Theorist or packer? What you should know about studying and training

 

 

Whether you should study or rather do an apprenticeship after your school years is an important question. Because it is you who decides how you shape your professional future. For this reason, you should start thinking about it in good time: Is an apprenticeship or a degree program right for you?? Perhaps one is to follow the other as well?

Of course, there are students who have known for years what they want to be when they take a. Therefore, they have long since started to think about how to manage it. Choose the path via the university or a training company? Most people, however, and this is certainly reassuring to know, do not yet have a concrete plan at the beginning of their final year of schooling.

However, this is exactly what is important. Because depending on your decision you need more or less time to prepare your way. Applications have to be written for an apprenticeship. Many universities also have entrance exams or certain requirements that you have to fulfill. So when is the right time to start looking at your professional future? Clearly: as early as possible.

To help you decide, we have summarized everything you need to know about studying and training.

Here's what you should know if you want to study

If you decide to study, it means that you can prepare for your career in a targeted and, above all, flexible manner. In contrast to an apprenticeship, you will not be immediately immersed in practice, but will acquire a lot of knowledge in theory. You set the focus and individual priorities yourself. This means a lot of personal responsibility, but also helps you find out what really interests you.

You are similarly flexible in your studies when it comes to your time commitment. Often there are no fixed times when you have to be at a certain place. This can mean that you take one day off during the week, but study on the weekend instead.

Personal responsibility and flexibility during your studies can, of course, also become a burden. If you don't manage to focus and specialize or learn enough, you won't successfully complete your studies. Future students should be very clear about this: no one will tell them what they must and must not do. If you can't cope with this freedom, an apprenticeship might be the right choice for you.

Another thing to consider when studying is finances. While you already earn your own money as an apprentice, you will not be paid for your studies. On the contrary: study time causes a lot of costs. This can be tuition and semester fees, but also materials you need for learning cost money.

Of course, you also have to finance your apartment and your life. If you have no support from your parents or anyone else, you have no other option than to apply for Bafog, take out a student loan or work part-time. The latter is definitely an additional burden, which is not so easy to cope with in addition to a tight study schedule. You will have to pay back both Bafog and a loan later.

And last but not least: No matter how much you learn in your studies, it's mostly just theory. Practical experience through internships, for example, is often only partially provided for and therefore falls by the wayside in many cases. Many students have not even gained any practical experience before entering the profession. Disillusionment often follows: this is not how they had imagined the work would be. Employers are also often skeptical when entry-level workers lack any practical experience.

The most important facts about vocational training

An apprenticeship is a kick-start: From day one, you'll be right in the middle of professional life. You will spend two to three years learning – in practice and theory. You are integrated into your training company, have your own tasks and your own responsibilities. You are an important part of your team and your colleagues rely on you.

That's great, because you're really needed in your company and are on your way to becoming a full-fledged employee. Of course, this does not mean that you will be left alone. During your apprenticeship, someone is always there to answer your questions, explain tasks and contexts, and be there for you. Accompanying this, you will learn everything important theoretical in the vocational school. A super combination!

After graduation, trainees are well qualified and can specialize in a particular field. That's very valuable, because skilled workers are in high demand today. And that will not change in the future. Whether they stay with their training company, move to another company, follow up their training with a course of study or become self-employed: Many paths are open to them.

And this can also be an argument in favor of an apprenticeship: you earn your own money from day one.