{"id":952,"date":"2025-09-09T11:40:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T09:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/?p=952"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T08:13:42","slug":"changing-universities-for-your-doctorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/2025\/09\/09\/changing-universities-for-your-doctorate\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing universities for your doctorate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1394\" style=\"width:188px;height:188px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1.png 1080w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2026\/04\/icon-Podcast-1-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-saarland.de\/fachrichtung\/anglistik\/staff\/faculty.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.uni-saarland.de\/fachrichtung\/anglistik\/staff\/faculty.html\">Marie-Claire Steinkraus<\/a>, doctoral researcher and research assistant in English studies at Saarland University, talks about changing universities and academic systems during her studies and doctorate. In this interview, she shares her experiences of studying in England, Germany and Scotland, explains why she chose to pursue her doctorate in the German system, and reflects on what academic mobility made possible for her &#8211; professionally and personally. She also talks about support structures, everyday academic life as a research assistant, and what helped her feel at home in a new academic environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">audio <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/files\/2025\/09\/marie-claire_final.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This interview was conducted in February 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlights<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201eI think even for people who are a bit more scared of change I think starting a PhD is actually one of the best opportunities to try that and to try change in your life if you still want that, because I mean, doing a PhD is a sort of new start in itself. And you still be integrated in a university where there&#8217;s lots of people your own age. So I think rebuilding community, doing a PhD at a new university, it does have its challenges, but it&#8217;s probably easier than in some other jobs. \u201c<\/p>\n<cite>Marie-Claire Steinkraus, research assistant at the University of Saarland<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Links<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Find useful links for starting your doctorate <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/season-one-starting-a-doctorate\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"34\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcript <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Welcome to the DRS podcast, the podcast of the Dahlem Research School at Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin. My name is Dr. Marlies Klamt and I&#8217;ll be moderating today&#8217;s episode. In this episode, I&#8217;m speaking with Marie-Claire Steinkraus about what it means to change universities for your doctorate. Marie-Claire has studied and worked in different academic systems and reflects very openly on how these transitions shaped her doctoral journey.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Our conversation focuses on academic mobility at the doctoral level and on the very concrete questions that come with it, choosing a country, a university, a supervisor and a working environment that actually fits. In this conversation, we discuss why studying and moving abroad was part of Marie-Claire&#8217;s academic path from early on, how she experienced different academic cultures in the UK and Germany, what motivated her to pursue her doctorate in Germany rather than in the UK, and what role factors like supervision, team atmosphere, and everyday academic life played in her decision.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Marie-Claire, before we dive into the topic, could you briefly walk us through your academic path at the different universities you studied at?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, I&#8217;m happy to. I did my undergraduate degree in English Studies or English Literature at the University of Exeter in England, and then I went on to do a double degree master&#8217;s program at the University of Bonn and the University of St Andrews in Scotland. And I mean, I had some really great experiences there and then I came back to Germany to do my PhD here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s talk about your bachelor first. You already mentioned that you did your bachelor&#8217;s degree in England. What made you decide to go abroad at that early stage?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think I&#8217;ve always had this dream of going abroad somewhere after school. And then because I wanted to study English literature, I felt that England was a good address, maybe a good place to go. And that was, I think the whole thought process that went into it. Then I applied to different English universities and Exeter was one that accepted me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, I have to say I&#8217;ve had connections to England before because I did a sort of exchange program in the 10th grade during school where I went to the school called West Buckland School. It was a boarding school together with one of my best friends actually. And we had a lovely time there and the University of Exeter, where I ended up doing my undergraduate degree, is actually really close to that boarding school as well. So, I was kind of familiar with, you know, the area and I think that was the main reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It was a bit like going back to a place you already knew. It sounds like an awesome experience. And I would really like to hear a bit more about your experience studying in England. I&#8217;m thinking about the academic culture, how you experienced that, the teaching style, maybe also if that varied, and also your everyday student life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think that teaching style really actually shaped my own teaching style now. It&#8217;s very sort of based on low hierarchies. Students usually call their teachers by their first names or their lecturers and the seminars as well as the lectures are very interactive and there&#8217;s lots of open discussions and group works and presentations. So, I really enjoyed that about studying in England, that everything was so interactive and so, I want to say, immersive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You really got to immerse yourself in your studies and, in my case, in literature, and that was really fun. And also, I think, as opposed to German universities, I think there&#8217;s always this clich\u00e9 of English and also American universities having all these societies and clubs. But it is actually a clich\u00e9 that&#8217;s true. And especially during my first year at Exeter, I joined so many different societies just to try them out. And that was really fun and also a really fun way to meet people that are not on your program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Do you remember your favorite society?