What is the experience and opinion of our bachelor student who decided to work for his employer?
The working student Nicolas has already been working at CHARGE-V for a year to deepen his knowledge alongside his mechatronics/fine mechanics studies. In his last semester, the bachelor's thesis was still missing in order to successfully complete his studies.
The Bachelor's thesis can be written either in cooperation with a company or at the university. If the focus is on practical relevance, it is advisable to work with a company. In addition to the opportunity to gain practical experience, contacts can be made that could be useful after graduation. If the bachelor student would rather take an academic path and the theory should be in the foreground, it is advisable to complete the thesis at the university. In the case of our working student, Nicolas wanted to write his Bachelor's thesis "Implementation of an intelligent energy management for fast charging systems" in cooperation with his employer. What exactly his motivations were and what challenges he encountered will become apparent in the following interview.
How did you become aware of CHARGE-V and in which field are you active?
Nicolas: I became aware of the start-up through the recommendation of an acquaintance. Right from the start, I was very interested in the company and its products. The start-up's vision of creating sustainable mobility appealed to me very much and I was keen to gain experience in this area and thus expand my knowledge in the field of fast charging systems. For this reason, I made an unsolicited application to write my bachelor's thesis together with the company. I was then offered a position in software development and Scrum, which I accepted. My task now is to implement the energy management in the main controller of the fast charging stations. For this, I program in C++, work with state machines and analyse sensor data. My tasks also include testing the fast charging columns with the energy manager and the general user experience.
What makes a good employer for you?
Nicolas: One of the prerequisites of a good employer for me is the possibility to contribute one's own ideas and to be allowed to take on tasks that are relevant to achieving goals. This is especially possible in a start-up with a flat hierarchy, since, for example, decisions are made together and self-fulfilment is important. Furthermore, I find the student benefits and the general employee benefits important, for example a discount in the company canteen. These benefits create a pleasant corporate culture so that good teamwork is possible and fun.
Why did you decide to write your Bachelor's thesis with the company?
Nicolas: First and foremost, I decided to write my bachelor's thesis with the company because I was very interested in the practical topic that the company offered me based on my speculative application. Another decisive point for me was to gain practical experience during my studies and thus get the chance to develop myself further. Another reason why I decided to write my Bachelor's thesis with the company was the opportunity to build and expand my network. For these reasons, I decided to write a practice-based thesis.
How did you find your topic? How did the process work exactly?
Nicolas: My thesis supervisor gave me the general topic of "Energy Management", which formed the basis of my Bachelor's thesis. I then applied for a bachelor's thesis topic at CHARGE-V, where the topic was adapted to the knowledge and research needs of the company. I was then allowed to focus on an area of my choice. This gave me the opportunity and freedom to structure and specify my work depending on my area of interest. Already during the research, I was able to develop and elaborate my clear research question. During the practical work, my colleagues at CHARGE-V always helped me to understand the required tools and the system used and to be able to apply them correctly. In addition, there were weekly progress meetings with my supervisor from the company, so that I could readjust in case of deviations and never lost sight of my research goal. After submitting my Bachelor's thesis, I was offered a working student position so that I could continue to work on the topic and gain experience.
What challenges did you face and how did you deal with them?
Nicolas: The biggest challenges were understanding the very complex topic, learning how to use the tools and then writing the bachelor thesis. As already mentioned, the support of my colleagues and the intensive theory and literature research were the fundamental key to overcoming the challenges. In addition, I could always turn to my supervisor for help and advice to achieve the right goal.
What is your tip for all students who are also interested in writing their thesis in cooperation with a company?
Nicolas: My two most important tips are to develop an independent way of working and to gain some understanding of the topic and the system. Only through an efficient and well-organised way of working is it possible to find solutions quickly. This makes it possible to focus on several topics, so that nothing stands in the way of personal development and gaining professional experience. In addition, the topic and the tools used must first be understood so that they can be used directly. This can save a lot of time, which can be used sensibly. Overall, I can advise every student to write their Bachelor's thesis in a company if the Bachelor's thesis topic can be substantiated through a certain practical relevance.
Has the interview sparked your interest in writing your Bachelor's thesis in the context of a collaboration with a company or in getting to know CHARGE-V in general?
If you are interested in the working environment at CHARGE-V, we look forward to receiving your application!