How relevant is "exam-relevant"? – How to find meaning in your studies (again)

When, as in every exam period, I sink into 60-page lecture scripts full of terminological chaos, the question keeps cropping up during brief breathing spaces: what's it all for? By the third semester at the latest, every prospective bachelor's student should surely realise: studying is the agonising hammering in and regurgitation of lofty theoretical constructs, which were created with the aim of expressing apparent insights as complicatedly as possible. High time to question things from the ground up: why am I actually studying?

Fair enough, looked at soberly, there are indeed some good reasons: I want to pursue a profession later that makes me happy, whether because it brings me a lot of money or fulfils me or is socially meaningful, and for that I need a certain qualification. On the other hand, I'm studying – ideally – also because the content interests me. I find it fascinating to know what Pierre Bourdieu understands by the "concept of habitus", even if the HR manager in the job interview wouldn't find this knowledge particularly
impressive. And of course I also want to immerse myself in student life and get to know cool people during wild nights out (we all wish we could have that back). But no matter which of these reasons ultimately leads one to decide on studying – the overarching purpose is always to lead a happier (and thereby more meaningful) life. So the crucial question must be: how can I study in a way that contributes to this purpose?

Sociologist Hartmut Rosa from the University of Jena has developed a kind of concept that, I think, can provide a good answer to this question. In his resonance theory, he first establishes that in contemporary society virtually all our actions are aimed at increasing our "world-reach".
Via Spotify we have access to almost all songs, and when we post something on the internet, we hope for as many (positive) reactions as possible. This logic of escalation also applies in studying: through attending university we want to accumulate more knowledge, more money and/or more social contacts. Added to this are (career) wishes and other dreams, so we're never really satisfied with our current state, but always want more of something.

But if we can't escape this permanent growth mindset and constantly chase after our goals, that often doesn't lead to a "better life" at all, but to overwhelm, dissatisfaction or frustration. According to Rosa, it's more sensible instead to align our attitude to life away from "world-reach" towards "resonance". What does that mean? We all know the feeling of inner buoyancy or connection with our surroundings. This can occur when you're in love or hear a special song or have a stimulating conversation at a lively flat-share party. Or indeed in studying, for example in an inspiring seminar session or when you're so hooked on a topic that you engage with it beyond university. All of this is what Rosa means by "resonance". He calls it "a way of being connected with the world in which something begins to vibrate within us" ("Deceleration is not a solution either", interview with Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 05.03.2016). What's important, however, is to bear in mind that you cannot force moments of resonance. Often it's even the case that they don't occur precisely when you would have expected them to. On a trip, the best moments often arise when you're not expecting them – for example, when you meet the nicest people in a run-down hostel.
So how can we study in order to experience more resonance? In general, it can be advisable to listen to yourself more often and explore your resonance fields. So to ask yourself in relation to studying: what topics do I burn for? Which content stirs something in me or inspires me? How can I bring in my personal passions or hobbies? This doesn't mean that studying always has to be fun or come easily. Often you experience a kind of resonance precisely after hard, "agonising" work (for example, the uplifting feeling of having accomplished something demanding). But perhaps it helps to free yourself from the unconscious pressure of constantly having to accumulate more "world-reach". A lively evening in your flat-share with your housemates is then often even more meaningful for your studies than revising for an exam. The best ideas usually don't come from intensive studying in a quiet little room, but from wild discussions with cheerfully tipsy students.

The university offers a fantastic framework for contributing to a meaningful, inspiring life – what's important is only the willingness of those involved to let themselves be touched and set in motion again.
Yannik Ambrusits

Yannik Ambrusits