A few weeks ago, I was working again in Germany and had the opportunity to talk with a student there (Huy, if you read this, hello!). I love talking with students, and it is probably one of the parts of this job which I enjoy most. When I was a student, I feel like I did not have enough people to talk to so openly – I would like to be this person for others. As we were talking, a question arose:
“How can I enjoy university more?”
If my first reaction has been to list a series of tips, I have almost immediately realised this was not going to help – when I was a student, what would have really helped? Honestly, only one answer could have saved the day: you do not have to enjoy university more. The truth is that we are often told that university is ‘the best time of our life’ and if you add to it the ‘study romanticisation’ YouTube videos ears and Dark Academia books, you have the recipe for happiness-pressure.
An in-between time for most of us
Do I love Dark Academia? Yes, I do! However, I am also aware that there should not be any pressure to enjoy university. It is actually dependent on your situation: money, stability, working multiple jobs, studying abroad… All of this impacts your study experience. Not to even talk about the field of studies you have chosen or how you are doing in exams. Not everyone feels like uni is the best years of their life; for some, this is quite the contrary.
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University is not the best time of your life – Nostalgia talking!
Actually, would not it be super sad? Imagine university would be the best years of your life; would this mean all the years to come are less fulfilling than these? What a depressing perspective!
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So what? Uni is, for a lot of people, rather an ‘in-between’ time. People who tell you these years are fun are most likely honest…. a posteriori! Truth be told, I do miss university sometimes, but when I was there, I was working multiple jobs, paying for rent on a student’s income and running a business on the side, while trying to figure out what my next steps would be and learning the adulting world. This was not an easy time, though at times I am nostalgic for some parts of it. Thus, my only advice would be: do not pressure yourself into loving these years. For sure, they will be a beautiful memory some day and for now, just live them. This is already more than great.
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The English-speaking Frenchie 