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were a few. I really enjoyed the boxing society and the feminist society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>That&#8217;s an interesting combination. I like that. After that, you completed a double master degree in Germany and Scotland. How did that come about?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, I did a lot of research into different masters, master programs, and I knew I wanted to go abroad again, maybe England, maybe Scotland. I wasn&#8217;t too sure actually about doing my master&#8217;s in Germany because I still wanted to study English and of course you can do that in Germany as well. But as I said, I&#8217;ve always been really interested in going abroad and exploring, especially UK culture as well, because that&#8217;s so closely linked to my studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my friends actually went to the University of Cologne at the time. And so, I think we were just sort of having a laugh and sort of researching different universities close to Cologne or sort of in this area. And then we got to the University of Bonn, which obviously has a really good reputation as well and some really interesting programs. And so, I did a bit of research into that. And then I found this program where it said that you could go to Bonn and then also spend a year in St. Andrews and that sounded really, really appealing. And also, the modules sounded really appealing and the fact that it wasn&#8217;t just English, but also German studies and a bit of comparative literature in there. So, I knew I would be able to explore different subjects, slightly different subjects that are still tied to my own sort of main discipline. And yeah, that sounded really good. And so, I applied there and I had a really good time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sounds a bit like the best of two worlds. You already told us a lot about the benefits of doing the double masters across two countries. Tell us a bit about the challenges as well, because I assume there were challenges on the way as well. Changing countries. I&#8217;m thinking also about flats. How did you manage that? Maybe that was implemented in the program. Tell us a bit more about that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, finding a flat in Bonn was actually not too easy. I ended up somewhere kind of outside the center, so I had to commute a little bit, which was fine, but wouldn&#8217;t have been my first choice, I must honestly say. But I really liked the city. We had this really small cohort who were doing the master&#8217;s program. And so that was really a good way of finding a new community and make new friends. And what was challenging actually was finding my way in this German academic system. It&#8217;s not hugely different from the English academic system, but there are differences. The term papers are longer, the seminars and lectures are structured a bit differently. And some of the structures were just unfamiliar to me, so I had to kind of find my way there. And then after that, go back to the UK, right, to St. Andrews, and sort of relearn what I&#8217;d already abandoned a little bit, if that makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>That definitely makes sense. It sounds like a very interesting experience. Was studying and working academically in English ever a challenge for you? You mentioned that you&#8217;ve already been to England during high school, but is there a moment where you can say, okay, I became so fluent, I didn&#8217;t even think about it anymore? Or were you always a language talent and it was never an issue at all?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh no, it was definitely, I don&#8217;t want to say an issue. I didn\u2019t have huge problems with it, but it was quite challenging in the beginning, especially during my first year at Exeter. And especially because I was one of the very few non-native speakers on the program. You know, we studied English also, so the language was important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I think when I left school, I thought my English was perfect. And then I got to know actual English people and that was a little bit humbling at first. And you realize that you&#8217;re not a native speaker after all, even if you feel super comfortable with the language. But once it got to second and third year, I think these issues kind of resolved and you just get so used to it. And yeah, you also get into the academic lingo, English lingo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thanks for that honest reflection. I&#8217;m sure that will encourage our listeners as well to hear your story. Studying abroad often also raises very practical questions. How did you finance your studies in England and during your time abroad?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily for me, I started my degree before Brexit hit, so the tuition fees weren&#8217;t at least as high as they are now for international students. And I was very lucky that my parents were able to support me a lot financially. But I also had a job as an online tutor for most of the time, which of course also helped. And then for my master&#8217;s, and especially my year in Scotland, I was on two scholarships that covered most of the costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there are options. I know that, obviously, the financial aspect is probably one of the most tricky ones for many people who are thinking about going abroad. But there are many possibilities in finding funds, even though these also usually require a lot of research beforehand and these application processes. But there are a lot of scholarships and options there, I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We talked a lot about how moving between universities and countries was already part of your academic path before the doctorate, but starting a PhD is still a very specific step. What motivated you to pursue your doctorate in Germany rather than continuing in the UK system?