h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi!

Okay, so I'm studying for 6 years now and I should be coming to an end. Well, actually, I should have already finished it but the inscrutable burocracy of university, my mastery in procrastinating things in general and my own fear of "what will I do once I've finished?" has prevented that.

I know that lots of students in Germany feel the same, espacially about the "What will I do?" part. And I'd like to know if that's just a German phenomenon or if it's a worldwide one.

Methos

Most degrees here are three years long! except for mine which is five years, though with a yearr out that really makes six years since I started university.

I'm a medic so I won't stop having exams for another six year after I qualifity anyway, hopefully by thenI'll be sick to death of them. Though certainly now I don't think I could cope.

I enjoy studying, it gives me an aim of doing something enjoyable and worthwhile with my life.

Hopefully my career will furfil the same need.

Okay, so you are not studying too long but are right in time.

In germany many students study way longer than they should. For some it's that they need to work to pay for their apartment etc but others could be already done with their studies.

Methos

Everyone gets the "What will I do?" thing going on. It's universal.

I liked studying a lot, and now I've not a clue what to do except try and study something else for a while In many ways its a very protective sheltered life, studying

I would love to keep studying, though I am unfortunately far too broke to do so And as for the what am I going to do part...yep, that's me too! Being at university is a doddle compared to the real world, I wouldn't leave if I didn't have to

My current plan goes something along the lines of getting a job for a few years, to allow me to get my house sorted out (replace bathroom, windows, some of the internal doors, external door, bit more furnature/replace old furnature), then return and do the PhD I've been thinking about for ages Of course PhDs do have the advantage of paying around £10K per year, for each of the three years Though I've seen as much as £14K offered for a PhD in London that was highly linked ot pharmacutical industry

I thought that before I left, but now having left I wouldn't want to go back. Most of the work was fairly pointless, only a few modules were actually worthwhile, and the lack of money and any real structure to the day (ok this was my fault for being a lazy g*t and not being able to get out of bed until/unless i really had to... especially if I had a hangover) mean I'd hate everything except the social aspect of it now. Having said that I did really enjoy it while I was there, I think you're view just alters somewhat once you've actually left..... and I'm still broke

I'm always very structured when I'm studying, moreso than at the moment whilst I'm living a wreckless excessive flamboyant lifestyle I thin k I'll see how it goes, personally, I've been loking for PhDs for October, but haven't spotted the right one, hence the getting a job in meantime whilst I look for one that is appropiate to my interests and previous BSc/MSc

Okay, so at least I'm not the only one who doesn't really want to leave university.

Methos

I loved being at University, especially my undergratuate days

I hated being a student...but oddly enough I really enjoyed being in the environment of a university...so much so I came back to work here...all the benefits of uni life (long holidays 33 days a yr anyone?), working on a lovely campus, nice library etc etc plus they pay me

Really, you hated dbeing a student?

This thread is interesting. The whole "What should I do with my life" seems to just go on and on

Yup - I hated being without cash, I hated being surrounded by other students who all had more cash, I hated the way people assumed that I spent my student loan on beer (most of one went on a holiday to florida), I hated the fact that most of my fellow students spent a lot of their time doing bugger all and that outsiders assumed I was the same, I hated having to live my life around a rediculously badly timed timetable (9am lectures every day and then nothing till the afternoon is a pain the a**e when you have to drive for an hour to get to uni), I hated the fact that I had an official parking permit and noone else did but they still felt justified in stealing all the parking places, I hated having to go on field trips with patronising lecturers who assumed I like geology for the outdoors side of it, I hated being on field trips and being led around like a 5 yr old, I hated being on fieldtrips with fellow students who thought that knocking rocks of the cliff above other people was funny, I hated the fact that I would help other people with their work and they would get higher marks than me...I hated being a student...it was just an extension of school in a lot of ways

I loved being around other people who enjoyed learning, I loved being in an environment where learning was so much fun, I loved spending time browsing round the library, I loved getting a few minutes free on a fieldtrip to actually enjoy the scenery, I loved that moment when revising when a whole area of the subject seems to come together and feel completely linked up and understood, I loved helping people with their work, I loved asking questions of lecturers about the bizarre fringes of the subjects, I loved being on campus on a sunny afternoon and spending most of the afternoon chatting, reading the paper and arguing about the subject...I loved being at university...it was just an extension of school in a lot of ways but in other ways it was so much more

going back to the original thought, I just want to say that the whole link of school-uni etc. is narrow. I really wish I hadnt bothered going to uni sometimes cos I dont seem to be in a better position ow than when I had finished my A levels at 18!
Im finding I have to train in something else other than my degree subject to get a job that actually pays the bills . having done an Arts subject this probably isnt surprising ( ) but I , like loads os others somehow thought that having a degree is an automatic path to good job. Its not, its only my outside work over the years that has got me anywhere....