When did you decide to study and what influenced that decision?
I can't remember exactly. When I was a child, I really wanted to become an archaeologist, and that required a degree. After I had made it to high school and was actually doing well there, it seemed only logical to me to study. Shortly before graduating from high school, however, I wasn't quite sure which subject I wanted to study. I could still imagine archaeology, but also sociology or political science. Then, in high school, we participated in an information day at the University of Würzburg and the experience there was sobering: The lecture in sociology that I attended was grotty boring (the lecturer actually read from his book!). The staff member who offered a subject introduction for history, political science, and sociology made it clear to us that studying these subjects would not give you good job opportunities, and there was no offer for archaeology. I then just went into any lecture and found it quite exciting. It was about art history and after talking to a student I had my subjects: art history, ethnology and Italian. I now knew what I wanted to study, but not where. I definitely didn't want to go to Würzburg or Bamberg - those would have been the two closest universities - but actually further away. I ended up in Marburg because the university sent me well-prepared information material about studying and living in the city, and I quickly got a room in a student dorm. In the first semester, however, it turned out that my chosen subjects didn't suit me - and I simply couldn't imagine exactly where it would lead me in the end. I then spent three months looking at different subjects at the university and then did what children from first-academic families very often do - they choose classic professions: Law, medicine or teaching. Via the teaching profession, I came to educational science and empirical research, and finally to the professorship.
In what situations did you become aware that you were a first-time university graduate?
For a long time I wasn't aware of this at all, because it felt completely normal for me to study and my student friends were also first-time academics. From today's perspective, that was no coincidence. I realized that it was something special when I finished my studies. My parents and grandparents were quite proud of the fact that I was "the first in the family to study" and emphasized this to me and others several times. Praisingly, they always added that "in the process" I had actually remained quite normal. From this sentence one notices the distance to the academic world - despite all pride. I suspect that children from academic families have not heard this sentence.
For me, it expresses the dilemma that with increasing education and the path into the academic world, there is also a certain distance from the family of origin. In my studies, I had access to academic knowledge that was not available to me at home as a matter of course, but also to discourses that had not been conducted in this way in my family until then. For example, I answered the question of how I want to live and what is important to me differently than my parents did, and as a result I naturally became different and tried out other models of life. At the same time, however, this is also an opportunity for the family of origin to come to terms with new ideas, for example with regard to gender roles.
What hurdles have there been on your career path so far? What has helped you to overcome them?
I haven't had many hurdles on my career path, except for the fact that empirical research is always full of surprises and you have to learn to deal with uncertainties. The fact that I managed to do this quite well had to do with the fact that I always had a plan B in case my academic career didn't work out. I could have gone to school and worked as a teacher at any time. That took a lot of pressure off me, especially during my doctorate. In addition, at crucial points in my career, I met people with whom I could exchange ideas and who encouraged and supported me to continue.
However, the critical time was when I was about to complete my habilitation, my children were small, my contract at the University of Göttingen was expiring, and I had to finish in order to apply for professorships. At that point, it would have been difficult for me to return to school. Without my husband, who then cut back in his career, I would not have made it so quickly. So I'm not only the "first one to study in the family", but also the one "whose husband, takes care of the kids" (which, in retrospect, was just right for everyone). It also helped that the University of Göttingen had a daycare center for employees and I knew that the children were very well cared for there.
What personal resources can you draw on?
I was very lucky that my family always encouraged me in what I wanted to do. They basically trusted me to "make it" without defining what "it" should actually be. If I had gone to college, that would have been perfectly fine, too. So I didn't have to prove anything to anyone (except maybe myself). That gave me the freedom I needed to do what I found exciting. At the same time, I'm determined, like to finish things, and can get through dry spells, which is important both in my studies and generally for a university career. I'm curious, interested in people and get along quite well with different perspectives, but I can also set myself apart. In addition, it's easy for me to think things together that don't have much to do with each other at first glance, so I usually see opportunities and fewer risks and tend to go through life optimistically.
What ideas do you have to improve equal opportunities for First Generation Students?
For me, the feeling of being welcome is important. This is something that a university should convey to prospective and first-generation students. Onboarding is crucial for the success of a student's career, and every educational institution should think about how to make the initial phase a good one. This includes making expectations transparent, recognizing different needs and prerequisites, and then offering targeted support and advice, but also demanding personal initiative.
However, it has to be said that educational careers are decided long before that, and access to university is either granted or denied as early as elementary school. Our education system is extremely selective, even though it has improved considerably compared to my school days. For children from non-academic homes, however, the path to university is still disproportionately more difficult and associated with greater uncertainties than for children from academic homes - and this regardless of their actual performance. In fact, children from non-academic homes make it to university not because of the education system, but despite it. For me, this speaks against the performance of the system and the potential of First Generation Students.
What message do you give your student self?
The others are not smarter than you, but just as insecure. Find like-minded people, be open to new experiences and enjoy what you do. The rest will fall into place, especially if you have a plan B.