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If you’ve never come into contact with any of this before

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you’re just confused about everything

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University or university of applied sciences, credits, fellow students.

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Things can be overwhelming

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Obviously, the learning curve is steeper and the content more complex for A-Levels

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But there are ways to catch up

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The university offers preparatory courses in maths, for instance

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I knew from the start it wouldn’t be easy

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My lack in grammar school knowledge has always been the biggest problem

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But thanks to her friends‘ support, Aileen now is in her sixth semester.

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The former secondary modern school student has taken her master craftsman’s

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diploma and studies engineering at HsH, a highly mathematical subject.

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All this without a university-entrance diploma

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Her practical experience, gained during her training, is a great advantage.

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Coming straight from school, I have no vocational training.

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So whenever we’re dealing with machine parts

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with bearings she’s really good at explaining them to me.

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I’d say we complement each other.

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It was Aileen‘s twin sister who prompted her to go to university.

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A decision that has opened up new opportunities for her.

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After getting my master craftsman’s diploma,

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I considered going for a degree in business administration,

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but then I wouldn’t need to go to university anymore.

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But because that didn’t quite cover my field of interest,

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I dropped the idea and tried to get into university instead.

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The now 26-year-old informed herself about her options at HsH.

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Soon it became clear that her chances for being admitted were good.

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But Aileen also had to learn

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that things are not always what you expect them to be.

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I was more interested in the technological side of things,

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like new process technologies or materials

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Instead I had to go through all these formulas

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before I could actually find out what I wanted to know.

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This requires swotting up on the basics.

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But it can be done, thanks to tutorials and the professors‘ experience.

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Aileen‘s motto is:

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Just keep going, and try to get your bearings.

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Even if at first you might fall on your face, because it all gets to be too much,

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you will soon get the hang of things.

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Take some time to get prepared and don’t stress yourself out.

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Just take one step at a time.