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there were multiple reasons. First of all, I mean, I am German after all, and I think I just wanted to explore the German academic system a bit more, especially because I did like it, even though it was new to me at the time, I did enjoy my year at the University of Bonn. And I think there&#8217;s also interest in exploring English studies from a German academic perspective, if that makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I just wanted to get to know different structures, get to know a new network within my field as well, the German network of English scholars. And that was one main reason. And then also, what motivated me was that, from what I&#8217;ve heard, and you know, from my research as well, I know that a PhD in the UK is more of an extension of your studies, which has its advantages, because the focus remains on your PhD project and you work really closely with your supervisor on getting your PhD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in Germany, doing a PhD while also having a position at the university as a research assistant is really more of a job, right? And you are more involved in all sides of academic life and academic work. I get to teach a lot here. I&#8217;m involved in a lot of the bureaucratic sides as well. And I think especially if you want to stay in academia, as I dream of doing, I think it&#8217;s really good to get that kind of work experience. And I felt that, at least for me, I would get this more in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Beyond the choice of country, what were your most important criteria when you were exploring doctoral positions?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I actually did a lot of research on this and into different universities and their English departments. One of those universities was the Saarland University, where I&#8217;m working now as a PhD candidate and research assistant. And I had a first conversation there with Professor Frenk, the Professor of British Literary and Cultural Studies, who&#8217;s now my supervisor. And I found that many of our research interests aligned, but there would also be a lot of flexibility and freedom for me to pursue my own research interests because my PhD project wouldn&#8217;t be tied to a broader overarching project, but that it would be my own. And I would have full autonomy over directing my own project. And so that was really appealing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But also, I think what was equally important, if not more important, was the positive work environment and the sort of harmonious social atmosphere that I immediately sensed when talking to my supervisor and also getting to know the rest of the team during our first meeting. It just seemed like a really good fit for me. And I just think it&#8217;s really important to have a supportive and welcoming team that you feel comfortable with, especially when you want to change universities to do a PhD. I think that social aspect is a big part of that as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I definitely agree. In the end, that&#8217;s the people you spend most of your working week with or most of your time with, actually. So, I definitely agree. That&#8217;s a very important point to feel comfortable and at home, in a sense, when you go to work as well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Definitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s talk about what it was like to continue your academic career in Germany a bit more, this time at the doctoral level and within a different academic role. Looking a bit more at the transition from the UK system back to Germany. Who supported you during this transition, if there was anybody, and in what concrete ways?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I must say, I was so lucky in all the support that I got. Obviously, my partner supported me, my parents and my friends and family. But also, I must say, and I cannot emphasize this enough, I know I already mentioned this just now, but having a supportive and welcoming team and, well, my supervisor, of course, but also my wonderful colleague, Anne, who&#8217;s also doing her PhD as a research assistant alongside me. She really, she was there. She&#8217;d been working there for a while. at the time that I arrived at the university and she helped me so much and she was always there for me to ask questions and have things explained to me because obviously you come to a new academic system and you&#8217;re so unfamiliar with how anything works and the processes and the teaching especially. She gave me so much advice on how to be a good lecturer and yeah, I was very lucky in that regard to have her and my other colleagues and everyone around me basically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>To make your academic life in Germany a bit more concrete, can you take us into a typical work day? What does every day academic life look like when you combine a research assistant position with your doctoral research?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s a really good question, especially because I must say every day looks different. I mean, on Mondays and Tuesdays, we usually have our department days where everybody is in and there&#8217;s lots of lectures and seminars happening. I come to work around maybe 9 or 10 and then there will be probably the first lecture or seminar and then we&#8217;ll have lunch together, all of us as a team. We are quite a small team though, so it&#8217;s all quite chill and comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then usually after lunch, there&#8217;s another lecture or seminar. We also have our colloquium, which is a sort of like extra research seminar, I guess. And that happens Monday, late afternoon. So, Monday is quite a long day, but also a fun day. And then Tuesday looks kind of similar. And then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday is usually left to us to pursue our own research and get in the proper PhD focus mode, because that&#8217;s also what you definitely need as a PhD candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I&#8217;d imagine being part of different systems also affects how and with whom you connect academically. How did changing universities influence your academic network and collaborations?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, I think it influenced it a lot. I got to form so many new connections due to, well, my supervisor&#8217;s connections, but also the conferences that we go to, right? And I don&#8217;t know if that&#8217;s tied specifically to changing universities. I think also making new academic connections is also just part of doing a PhD because you suddenly go to all these conferences and you meet all these guest professors and that kind of thing. But it&#8217;s definitely, as I mentioned also, that was one part also why I wanted to come to Germany, because I wanted to get to know a new kind of network within my field. And that definitely worked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And are you still collaborating with people or institutions from your previous universities?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, a little bit. I had a little bit of contact to my other supervisor from St. Andrews, who supervised my master&#8217;s dissertation, and also a little bit to my supervisor at Exeter, who supervised my bachelor&#8217;s dissertation. So, a little bit of contact there still, but not that much, I must say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I would like to know now how it did make you grow as a person to have this experience quite early on in your life. You said already in the 10th grade, you went to England. Then I guess you were rather young also when you did your bachelor in England. Moving between countries, were there personal gains you didn&#8217;t anticipate when you changed universities that often? Or not even just the changing process, but how did it make you grow into the person you are today that you had this kind of very specific experience?