The globetrotter

In his role as a photographer, he has been to Bolivia, Cape Town, Switzerland, and Istanbul; he sometimes spends up to 144 days a year traveling “for work”. But Christian Kreutzmann’s actual occupation is studying business and engineering at TU Clausthal. “That mixture is precisely what I love so much,” the 25‑year-old explains. The excitement, adrenaline, and variety of photo shoots – compare that to the restful peace and quiet of Clausthal, which gives him breathing space, brings him back down to Earth, and enables him to concentrate on his studies. He could have chosen London or the renowned EBS Business School in Oestrich-Winkel, but TU Clausthal appealed to him straight away with its family atmosphere, the attentive support, and the close proximity of all university facilities.

Short journeys to everywhere

Hours of commuting? Not here. “It only takes a few strides and I’m already at the institute,” he is pleased to report, “and I don’t need to pay EUR 600 in rent here either, like I would in Hamburg.” When he received his spot in a student dorm, for EUR 260 including heating and everything else, Christian left his beloved Hamburg behind – where he had been at home, partied with his friends, and taken his first steps as a student on a mechanical engineering program. When he arrived in the Harz town, he soon noticed the sense of cohesion among the students. People know one another and help each other – including with their studies, because the university work is not easy.
“Average grades of one point anything are vanishingly rare,” says Christian, “but I think it’s good to be challenged and learn to deal with difficult situations.” He doesn’t like the kind of spoon-feeding degree programs where the training isn’t well founded or top grades are handed out like candy for no real work.

Excellent job prospects

A degree from the rigorous TU Clausthal is like having a guaranteed job. So the important thing is to battle through, stick with it. “That’s good training for professional life too,” Christian is sure. But there’s some time to go before then, as Christian has only just finished writing his bachelor’s thesis in cooperation with a company based in Hamburg. He then wants to do his master’s – in Clausthal. “I briefly thought about going somewhere else – Berlin or Zürich would have been options – but what for?” The Hamburg native gets around enough through his photography jobs and sees Clausthal as something of a home base. He is focused here, can make plans in peace and contemplate what his objective will be after university.

Aiming for a dream job with precision

At any rate, he will want to earn his money doing something meaningful. For Christian Kreutzmann, photography will remain just a hobby in the longer term, one which serves as the perfect counterpoint to his studies. They may be two different worlds, but they have one thing in common: “You need preparation and precision.”

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