Janina Praaß - from taster programme to Master's degree

Why did you decide to study chemistry at H-BRS?

Chemistry has fascinated me since I was at school because there are so many references to our everyday lives. From the composition of our T-shirts, to cooking and baking, to the effects of medicines in our bodies - we encounter chemical principles and reactions everywhere. A taster internship in a laboratory after leaving school confirmed my desire to study.

I owe the fact that I chose H-BRS as my university of choice primarily to the taster programme format. As a prospective student, I was able to take part in lectures and a kind of mini-internship as part of this non-binding familiarisation process. It was a good opportunity for me to get an impression of the programme content and the university itself. The exciting content and nice people on site then convinced me that H-BRS was the right choice for me.

What did you particularly like about your studies?

I particularly appreciated the productive learning atmosphere in small groups at H-BRS. People knew each other in the seminars and internships and supported each other. The practical training is also very good. We not only learnt theory, but also worked actively in the laboratory. There we learnt little things like how to swap capillaries at an early stage. That may sound trivial, but it's practical experience like this that makes all the difference later on in your career.

It's a great advantage when certain hurdles in practical application are already removed during your studies. The opportunity to carry out my own projects with external practice partners was also a great opportunity - I still work at the company where I wrote my Master's thesis. I was therefore able to get to know my current employer very well before I started my career. Of course, that's a huge advantage that I wouldn't have had without the degree programme.

How was the relationship with the professors?

I always had the feeling that the professors were really interested in us students as people. Their doors were always open if we had any questions or needed advice. I also really enjoyed the practical knowledge transfer. Thanks to our professors' close links with the world of work, we were able to take a look behind the scenes at well-known chemical companies in the region and make initial contacts during our studies, for example.

What do you do for a living today and how do you benefit from your studies in your job?

I work at LTS - Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AK - in research and development. We produce transdermal therapeutic patches and oral active ingredient films, for example for hormone or pain therapy. In our analytical laboratory, I test, among other things, how much active ingredient penetrates the skin. It motivates me to work on solutions that can make a difference for patients. Thanks to my studies at H-BRS, I am very good at applying theoretical knowledge in practice and also thinking outside the box in search of the right solution.

Text: Lea Brandes