The hard student life.. the cons and the convincing pro about studying

Take a closer look first:

I would like to describe how student life is in my example. There are surely different students all around the world but this is my case.

First things first: If you think we are only partying every week-end.. then you are on the wrong track.. Most students don´t. We cannot afford!

I don´t know about your past, but it was never a big thing in my life. Sure participating in some bbq-evenings, student party sometimes was there but it never had a big importance. I almost never went out (drinking) therefore enjoyed it when there was something affordable going on sometimes.

I hope i can describe it to you so you can see what life that is, in case you are thinking of taking another education. I am a student of literature. This means that lectures and classes are pretty freely and I get to organise them the way I want it. I´m very flexible to organise them myself. However, there are some downsides:

- I am never off - week-ends are inexistent..

7 days-week. The only thing that "quides/rules" you are the assignment deadlines and the lectures, if you decided to sit in there.

- Because: week-ends are for working:

Working in the job that givey you the money to pay rent, food, insurance, transport, etc. Students do not earn anything. Remember that.

- Can you cope with 2 or more "jobs"?

Job one: your student being with studying, going to lectures, writing tests and essays.. studying,..

Job two: The one that gives you a financial base for that. For example you will need to work at least 2 days a week to be able to manage on a very low budget

- Low budget forever!

Yep, that's what it is. It´s a big deal for me to go out or to pay for a train ride a little further away. Or to go hiking far away including a train ride/cablecar ride with a lunch in a restaurant. That would equal about half of the months money for food.

It´s a big deal for me to eat out, buy the fancy sports clothes or ecolocical food from the health shop which I really would like to have. Or buying new shoes? Ohhh oh oh.. not so easy dear. Looking back now, when I was younger, sometimes I coped wit 600CHF a month, that including 300 CHF rent. I don´t know how i managed, but somehow i did.

All that for this freedom here:

What I love about the student life is the freedom. Lectures are only 6 months a year. So half of the year I don´t need to be at uni physically... I can be wherever I want to. I can work, I can travel (if I got the money), I can do some work experience abroad, I can book a course and do something completely different if I wish.

But stop.. now don´t start to think that don´t need to study. One term is 3 months here. That´s an awfully short time for learning something new and managing to write the tests/assignments right after that. So very often, me and other students too, just prerare the written tests during the term and write the papers in the "term" holidays. Funny that "holidays" are called "holidays" even though they are not considered "free time". You still need to work too unless you have a job that is so flexible too.

Remember: Just because you have this big freedom and flexibility, it doesen´t mean that we have less work. In fact it is the opposite. We have much MORE work than you do.

With today's bachelor system, I think the pressure on students became even bigger. They all try to get a degree in 3 years. I think its too much. And most students don´t realise that they could easily take 4 or 5 years to complete a bachelor, take things a little slower and work part time to cope and prepare for business life and be more independent. There is no cap given by the University. The cap is only given by them and by society. They think that they will have to manage like all the others (!!???) in 3 years. I calculated what it means to study the "advised" max of 30 credit points per term. That means to work like a top manager. And it would mean a schedule like this: No time for yourself, no time for sports, cooking your food, working for your money, meeting friends, travelling, other hobbies..... nope. Only work makes one dull.

I enjoy my freedom and I do all these diverse things. I organise my day myself. If I don´t manage the assignments, its my only fault and responsibility. And while getting from A to B by bike, I am thinking about it again: i just love the freedom too much.

So, I hope I could give you an insight.. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.