Of course, in the first approach, you first have to identify your discipline, your field of study, in which you are interested and in which you see yourself professionally. This step is important and, as you know, not so easy, but it is crucial for your later life. Note that about 12% of all first-year students change their field of study during their studies, which should not be seen as a bad thing. Rather, it can also be a correction towards an extraordinarily successful future.

Once you have chosen a subject area, you should proceed systematically and define your priorities. What do the individual university programmes include in detail? To what extent does the respective programme match your interests and goals? Then select the five best programmes for you and, in the next step, check whether the locations, the respective country and not only the learning conditions but also the climate could be right for you. Do you prefer a large campus or a small and close-knit community?

Is the programme within your budget? How high are the living and tuition costs? But also: Do you meet all the admission criteria?

Now to the global ranking, the reputation of the universities that come into question for you. How important is the ranking anyway? Only eight out of a hundred employers state that the reputation of the university is important to them when selecting applicants. Rather, companies are more interested in the chosen specialisations of an applicant, the exam grades and the duration of studies.

For companies, the connection between universities and the private sector has become more important. Are there any cooperations regarding the transition from studies to work, especially with regard to potential future leaders?

Whatever the case, check the ranking for your specific field. How active and ambitious is the faculty, how renowned is the research area, how agile are the teachers?

Once you have narrowed your short list down to three options, get out there, visit the campus, contact the university, talk to former students and talk to current students. Try to clarify your most important questions again.

If you still find it difficult to make a decision after careful consideration, remember that many universities also offer so-called ‘taster semesters’, during which you can attend interdisciplinary lectures, for example.

Good luck and engineer the future. But most importantly, do what you are passionate about.