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, obviously, you know, aside from always meeting new people, making new friends and all of that, and also experiencing new university structures, understanding how different universities operate and all of that, I think it made me less afraid of change. And I&#8217;ve never been someone who was super afraid of changes, but especially not after school. I think after school is kind of the time, you know, where everybody is doing their gap year or whatever, and everybody wants to get out there. And I think when you&#8217;re younger, generally, you&#8217;re not that much scared of change, interestingly enough. At least that was my experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I think constantly changing new environments and changing universities as I did when I then decided I would like to pursue a PhD. It made me less afraid to go someplace new and go back to Germany where I didn&#8217;t know the academic system so well and do it over here. I hear from other people that can be quite scary and I can imagine that it is that way, but not for me, right, because I&#8217;m kind of used to it. It just gave me courage, I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You already mentioned making new friends in new places. How challenging did you find it to build a social life in a new country or city and what helped you most?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, as I said, I had really great colleagues from the start who have also become my main social network here, I must say. But I think also it&#8217;s just important to put yourself out there and join book clubs. I joined a political party and a book club tied to that party, which was really good to make new connections. And the Saarland is quite a small area, very relaxed. People are very welcoming and open. It&#8217;s small, but it&#8217;s not so small that it becomes exclusive, I guess. It&#8217;s very homely and actually quite easy to rebuild community here. But you do have to, you know, obviously put in the effort and join some clubs, go to parties and book club meetings, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, there are societies here, the kind of societies here at the university as well. So yeah, I think just making the effort to meet new people is important. And then it just kind of works out, I suppose. And also, I think at this point, maybe I could already give a piece of advice or something, because I think even for people who are a bit more scared of change, I think starting a PhD is actually one of the best opportunities to try that and to try change in your life if you still want that, because I mean, doing a PhD is a sort of new start in itself. And you still be integrated in a university where there&#8217;s lots of people your own age. So, I think rebuilding community, doing a PhD at a new university, it does have its challenges, but it&#8217;s probably easier than in some other jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Apart from that personal advice, which I find very helpful, thank you for that. Do you also have advice for doctoral researchers who might be in the same position as you were and they&#8217;re looking for a university right now to do their doctorate? Because you were really lucky. I wouldn&#8217;t even call it lucky. You made a really good choice and it felt very thought through. And you also mentioned that you put a lot of energy into looking where you could find a new university. Do you have any advice for doctoral researchers or for wannabe doctoral researchers how to find a university where they really feel like they can academically and personally grow and have a good working environment as well?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, this is gonna sound maybe a bit lame, but I would say trust your instinct also on a personal level. Before taking on a position, really consider if you can imagine yourself working in this kind of environment. And also, if this position will enable you to work on something that you are really, really interested in and passionate about, I think is also really important. So do a lot of research into not just the universities, but also its departments and the specific department that you&#8217;re going to be working at. But also consider the position itself and the people on that team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And also, maybe what worked out for me is unsolicited applications. They might be worth a shot because that&#8217;s what I did. So, if you find something that you think would be such a good fit from the research that you did, but you don&#8217;t see them advertising any positions, it might still be worth trying to apply there anyway. It worked out for me, so I can only recommend doing that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I don&#8217;t think it sounds lame at all to trust your intuition. I actually think it requires courage, which you already talked about before. Most people doing their PhD are rational people, right? So, it&#8217;s hard to trust that gut feeling and say, okay, I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s off. I can&#8217;t really tell you what it is, but it just doesn&#8217;t really feel quite right. And then have the courage to say, okay, even though I might get that position, I&#8217;m not taking it, which is a hard thing to do, I think, because there are also only so many positions out there. But I&#8217;m trusting myself and I&#8217;m trusting the universe in a way that there will be a better place for me. And also, I think you haven&#8217;t said it quite like that, but I heard it between the lines that it&#8217;s really important to have your criteria clear as well, to know what you&#8217;re looking for. And maybe even to write it down and then actually only do it if, I don&#8217;t know, whatever your criteria is, 80% of whatever you want is actually fulfilled or for some people might be 100%.