Twenty-five-year-old Stefan Baumgartner already has a number of accomplishments under his belt, including completing his undergraduate and graduate degree in Electronics and Information Technology in record time!
He completed both degree programs in only 9.5 semesters with an above-average GPA.
Why did you choose to major in Electronics and Information Technology?
Stefan Baumgartner: After graduating from an HTL school, I did my alternative civil service and became very involved in programming which resulted in a strong interest in information technology. I find data transmission fascinating, for example, the way it travels from a cell phone to the mast. It’s very complicated and the average user just takes it for granted but there is a lot of expertise involved.
You got pretty good grades...
Stefan Baumgartner: Yes, I got 1s for both my undergraduate and graduate examinations.
How did you do that? Do you study 24/7?
Stefan Baumgartner: (laughs) Of course not – I made a conscious effort to do other things as well and balance it all out. You just need to be really interested in the subject area and, of course, have a certain understanding of the material. And while you do have to invest the time, it doesn’t have to be 24/7.
Were there any exams you were really nervous about?
Stefan Baumgartner: Sure, there are a few notorious exams and while I was nervous, I tried to keep it together and prepare well. It all worked out.
You are finished with your studies. What are your friends saying? Do you have to fix their cell phones now?
Stefan Baumgartner: (laughs) A lot of my friends are studying engineering themselves so they can fix their own phones. No, we just meet up like we always do and do normal things.
Like what?
Stefan Baumgartner: I like to run and I play soccer for a club as a defender. During the winter, I enjoy skiing.
Would you recommend studying at the JKU to others?
Stefan Baumgartner: Most definitely. I really liked it here and I had incredibly good professors. Even during the first section of the program we were involved in real-world practices and our conversations with faculty members was always very compelling.
What's next for you?
Stefan Baumgartner: I am currently doing my PhD at the Institute of Signal Processing with Prof. Mario Huemer as part of the LIT SAL eSPML Lab where I conduct research in machine learning methods that support communication technology.
