"Anyone who starts university at 30 has to study quickly," thought Benjamin Einert when he enrolled in media informatics at the Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. However, the fact that he wanted to register his diploma thesis as early as his sixth semester surprised the admissions committee somewhat. After all, the standard period of study is eight semesters.

The trained retail salesman completed his A-levels at the Giessen evening high school in 2002 through adult education. In 2004, he began studying media informatics at the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences because he wanted to expand his web design skills acquired in his professional life. He also considered an academic degree important, as there was a growing demand for specifically qualified specialists and fewer career changers for web development.

From the very beginning, Einert used gaps in his timetable to attend courses in higher semesters. His experience in software development during his professional career was recognized as an internship, allowing him to find time for his diploma thesis as early as his sixth semester, in which he developed web-based presentation software. The thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr. Joachim Zinke ( Department of Information Technology – Electrical Engineering – Mechatronics), received a grade of "very good".

His fellow students attest to Einert's great discipline. For the graduate engineer himself, the strong cohesion within his study group was a key factor in his success. The team constantly motivated him, says the 33-year-old.

Since the beginning of the month, the university graduate has been working as a freelance web application developer. He creates websites and maintains applications such as a web seminar platform. Einert will also remain connected to the university. In the upcoming winter semester, he will take on a teaching position in Friedberg and will teach the fundamentals of media design to first-year students.