Ask The World

I’m a 21-year-old from a lower-middle-class family, and ever since I finished my intermediate studies from a College (Pakistan) in 2023, I’ve carried a dream in my heart: to walk the leafy quad of a reputable university, to laugh with new friends in the cafeteria, to stay up late talking about life—and to build a future on my own terms. This wasn’t just my dream; it was my mom’s too. I carry her hopes with me every time I sit down to study.

But life had other plans. In 2023, when fees and expenses loomed larger than our savings, my family couldn’t afford to send me on that path. So I put my dream on hold and took a job instead. I started at ₨35,000 per month—and over the last year, through long nights and early mornings, I’ve fought my way up to ₨60,000. I work 8 PM–5 AM, head straight to the gym at 6 AM to clear my head, grab a quick bite, and try to catch 2–3 hours of sleep before doing it all again.

Now, at last, I feel ready to leap—and I want to enroll full-time. But the schedule I’m looking at scares me:

Work: 8 PM–5 AM, five nights a week

Gym: 6 AM–7 AM, for my physical and mental health

University: 8 PM–2 AM lectures, 30–40 km from home, four days a week

Sleep: Only about 2–3 hours a day

Commitment: This marathon would run for the next four years

I know the risks all too well: no safety net if I lose my job, the constant strain on my body and mind, the loneliness that comes with an upside-down schedule. And yet, every time I imagine my mom’s proud smile at my convocation, or the sense of belonging I’d feel on campus, I know I have to try.

My questions for you:

Sustainability: Can a nightly grind, early-morning workouts, and full-time studies truly work over four years—without burning out?

Strategies: What practical tips can help me juggle time, health, and finances? Are there ways to carve out rest, build an emergency fund, or streamline my commute?

Shared Journeys: Has anyone else lived this upside-down life—nights at work and days in class? How did you keep going, and what would you change if you could?

I pour these words out with hope—and with fear. But more than anything, I carry determination: to honor my mom’s dreams, to prove to myself that I am capable of more, and to finally step into the world of campus life I’ve always imagined. Any advice, shared stories, or even just a few words of encouragement would mean the world to me. Thank you for listening.

What is your New Years Tradition?

We Always meet up with the whole Family. Loved and "unloved" Everyone just eats, no problems are discussed, no fighting. Everyone is just a Family for one evening and everything is fine.

And how does it show?

From what I've read, gay people were born with the predisposition to eventually find out they're gay (usually), and gay people don't 'become' gay. They might come out or start engaging in related behaviours.

Watching a Quebec series from 2014 called Serie Noire, one of the characters complains that his girlfriend has become a lesbian, after he finds out she's cheating on him with a woman. He remarks multiple times about how he's distraught that she has become a lesbian and it's probably played for comedic effect. Of course the issue shouldn't be that she's a lesbian (or bisexual) but rather that she's cheating on him and isn't interested in him, but he also calls it "becoming" a lesbian, describing it as a somewhat random event/decision rather than a reveal about his partner.

Just wondering, would this be considered offensive today? Thanks

e.g. listening to the breathing sound of a newborn.

You'd think it's soothing to know it's breathing but really their breathing is still kind of in development and does weird shit all the time.

Can you see me?

I wish I could speak Finnish. But, actually, there are tons of languages I wish I could speak. All of them, really, but Finnish is the first one I thought of just now.

I'm in the US and English is my my primary language. I studied Russian but have forgotten a lot of it. I know a few words of German and French, but very few.

Edited to add: Please tell me what your primary language is. It would also be interesting to know what other languages you speak, if any, and where you currently live.

Reminder: Please specify the country you're answering for.

Reminder: Please state what country you're answering for.

I would choose the events. I like events.

I really don't want to be overly strict with the rules, especially while this sub is so small. But I think this is an important rule, and I'm considering being more strict about its enforcement.

The reason I think it's important is that this is meant to be an educational community. In many cases, I assume people don't say where they're from because they assume it's obvious to people based on their answer. It may be, to people from the US or familiar with its zeitgeist. But this community isn't just for them. The last thing I want is for this community to suffer from US-defaultism.

For that reason, I'm thinking that from here on, if I see an answer that doesn't state which country it's for, I'll give a reminder. After that, the poster will have 24 hours to edit it into their post, and it will be deleted if they have not done so.

What do you think? Too strict? Not strict enough?

I asked this before elsewhere, but I thought it led to some interesting answers.

Please remember to say which country you're from. We don't have flairs here.