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, definitely. I mean, as for PhD topics, I did have a topic in mind when I applied to my now position, but I actually ended up changing that topic. So, I do think there&#8217;s room. And your topic will most likely change, at least slightly at some point. So, I do think there&#8217;s room for, you know, to be flexible. I don&#8217;t think you have to have, you know, one specific thing in mind that you definitely want to do. And then if that position doesn&#8217;t allow that, then you have to say no to it. But you have to know the possibilities that that position offers, right? I knew, as I said, that I was going to be free to change my topic and to adapt it and to be creative and use my own ideas. And I think that&#8217;s what&#8217;s most important maybe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And apart from the topic, you&#8217;ve mentioned that you had quite a few criteria in order to find your perfect working environment. I&#8217;m thinking about the team you mentioned, for some people might be more about the city or the country they&#8217;re doing their PhD in, the supervisor, how your relationship, how you anticipate your relationship with the supervisor to be like, the infrastructure maybe as well, which a university holds. So, I think it&#8217;s a very good idea to have clarity about those points, which you obviously had, and it worked out very well for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, no, definitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So, I have a difficult task for you now. If you had to summarize your experience in one sentence, what did changing universities for your doctorate make possible for you? It can be two or three sentences as well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So overall, I would say that it was nothing but a positive experience. And it made academia as a career a lot more accessible to me and I got to understand it and explore it in so much depth and I got to see all the great sides of it. Yeah, I think that&#8217;s what it did for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thank you. Before we wrap up, I have a few quickfire questions for you. So short answers, first thing that comes to your mind without thinking about it too long. One word you associate with academic mobility.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Biggest misconception about changing universities?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Where do you see yourself in 10 years?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As someone pursuing a professorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One thing you underestimated when changing countries for your academic career?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe administrative work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One thing that turned out easier than expected?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rebuilding community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One thing the UK system does particularly well?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closely supervise your studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One thing the German system does particularly well?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving insights into the whole entirety of academic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One thing you would do differently today?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think start thinking sooner about doing a PhD and sort of prepare myself more for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Coffee or tea during writing phases?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, coffee, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Okay, that&#8217;s rather the German way, not the English one. One skill that mobility strengthens the most?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe searchability?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One resource you would recommend to someone considering changing universities for their doctorate?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resource?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Could be a podcast, a blog, a book, a person, a TED talk, whatever comes to mind.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think actually listening to podcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Can you recommend one specifically?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had one when I was doing my Master&#8217;s, but I don&#8217;t remember the name right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Don&#8217;t worry about it. If you still think about it, you can email me and we included it on the website of this episode.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think podcasts and also what I did was watch lots of YouTube videos by people who went to different universities and had these kind of university vlogs and that kind of thing that really helped in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I have one last one for you. Finish the sentence. Changing universities taught me that\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Changing universities taught me that you&#8217;ll never be left alone to your own devices, even if you come to a new environment as a PhD student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Marie-Claire, thank you so much for taking the time to walk us through your journey and the many considerations behind it. I really appreciate how generously you share both the practical and personal sides of this experience. So, thank you very much.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you. I really enjoyed our conversation and thanks so much for having me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>That was Marie-Claire Steinkraus in conversation about changing universities for a doctorate here on the DRS podcast of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin. We talked about academic mobility across countries and systems, about studying and working in different university contexts, and about what helps when deciding where to pursue a PhD. If you&#8217;re interested in similar topics, you&#8217;ll find more episodes of the DRS podcast covering different phases of the doctorate, structural conditions of academic work, and practical questions around doing a PhD. Thank you for listening. My name is Dr. Marlies Klamt, and I hope you&#8217;ll tune in again next time, here on the podcast of the Dahlem Research School.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This interview was conducted by our trainer and co-host of our podcast Dr. Marlies Klamt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marie-Claire Steinkraus, doctoral researcher and research assistant in English studies at Saarland University, talks about changing universities and academic systems during her studies and doctorate. In this interview, she shares her experiences of studying in England, Germany and Scotland, explains why she chose to pursue her doctorate in the German system, and reflects on what &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/2025\/09\/09\/changing-universities-for-your-doctorate\/\" class=\"more-link\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">\u201eChanging universities for your doctorate\u201c<\/span> weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8307,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8307"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1410,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952\/revisions\/1410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}