“I had to be there for my family. Going to college was out of the question”: Andreas Czwodzinski on his detour to college
Bus Route 371 took Andreas Czwodzinski to Witten/Herdecke University—first as a bus driver, then as a student. He explains how that came about in his blog.
When Andreas Czwodzinski talks about his time at school, it is the story of a "difficult boy" who, in his own words, "lived in his own world". But it is also the story of a boy who experienced discrimination from teachers because of his Polish heritage. "I wasn't an easy person, but I was sometimes accused of things that were made up."
He was not taken seriously at primary school, especially when it came to written work. "That made me feel out of place early on." Even at secondary school, his teacher was always looking for weak points and reasons to criticise him. "She didn't like me from the very first second, you could just feel it." The conflict went so far that Andreas was expelled from school.
After changing schools several times and training as a painter and varnisher, he finally completed his vocational baccalaureate at a vocational college. "Looking back, this qualification was extremely important." When he talks about this time today, he doesn't come across as aggressive or reproachful, but rather reflective and calm. He comes across as the type of person who no longer has to prove anything to himself or others, radiating a certain calm and contentment, mixed with a good dose of thoughtfulness. You quickly realise that he has a story to tell.
"You have time to think about your life"
Strokes of fate, such as the death of his father, ensured that he took on responsibility in his family at an early age. "I had to be there for my family, I had promised my dad. Studying was out of the question."
Andreas was 21 when his father died. "Suddenly I was in a situation where I was giving my mum money and buying things for her that she couldn't always afford. At some point, I paid my older brother pocket money when he was at university. My whole world turned upside down."
Conversations with passengers drew his attention to the university
He eked out a living for a few years. "At some point, I'd had enough and wanted to lead a proper, normal life." He started working as a bus driver in Witten and also drove coaches: England, Italy, France. "It was sometimes incredibly monotonous work. You drive the same routes day in, day out. Then the journeys down to France and back in the middle of the night, for example. You have time to think about yourself and your life. The desire for a career change was very strong at some point."
The routes Andreas travelled were monotonous, but due to his great interest in people and stories, he also got something positive out of the job: the number 371 bus runs from the centre of Witten to Witten/Herdecke University. "A lot of interesting people got on the bus - students and lecturers from the university. Over time, we got to know each other and often had interesting conversations about God and the world. When we weren't talking to each other, I listened to what was being discussed on the trips. Witten students can philosophise extensively and endlessly," he recalls with a laugh.
He particularly remembers his contact with Angela Martini, a former professor at Witten/Herdecke University. "We had many conversations on the trips. I also told her that I liked writing short stories and poetry. She then recommended the university to me."
Entry through an orientation programme
Andreas applied to study one of the arts degree programmes. "The selection interview was extremely exciting and unusual. I didn't come from the academic world, but from a working-class family. Then to suddenly have several seasoned professors sitting in front of me was quite something. I was a bit beside myself."
From the selection committee's point of view, it was not enough for a direct start to the degree programme. "I still don't know the exact reason for the rejection, it remained internal. But I was given the opportunity to start an orientation programme."
The so-called O-study programme allows students to get to know the university for a year without obligation and get a taste of various courses. "This familiarised me with the values and philosophy of UW/H. I acted in theatre and had countless conversations with my fellow students, which changed my view of the world in a positive way. Before I came to university, I reflected on my environment through self-written stories. At university, I now had a place where I could share my thoughts and my curiosity about the world with others."
Playing theatre was out of the question for a long time
At the next attempt, I was able to officially start my studies. "The degree programme I chose back then no longer exists today, but thanks to the Studium fundamentale, I can continue to express myself artistically at university and live out my passion for writing, music and the performing arts. And I can still finish my degree."
But studying at UW/H also had its low points for Andreas: The coronavirus pandemic swept the world and put a stop to artistic fields in particular. A lot of things went digital and theatre was out of the question for a long time. "My motivation waned more and more and when my mother died at the beginning of the pandemic, I wasn't just on the verge of giving up, I did, at some point I didn't care about anything."
"At which university is that possible?"
Once again, it was the encounters with people that helped Andreas out of the crisis. "In a seminar, an excursion to Venice, I met Mrs Buschmann, who picked me up."
Prof Dr Renate Buschmann holds the Chair of Digital Arts and Cultural Mediation. "She said, 'You can do it and I'll keep an eye on you'. That did me good. At what university is that possible?"
Today, Andreas works alongside his studies in Prof Buschmann's department and in building services, and he is certain that he will successfully complete his degree. "I have enough time at our university and can study at my own pace without too much pressure. I'm not a high performer who was born to study, I'm going my own way."
"You count as a person here"
He is helped by a study model that is flexible and does not focus on the number of semesters completed. "Here you count as a person, you are seen and heard. With your strengths, but also with your weaknesses. I'm grateful for that, it was never about credit points for me, I want to understand and that's what makes this university so special."
Andreas wants his story to inspire and encourage other people who may not have such straightforward CVs and come from academic families. He also wants to encourage people to walk through the world with open eyes and ears and says with a laugh: "Engaging with other people shows you new paths. So travel more by bus. It's better for the climate anyway!"