5 questions for Nina Zimmer

In the latest edition of the interview series "5 questions for..." we talk to Nina Zimmer, a student of general education who works on the InnoVET project alongside her studies.
Portrait einer Person mit grauem Hoodie vor hellem Hintergrund, Gesicht unkenntlich gemacht. Nina Zimmer

After dropping out of a teacher training course, Nina Zimmer opted for the broader field of education. The degree offers her numerous opportunities to specialize and opens up prospects for various professional fields in the education sector.

5 questions for Nina Zimmer

1. what exactly are you studying and why did you choose this course?

I am studying general education with a focus on vocational education. After dropping out of my teacher training course, I decided to study education because I was still interested in education and education as a whole is a very broad field. As the teacher training course is strongly geared towards the teaching profession, the education degree course was a course that offered me a wide range of opportunities for my own specialization, but also for a future career.

2. what content or modules have surprised or inspired you the most so far?

First of all, I was surprised by the rather large proportion of vocational education. At the beginning, this was actually not the area in which I wanted to specialize, but now it is a very exciting and diverse subject for me.

I also think it makes a lot of sense to keep an eye on people's possible future careers, such as training and further education, and to encourage lifelong learning, regardless of the area of pedagogy in which you specialize.

3. You work as a student assistant in the InnoVET PLUS project. What tasks do you take on there and does your work help you in your studies?

In the InnoVET project, I come into close contact with research practice. I am heavily involved in various work processes and have the opportunity to accompany many different aspects of project implementation.

The work helps me in particular to better understand the framework conditions of research projects. The practical approach also makes it easier for me to understand the qualitative and quantitative research methods.

4. to what extent has working on the InnoVET project shaped your idea of a future career in education?

During my Bachelor's degree, I was already thinking about choosing a Master's degree with a high research component. I am therefore very grateful for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in this area as part of the InnoVET project. The work in the InnoVET project has definitely strengthened my interest.

5. what talent or strength did you first discover about yourself during your studies?

During the course of my studies, I developed my ability to be flexible. The decisive factor for me was mainly my change of degree course. As I always found change difficult, this step was a big challenge for me.

Looking back, however, it has shown me that change can be necessary and ultimately very worthwhile. Today, I find it much easier to adapt to new situations and remain flexible overall.