Blessed everyday life
True to my cynical nature I spent the rest of Christmas picturing a life where I would be forced to spend my time trapped in a never ending war against piles of paper in a foxhole decorated by grey office furnishings. Farewell to the wonderful 12 hour sleep, good books and extended youth!
It came as a big surprise that the return to everyday life did not actually feel like the end of the world as I had envisaged it. On the contrary, after the one and half years of study leave it was actually a pleasure to pick up on tasks that had earlier seemed dull.
Anyhow, I can warmly recommend study leave for those who have desire for student life, further study and more relaxed timetables.
The Finnish system is pretty unique from an international perspective: anyone can update their skills on the study benches at any stage of their lives. This has been assured, for example, by allowing those swapping work for study to apply for an Adult Education Allowance from the Education Fund instead of the usual study support.
Many people, however, merely the inflexibility and bureaucracy of university life is enough of a motivation to return soon to the grindstone. Except for delivering our daily bread, work also provides a social environment in which you spend the majority of your life. It is precisely this social aspect that makes work rewarding on a daily basis.
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