Passing my state exam was honestly a big relief for me and also a very important milestone in my PhD journey. Before entering the exam room, I was quite stressed and nervous because you never know exactly what kind of questions will come. But once I sat in front of the examiners and the discussion started, I slowly became more comfortable and confident.

 

My state exam covered three subjects: Organic Waste Management, Renewable Sources of Energy in Tropics and Subtropics, and Environmental Engineering in Tropics and Subtropics. All three were connected in some way with my PhD research, which focuses on improving anaerobic digestion of different organic wastes for better biogas production and sustainable waste management.

 

The part I enjoyed most was Organic Waste Management. The questions were quite detailed and went deep into the subject, but I felt confident because this is something I work with almost every day in my PhD. Anaerobic digestion, organic wastes, pretreatment, co-digestion, and digestate management are all part of my regular research work, so I was able to connect many theoretical questions directly with my own experiments and practical experience.

 

I was a little more nervous during Renewable Sources of Energy in Tropics and Subtropics because the subject is very broad and includes many areas outside my direct research. Still, I had prepared well and was able to answer and defend my points properly. For Environmental Engineering in Tropics and Subtropics, there were comparatively fewer questions, and I felt quite comfortable because I had prepared those topics carefully in advance.

 

One thing that really helped me during the exam was the attitude of the examiners. Initially, I expected the exam to be very strict and stressful, but the examiners were supportive and the atmosphere became more like a scientific discussion. This helped me relax a lot.

 

There was one moment when I needed a little time to organize my thoughts. I stopped for a few seconds, thought about the question again, and then continued my answer. After that, everything went smoothly. This also taught me that during an exam, it is completely fine to take a few seconds and think instead of rushing into an answer.

 

For my preparation, I mainly focused on understanding the concepts rather than just memorizing them. I also tried to connect every topic with my own research because that made it much easier to remember and explain during the exam.

 

My advice to future PhD students would be to know your own research very well and understand the basic concepts behind it. At the same time, prepare the broader topics around your field because examiners can connect one topic with another. Most importantly, do not panic if you do not know an answer immediately. Think calmly, explain what you know, and treat it more like a scientific discussion.

 

After successfully passing my state exam, I feel more confident about the progress I have made so far. Of course, there is still a lot of work ahead. My next focus is to continue my experiments on anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of organic wastes, improve biogas production, work further with digestate utilization, and publish the results from my research.

 

Overall, the state exam was stressful in the beginning, but in the end, it became a very positive experience for me. I am happy that I successfully completed this milestone, and now I am looking forward to the next stage of my PhD journey.