The weekend’s near! You’re already planning your days off. You’re probably going to study. Maybe you’ll go on a day trip or just stay in Augsburg and spend your time here? Most likely, the weekend is something you don’t plan very precisely. Well, when you go home each weekend, things don’t work like this. Even though they probably shouldn’t, your plans already take shape on Monday, eventually forcing you to rethink your situation:
This Friday, I’ll hope to get the earlier train
Of course, you’ve tried to outsmart Digicampus and get Friday off. But sometimes this doesn’t work, so you have to attend uni on Friday and hope to get your tram to the train station in time. And even if your train trip only takes one and a half hours, getting the later train will mean that you’ll have less time with your family in the evening.
Saturday is going to be busy.
If your family members live as closely to each other as mine, my Saturday schedule might seem familiar to you: first, you have a late breakfast with your family, already suspecting that the day might turn out to be stressful. At midday, you go get the groceries for your grandparents and spend some time with them, chatting about the past week at uni, a certain president’s failures, and the most recent Bundesliga news. In the evening, you visit your other grandparents to have dinner with them. After dinner, it’s time to finally meet the gang and go out, and depending on how busy Sunday will be, you might, of course stay out a bit longer.
Sunday ain’t fun-day…
After an even later breakfast on Sunday, the bags have to be packed. Being tired (and sometimes a bit hungover), you realize what’s coming: a train ride, lasting longer than an eternity; then a tram ride, most often packed with smelly people next to you; an exhausting walk home, because you don’t have one of those trendy suitcases with wheels on them and your bag gets heavier and heavier with each step you take. You’re finally there, so you unpack your bags, put your home-laundered clothes into your wardrobe, and store the food you brought in your fridge. Sleepily, you sink into your bed and as you’re about to fall asleep, you suddenly remember: there was homework due tomorrow!!!
But is it really worth it?
This advice might be helpful, especially if you’re new to being a student: commuting home over the weekend sure is great because you get to see your family, your hometown friends and feel the nostalgic, regional vibe of your home. But if you don’t manage to take one step back from your family responsibilities after moving out, your weekly trip home will be exhausting rather than relaxing. And even though it might hurt in the beginning, you’ll eventually have to focus on one of those two worlds because if you continue like this, homework won’t be the only thing you’ll miss out.
It’s your decision!
Sooner or later, you’ll find out that staying in Augsburg for the weekend more often will benefit you: you’ll be less distracted from your studies, your weekends will be more relaxing, and maybe it’s going to be easier for you to make friends here. This is why, from my personal experience, I can say that for the sake of your student as well as your private life, it’s important to find the right balance between going home and staying in Augsburg. Your family will always be your family, no matter where you are, so they’ll understand. It’s only natural that you’ll have a hard time figuring it out at first, but I’m sure you’ll eventually sort this out and succeed in your new, exciting life, too!
Text & Pictures: Marcus Wiesenhofer