Journal of Experiences: A moment in our lives

November 18, 2019

Dear me,

What do I have to say? Sincerely? I am so exhausted that I have no energy left for anything. So here I am, to talk about what currently consumes me the most... the residence.

While still academics, a lot of us dream about the residence ... we imagine being like in movies and series, of course, we realize that this isn't so easy, but we also don't imagine being as it is. So I'll simplify it: it's exhausting, it destroys your body and soul, your physical and emotional!

Some people say "aaah, but work is like that too!" so I answer them "NO, IT ISN'T!!!". To everybody understand: work doesn't have such a large workload, "aaah but there are people who have more than one job" "GREAT", this person is better paid and at least sees different faces! Residence is 60 hours a week seeing the same people, withstanding the fluctuating moods daily, leaving work exhausted and having to come home and do research, work, articles, books, updating, preparing lessons and endless things. Aside from the feeling of being judged and evaluated all the time! You can't lower your smile 1 second, because they think that something has happened, and this isn't a concern of them, it's a need for arguments to judge others. Anyway, going back to the feeling of being evaluated all the time: deadlines, deadlines and more deadlines, one after the other, there isn't a day to rest, there isn't a day than I can say "I have nothing for tomorrow, besides of work". Woe to you if you don't respect the deadlines or if you are 5 minutes late or if you say "I already have a thousand tasks this day, could it be on the next day?", people think that you only have it in your life and even if it was only that, you would go crazy. I know there are a lot of people who go through much worse things, but that doesn't entitle people to say that all that I said is "just being prissy".

Of course the residence is not just this bunch of "bad things", there are some people who are worth it, who treat you without falseness, who care about you, who do good things for you, who encourage and motivate you not to give up, because they show that beyond all the difficulties, the residence is an incredible experience that provides unique moments, full of teachings, that allow us to grow personally and professionally.

I make this text to always remember that I must be strong, survive and resist, for the days of struggle that precede the days of glory!

With love,

Isabelle Sathler