Sophie Koch

Carving your own path

There are many things one can do and learn in life. So, why study wood? Studying wood technology is not an obvious choice when you have just completed your A-level and didn't pursue an apprenticeship as a carpenter.
It also wasn't for me. After finishing high school, I felt a little lost – which, from today's perspective, is more than okay. Until the end of school, your path is pre-defined. But then, you can choose what you want to do and where you see yourself (at least in our privileged world). So, when facing this decision, I was overwhelmed. Instead of asking myself what I wanted, I decided to study something that I thought was prestigious, which would make people surrounding me happy. After two semesters of dragging law studies (no offense!), I knew I had to change subjects.

I had always loved being outside, especially in the forest, and I had loved my grandpa, who was always making beautiful things out of wood. And when I first heard about a study program focusing on wood, I was intrigued. These wood technology studies turned out to be an interdisciplinary mixture of engineering, economics, and science, focusing on the material wood, its processing, and its products. I enjoyed these studies and soon realized I wanted to continue learning to dive deeper into specific topics. After completing my master's studies at Maastricht University, I was lucky and happy to be offered a doctoral researcher position at ETH's Wood Materials Science Group.
Now, almost four years later, after a couple of publications and a doctoral degree, I can say I really enjoyed this immensely independent working phase. It entailed many professional and personal challenges, many ups and downs, which forced me to grow as a person and researcher. Although it was tough, I truly believe that working as a doctoral student is a privilege with the opportunity for immense personal development. Now, working as a Postdoctoral Researcher comes with a new project, responsibilities, and challenges. Let's see where this career path takes me – but my time as a researcher at ETH is and will undoubtedly stay special.