Preparatory course opens doors

However, she did not come to this realisation at the first attempt. She dropped out of HLA as a teenager and did an apprenticeship as a photo and multimedia saleswoman. It was only after a few years that her husband - a graduate of Burgenland University of Applied Sciences - gave her the idea of taking the preparatory course at Burgenland University of Applied Sciences to gain her university entrance qualification. Long story short: she has just successfully completed the second semester of the Bachelor's degree programme in International Business Relations. "After I decided to do my A-levels this way, studying business was actually the long-term plan from the outset," says Caroline. She is grateful to FH Burgenland "for giving someone who made the mistake of not doing their A-levels when they were young a second chance."

She gladly accepted it. "I wanted to complete the study project before I had children," she explains. She found commuting to the Pinkafeld study centre every 14 days for the preparatory course very pleasant - not least because of the great local community. "We were always there for each other, learnt from each other and supported each other." Her colleagues in the group were a colourful mix, she describes. They ranged from 19 to 40 years old.