are partners in the AHOI_MINT educational project (2020–2023). The aim of the project is to establish a high-quality, innovative STEM cluster in north-west Lower Saxony: the aim is to expand extracurricular activities in the STEM field and to link the various learning venues together. My responsibilities within the project cover various areas of work – for example, I support the social media team or assist with evaluation by entering data from interviews into databases and carrying out analyses.

As well as my work at AHOI_MINT, I occasionally take on smaller programming tasks where I can apply my existing knowledge, whilst also learning a great deal. I have also been able to take on a few smaller tasks in the field of virtual reality. Studies involving participants are also frequently carried out on the OFFIS premises – including in the real-world laboratories – so I can support my colleagues with the conduct and documentation of these studies as required. I also sometimes help out when scientific papers need to be written and prepared for submission. In addition, I attend several project and group meetings every week to keep up to date with what’s happening in my research group and to offer my support.

Why did you decide to do a Voluntary Research Year?

My main motivation for applying was the desire not to have to attend my first semester of university online. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to take a gap year before starting my degree.

But the FWJ also really appealed to me as a sort of stepping stone between my Abitur and university, as it allows you to experience something completely new and discover what career opportunities are available in research after graduation.

What do you think this year will bring you?

I think this year will help me identify my interests. Up until now, my answer to the question of what I’d like to do later in life has been: ‘Something to do with Computing Science’. But as the subject of Computing Science is incredibly broad, I hope that by the end of the FWJ I’ll be able to make my answer a bit more specific.

I also believe that my self-confidence will grow as I work in groups with lots of new people who share my interests. On top of that, I’m looking forward to learning about many research methods that could be of benefit to me during my degree.

What advice would you give to future volunteers?

Be open and communicative – in my view, that’s the most important thing. The best insights and opportunities to get involved in projects arise when you join in conversations in the corridor, during lunch breaks or in meetings, and are generally present and engaged. Furthermore, you should value the limited time you have available and make the most of everything. I’d also recommend keeping a structured record of everything you’ve done and learnt, so that you don’t lose sight of any of the many valuable experiences you’ll have throughout the year.