Konrad Krug studied mathematics at the Free University of Berlin and the University of Münster, graduating with a master's degree in 2022. He currently works as a press officer at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching near Munich.

Did you get a doctorate? Why? Why not?

No, I did not. I realized at the latest during my master's thesis that I prefer writing about science rather than doing it. At that time, I was working as a freelance journalist for the German Mathematical Society, for which I had previously worked as a student assistant. Today, I am very satisfied with the decision, although I occasionally think about how it would have been if I had pursued a career as a researcher.

What knowledge or skills did you acquire in your studies that you didn't think you would ever need?

The analytical thinking I developed in my math studies is extremely helpful when writing. What am I trying to get at with a text, what's important, what's unimportant – and how do you structure the story you want to tell? These are questions where a math degree is surprisingly useful – even (and especially) when the text has nothing to do with math at all.

What would you have liked to have done or learned during your studies?

A semester abroad! I didn't do a semester abroad and to this day I regret not taking the opportunity. It will never be as easy to live in another country as it was during my studies.

Why did you decide on your current career?

It's simple: I really enjoy my work! One constantly acquires new knowledge, meets many exciting characters from science and science management, and learns about research from a very special perspective: namely between the academy and the public.

What recommendations do you have for students who want to complete their studies in a timely manner?

No—and I mean that exactly as I say it. If you want to work on your career before you're done, that's great, go for it. But if you don't know what you really want, need a break, or want to learn knitting: that's okay too! Life is too precious to constantly give in to the pressure of having to plan the supposedly best next step in advance.