Diligent scholar feels anxious about situation
When Eleni first enrolled at the University of Athens she expected to find it chaotic. But the situation in her department, mass communication, was actually better than she had expected. Her studies were extremely interesting and the professors very approachable. A diligent student, she intended to finish on time and enroll in a postgraduate course in England. Unfortunately she still has to do one subject and will not be able to graduate this year. After going to great lengths to submit her application and procure the letters of recommendation from the professors – a far-from-easy task when the secretariat is closed and the professors are absent – it is likely that she will not be accepted by the foreign university she has her eye on unless she gets her degree first. Whether or not there are sit-ins in Greece, students who have obtained a degree are obviously given priority over those who have not. She has also thought of applying for a scholarship but did not meet the deadlines. The problem is not just whether the exams will take place but also when she will be able to take the oath, as this is a part of the graduation procedure. Although Eleni is not a person who gets easily stressed, the current state of affairs has caused her anxiety. ‘I have to fight for myself’ «Some people are degrading my future. This might sound selfish, but I can’t think of the struggle now, I have to fight for myself,» she says. She is against the sit-ins because she does not believe they will bring any results. «It’s easy to become militant when living on somebody else’s money. Our way of life is not compatible with our way of thinking.»
