0
0
The ebonic phrase ‘keeping it real’ originally signifies the belief in the power of individual experience in overcoming constricting social norms. Today, it has come to mean being honest with and true to oneself. For this issue, we invited students to share their ETH-related comments, feelings, and experiences in the most authentic and genuine way possible. As you may see, the participants definitely kept it real.
Dominik Müller
History and Philosophy of Knowledge MSc
ETH Zurich – consistently ranked among the world’s top universities – is surrounded by a certain air of mystery. It’s an institution pushing the frontiers of human capability, creating the world of tomorrow. Its reputation is so significant that I’ve seen people define their entire personality and self-worth solely based on the fact that they study at ETH.
But honestly, my feelings towards ETH are that, in the end, it’s just another university. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good university, maybe even a great one. It makes significant contributions to science, employs world-renowned professors, provides cutting-edge equipment, and offers many extracurricular activities. But still, at the end of the day, you will attend lectures, complete exercises, work in the lab, write exams, and submit a thesis.
The sum of all its study programmes, departments, and research groups may create a formidable institution, but the individual experience won’t be fundamentally different from other universities. So please don’t base your entire identity on studying here.
Daniel Geser
Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnologie BSc
Kennt ihr das Gefühl, wenn ihr nicht wisst, was ihr fühlt? Wenn eure Emotionen wie eine Wettervorhersage sind: meistens falsch, selten richtig? Frustration, Wut, Emotionslosigkeit. Ein passendes Synonym gesucht? ETH!
Ihr wacht morgens auf, die Sonne scheint, ein paar verirrte Schneeflocken fallen tanzend vom Himmel, ein heisser Kaffee dampft gemütlich vor sich hin. Euer Tag könnte nicht besser sein – denkt ihr! Vielleicht hattet ihr sogar recht. Ganz anders als die verflixten Wettervorhersagen. Nur habt ihr etwas vergessen.
Der Kaffee ist ausgeschlürft, mit einem lauten Rülpsen erhebt ihr euch, lasst die Tür ins Schloss knallen und begebt euch an die ETH. Vorbei mit dem Seelenfrieden! Keine Sonnenstrahlen mehr! Statt tanzender Schneeflocken beglückwünscht euch das Wetter mit einer eisigen Bise und peitschendem Regen – ohne Rücksicht auf jegliche Gefühle oder Wettervorhersagen.
Ihr dachtet, heute wird ein guter Tag? Statt Glück und Harmonie sind Frustration und Wut zurück – ein typisches Leben eines ETH-Studenten!
Anonymous
I can’t say there were many happy moments, but there were definitely a few memorable ones that I’ll always associate with studying at ETH. One such moment was the last analysis lecture with Prof. Riviera, when, in cinematic terms, he received five minutes of standing ovations. It was a very heartwarming feeling to see him being praised like that.
The first tea/coffee party with my colleagues was probably another of those fundamental moments when I felt at home for the first time, though I wouldn’t necessarily call it an ETH moment.
Anonymous
I definitely became mentally less stable after four semesters at ETH: less secure and confident, and less creative as well. I think the worst part of ETH is the anti-humanism at its core.
Once, I read an interview with an American professor who currently teaches at ETH. He compared his experience at ETH to that of teaching at a private college in the US. He explained that in the US, they always had small groups where he knew who he was teaching and why. In contrast, at ETH, he sometimes faced an audience of 200–300 people, with no clue who they were or what they were doing.
I think this anonymity and indifference toward me as a human being, with my own struggles and desires, is what makes ETH such a bland place to be. Even though I believe this might be the case for many higher educational institutions worldwide, I still find it quite remarkable for a top-10 university.
Emir Gezgin
Electrical engineering and information technology BSc
I want to share a little story about how over-focusing on studies can sometimes lead to results contrary to the expected goal. During the Basisjahr, my whole life revolved around attending lectures, submitting all the exercises on time, and, most traumatically, preparing for exams. Well, I passed – but that’s not the point.
The real questions are: Did it pay off to skip going out with friends? Did it pay off to stop going to the gym as much as before? To play the piano less than I used to? It turns out, no, it didn’t.
By the beginning of the third semester, my motivation had hit rock bottom. That marked my lowest point during my time at ETH. Long story short, I lost almost an entire month of studying because I couldn’t focus, wasn’t motivated, and felt the need to spend more time on my hobbies.
Eventually, I started to feel alive again. I rediscovered the joy of studying and genuinely wanted to learn about the subjects in my degree. At the same time, my life felt much more fulfilling because I wasn’t overfocused like I had been in the first year – I allowed myself to pursue my other interests.
Unknowingly, I ended up studying so efficiently, with such focus and concentration, that my grades improved significantly compared to the first two exam seasons.
