Ephemeral Endurance: The Unseen Struggle of University Life

If you've ever studied at a tertiary institution, this thought has likely crossed your mind. If not, allow me to introduce you to the reality many students face. Imagine being 21 years old, juggling not only academic stress but the crushing weight of financial burden. You have six exams, each costing around 6,000—a price that doesn’t just demand passing but excelling, because failing means paying another 6,000 to redo the module. Most of us don’t come from wealthy families, nor do we have lucrative side gigs to cushion the blow (no shade, just stating facts).

Throughout the year, you complete tests and assignments, feeling somewhat prepared. Then comes the exam—a test that demands twice the workload but allows only half the time realistically needed to answer everything. I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't sign up for a game show where I must conjure answers at miracle speed.

Let’s be honest—modern exams are flawed. Sure, universities want us to think critically, but let’s not pretend that engineers, chemists, or researchers don’t rely on the internet for basic conversions between g/mol and cm³/mol. In real life, professionals use references, calculations, and resources. By all logic, exams should be open-book because that’s how real life actually works. We aren’t stranded on a deserted island with nothing but our brains and a three-hour countdown to cure cancer.

It often feels like we’re set up to fail—a system designed so that if you pass, you undoubtedly deserve it (and likely have little else going on in life). But if you don’t? Well, congratulations, your financial and academic stress just doubled, because research projects aren’t going to fund themselves.

Don’t get me wrong—I wouldn’t step foot on a bridge built by an engineer who scraped by with 40%, but at the very least, exams should reflect the way we were prepared. Instead, we practice under one set of conditions, then enter the exam room expecting miracles. Be reasonable.

I call this relentless cycle "ephemeral endurance"—the mental instability paired with the ability to keep going against all odds. And to everyone else battling the deadly trio—financial ruin, academic chaos, and mental instability—welcome to the symphony of disaster. A song heard by many yet truly listened to by none.