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Nearly thirty high school students are spending November on the campus of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. They are following in the footsteps of second- and third-year students from technical faculties, attending lectures and seminars with them, studying in the library, and spending time with them during breaks. In short, they are experiencing firsthand what life at university is like and what to expect from study programs.

Filip Schmid from the Secondary Technical School of Engineering in Pilsen was particularly impressed by the emphasis on practical experience: "I was intrigued by the length of the classes, the relationships between teachers and students, and the opportunity to see how what we are learning is used. I will remember the mentors for a long time. After graduating from high school, I want to apply here." His classmate Šimon Vondráček would also give the project ten out of ten points. "I didn't know which university to choose. This helped me a lot. The freedom, the different rhythm of the day, the friendly approach. It was a great experience," he said.

Štěpán Kaiml, a third-year student of Mechanical Engineering specializing in industrial engineering and management, gave them a glimpse into his university life. "It was like looking back at myself three years ago. I was surprised at how involved the boys were, one even did the math on the blackboard," he laughed. He added that he would like his students to take away the message that studying should not be underestimated. However, in case of emergency, he said, there is always someone at the faculty who is happy to help.

This fall, six students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, eleven from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, and nine from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering became university students for a trial period. These are students from secondary vocational schools and high schools. "The aim of the project is to show students the differences between studying at secondary school and university in order to reduce academic failure and disappointment from choosing the wrong field of study. The shadowing is led by an experienced mentor, and we are already seeing that those who started here as participants years ago are returning to the role of guides. We consider this ideal," said project coordinator Lenka Nová from the Study Department of the UWB, who, together with her colleague Kateřina Ulčová, has been helping high school students find their place at university for the fifth year running.

High school students are required to complete twenty hours of instruction, try out various subjects, and participate in practical exercises. "We find that mentors end up spending more time with them than planned," added Lenka Nová. According to her, data from the last two years clearly shows that the project makes sense. "Most of those who completed it applied to the University of West Bohemia in the following years and then actually enrolled in one of the technical faculties," she emphasized. "I had already been considering applying to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and the project confirmed my decision," concluded another participant, David Kraus from the Pilsen grammar school on Mikulášské náměstí.