AG Seibert

Podcasts from AG Seibert

Study whispers and more

Podcast: Study whispers

This podcast was created in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry at RPTU in Kaiserslautern and student teachers of chemistry. It deals with topics that affect your studies and that you have already experienced or will experience yourself. For example, we talk about arriving at university for the first time, studying for events or exams and your own time management. For each episode, there are show notes describing the content, as well as additional materials such as information and exercises on the strategies discussed.

We will gradually upload the episodes of the podcast here.

The first episode is a teaser and describes this podcast series as a whole. This will be followed by full episodes on various topics. We are interested in your thoughts on each full episode. That's why there's a short survey for each episode where you can tell us what you think. So please fill out this survey. : -)

Contact: If you have any questions or suggestions, please write to us at leon.richter(at)rptu.de and johann.seibert@rptu.de.

Episode 1: What is actually being whispered here and by whom?

A brand new podcast about studying and all the things that happen to you and me while studying. Leon (Richter) and Johann (Seibert) tell you about this podcast and also describe the idea of the podcast and who is involved in this podcast project. We discuss all the topics we want to talk about and get our students involved. They will then present the topics on which they have created an episode for you.

Episode 2: Overwhelmed by arriving at university

When we start studying, we all arrive at university or college for the first time: new surroundings, new buildings, new circumstances, lectures and seminars instead of school lessons. So many new things come at you in the first few weeks that it can be overwhelming or even overwhelming! Leon (Richter) and Johann (Seibert) talk about the associated experiences and get further testimonials from five students. We talk about points of excessive demands and about the fact that a certain amount of excessive demands is a completely natural part of the study process and is overcome. Together with our students, we also report and talk about how important it is to find like-minded people and about how different self-organization is from school to university. You grow with the demands of your studies.

Poll: We're keen to hear your perceptions and opinions on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 3: Learning at university and how we learn

This episode is about a topic that no student can avoid: learning while studying. We (Bastian & Jan) give you an impression of how we cope with the often non-trivial content of various lectures ... or at least try to. We'll give you some methods on how you can organize your learning effectively. This includes not only how you learn, but also the environment in which you learn.

Further material is available on:

Survey: We are looking forward to your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 4: (Self-regulated) learning and effective learning strategies during studies

In addition to the episode "Learning during your studies" with our students, we take a closer look at learning in general. As always, this episode is about learning experiences, but this time from the lecturers' perspective. Leon (Richter) and Johann (Seibert) talk about the mindset, i.e. the conviction as to whether your abilities and intelligence are changeable or not, and how this can affect your learning. They also talk about less effective and empirically proven effective learning strategies for your studies. Johann repeatedly emphasizes the importance of thinking about your own learning - and he's absolutely right. Thinking about your learning relates to self-regulated learning.

Further links:

Survey: We are curious about your perception and opinion of this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 5: Time management, prioritization and co. in your studies

Are you currently in a stressful phase of your studies and maybe you feel like you can barely keep up with your studies and exams? Don't worry, because in this podcast episode, Jessica and Eric, two teacher training students, will talk about time management and share their own experiences as well as a few helpful tips and tricks to help you get through your studies with less stress. Among other things, topics such as semester planning, prioritizing exams and dealing with the module handbook will be addressed.

Further material is available:

Survey: We are looking forward to your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 6: Exams and how we dealt with them

Today's podcast episode focuses on exams during your studies. Are you about to take your first exam? Are you wondering how exams at university are structured and how they actually work? Do you feel stressed during exam preparation and want to know how you can optimize your exam preparation? Students (Panagiota and Annika) from higher semesters in the Chemistry department will answer these questions and share their tips for optimal and stress-free exam preparation with you. They also talk about their experiences of how they deal with bad or failed exams.

Further material is available on:

Survey: We are looking forward to your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 7: Laboratory practicals in chemistry studies and how we mastered them

When the full-time job "laboratory internship" begins alongside everyday university life, stress and effort are often not far away. Each internship brings its own challenges and requires different skills, whether for long experiments or previously unknown mathematical calculations. Jan (Merker), Leon (Richter) and Johann (Seibert) talk about their personal assessments of the experiences of students who have already completed all internships so that you can still get through all internships with confidence and master the days with the right mindset. You can look forward to practical tips, tricks and helpful strategies.

Further material is available on:

Survey: We are looking forward to your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here and take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 8: Work-Life-Learn Balance, a snippet hunt through student experiences

Are you currently working too much or learning too much in your studies? Or do you go to every possible party in your life, but at the end of the day you feel guilty about not having done anything for university? It's not easy to find the right work-life balance and now your studies are turning it into a work-life-learn balance. Even if it's not easy to find, in this episode the balance is right. Chiara and Nico take you on a snippet hunt in which topics that have already been covered, such as time management and lab internships, appear and new topics are added. In this episode, you can find out what the TV show "Who wants to be a millionaire" has to do with working on exercise sheets and how water can be helpful in the learning phase, and much more.

Poll: We are curious about your perception and opinion of this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know what you think. Thank you very much!

Episode 9: Private sources of stress during studies (future prospects, work-life balance, financing)

Studying is not just about learning and all the tasks that the university sets you, but also about everything else that goes with it. Of course, you have to manage your household and fold laundry (you can listen to our podcast while you do this : -) and then you have to get to university. The journey to university, the commute, can be exhausting, because sometimes you need not just 20 minutes but sometimes 1.5 hours each way. All in all, there is sometimes no balance between studying, private life and relaxation during your studies, which is normal; but don't forget to recharge your batteries! Financing your studies can also be a source of stress, regardless of whether you apply for BAföG, receive it, have a scholarship or work as an assistant or trainer. Carla (Jänicke), Johann (Seibert) and Leon (Richter) talk about all these topics today and listen to experiences and suggestions from students.

Further links:

Survey: We are curious about your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 10: Do I use or how do I use AI in my studies?

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI). But how can AI be put to good use in studies? Lisa (Häßel) and Nils (Fitting) discuss the opportunities and risks of AI in their studies and give practical tips for its sensible use. They reflect on their time studying without AI, but with digital tools, and give insights into their experiences of using large language models.

Further link:

Poll: We are curious about your perception and opinion on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Episode 11: Recurring thoughts about studying and your own state of health

Are the others better than me? Can I do this at all? Am I suitable for this? These are all questions that occupy us during our studies, and you may have asked yourself these questions at one time or another. These are things that often accompany us quietly in the background during our studies, but can sometimes become quite loud in everyday life. In this episode, we - Laura (Leppla), Johann (Seibert) and Leon (Richter) - deal with recurring thoughts about studying, for example, comparisons with others, fears, pressure to perform or thoughts about our own health, both physical and mental. We often have the feeling that we are alone in this because we don't normally talk openly about it with others. But today we want to talk about it more openly, because these issues affect almost everyone at some point during their studies.

Poll: We are curious about your perceptions and opinions on this podcast episode. You can click here to take part in a short survey with three questions and let us know. Thank you very much!

Podcast on the writing weekend of the scient. Young academics 2025

In a final reflection on the Writing Weekend for Young Scientists of the GDCh's Division of Chemistry Education, which took place from February 21 to 23, 2025, we reviewed our impressions. Johann-Nikolaus Seibert interviewed some of the participants about their experiences and impressions. The final reflection can be found on the right as a short podcast episode.