The students are the future of Lithuania. These words are often said by old people, politicians intellectuals and parents of the students. Even though life is not very easy students are the same everywhere: studying, working, having fun, complaining about bad conditions and dreaming of changes in the future.
The students are the same students wherever they are: in China, USA, Peru or Lithuania.
Now life of Lithuanian students is improving despite of small scholarships and high living level. About 20% of all students have mobile phones, a lot of them are working and studying simultaneously, some students have cars. Still very large number of young people seeking for high education economically depends on parents.
According to Lithuanian Constitution the education is free; but when Government does not pay all the promised money from budget or pay, but delays, universities introduced the article in their statutes that only people with good results do no t need to pay. Others, who are lazy, pay little regard to their studies because of working or other reasons and are simply unlucky or unfit to study particular subjects, have to pay. The rotation principle is also applied. The state finances some “seats“ which fit to the average grade of all subjects set by university or faculty themselves. Other students in the course have to pay, but also regarding to the marks. For example one student was brilliant in one semester. He/she did not pay and even received a state scholarship. If the grades of this student another semester went wrong because of any reasons, his/her colleague who improved takes his place. This kind of principle promotes the competition among students, because those who were paying for the studies don’t want to pay and study more. Meanwhile students who do not pay are interested in keeping their positions. This competition is good only for the quality of studies, but definitely not for personal communication, because competition makes some students to envy each other the better mark. Sometimes young people studying in the same class become even enemies, but this happens just because of personal characters. Sometimes brilliant students suddenly have to pay, so their colleagues sympathy saying: next semester you will learn more and you won’t pay. It doesn’t solve general problems anyway.
The universities are state ones; there are no private high schools. If the school is private, usually it is illegal and officials warn young people about these cheaters, because it is a very good way to take away money and give a diploma, which are not recognized anywhere. Recently officials from Ministry of education warned about some schools where people can just call and ask to send diploma, of course after transmitting a quite a big sum to a bank account. The state universities are financed from the budget, but because of other national preferences, the education money is decreased. Logically the fee for studies are increasing because universities are willing to accept more students because statistically Lithuania is just after Albania, which is in the end of list, according to numbers of students in Europe.
Recently Lithuanian universities faced a very serious problem. There are a lot of various exchange student programs, when young people are sent abroad by university, which pays scholarship, and in the end of their studies abroad some students do not return. A lot of young people go to study abroad on purpose because there are no good conditions for studying some subjects in Lithuania just because of equipment or literature. Also they do not see any perspectives to get good job after they finish. The situation is bad in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology etc. where young specialists are not needed or will never earn enough money for living. The universities abroad can provide them with perfect study and research conditions and even some work in the sphere where they are studying in. Economical situation of Lithuania itself also is a reason why people want to go abroad, doesn’t matter either to study or work. The university authorities are afraid that soon there will not bee young science specialists.
The students of Lithuania are quite passive in comparison with their Western colleagues in politics and decision-making. Politics is considered to be the dirty business, which is not worthy to mingle in. So you’ll rarely see the protesting students by the Parliament or Government. Young people feel that they are not significant and cannot change anything. They are also afraid of possible prosecutions of university authorities for their protests, even though there were some courts of students against university regarding the rules of paying for the studies.
It is naive to think that students in Lithuania are only studying and don’t having fun. They are! Every faculty has their own festivities. The main two festivities are so called baptizing when first year students are in originally cruel ways acquainted with faculties, teachers and rules of being a student. Another important festival is faculty days, for example days of physics are the biggest student festival in Vilnius, when students are marching in the streets and having huge parties. Living in a student hostel is also one big party because people are visiting neighbors and having fun. In some faculties and universities studying time is quite flexible. All the semester one is going to the lessons, but when lessons are over there is a month to prepare for exams and credit tasks, write all papers. Then the studies begin, some of the students are even brought to neurological departments of local hospitals. When this period ends, there is a vacation, so festivities begin again until another semester lessons.
Life of student is tough, but not hopeless. Especially now, when Lithuania is constructing democracy and civil society, students as young intellectuals and specialists are very important for the future.