Dual study at emtrion

Interview with graduate Marius

Marius studied Applied Computer Science at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Karlsruhe and has been working at emtrion as an embedded software engineer since graduating in August 2020. In an interview during his final year of study, he revealed to us how he enjoyed his studies and his day-to-day work at emtrion and what kind of experience he was able to gain.

Marius, you've been studying Applied Computer Science at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Karlsruhe since 2017. What excites you about the subject?

Computers in general have fascinated me since my first contact with them. The possibilities that computers offer, especially in connection with the Internet, are enormous. Moreover, the future lies in computer science. All kinds of systems and processes are being automated and autonomized, and there is at least a little bit of software in everything. For me, the idea that in the future there will hardly be a toaster without WLAN, for example, sounds very exciting.

Why did you choose emtrion?

A decisive factor is the size of the company. The "family-like" and relaxed relationship among the employees is very pleasant in everyday working life. But of course I was also interested in emtrion's core business. To be honest, I had never had anything to do with embedded systems before, but the topic fascinated me right away and I was happy to learn something new.

Why did you decide on a dual study program? And were your expectations met?

I often heard from various people that their studies were so monotonous and theoretical. So it was clear to me pretty quickly that I needed practical relevance. After completing their bachelor's degree, students at the Cooperative State University have already worked actively in a company for almost 2 years (3 years of study minus theory phases), which I think gives them a decisive advantage. Of course, the dual study program is also impressive because of the salary.
Yes, my expectations were met by and large. In the practical phases, what we have learned is deepened and new, practically relevant knowledge is also imparted. Looking back on the past two years, I learned an enormous amount during the practical phases.

Tell us about your day-to-day work at emtrion. Can you tell us about an example from your work experience?

In the course of my studies, I have to write a total of 3 project papers plus a bachelor thesis. This means that my tasks are primarily based on whether a suitable scientific paper can also be written from them. Last year, for example, I developed an application for an SBC from emtrion. At the moment I am working on a graphical user interface for the tool Elbe, which will make it easier for us and also for our customers to manage projects.

What has been your highlight at emtrion so far?

The company outing to the Europa Park :D Joking aside, during development (whether at work, at home or anywhere else) I'm always happy like a little kid when problems you've been working on for a long time are finally solved. Especially in programming, tiny mistakes can be crucial. Finding them is always a little highlight.

What will happen after you graduate? Do you already have plans?

If I am taken on, I would be happy to stay at emtrion for the time being. I'm not considering a master's degree at the moment, and it's not absolutely necessary in the field of computer science.