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  Replying to “It’s my first semester at ETH studying physics. I had mentally prepared myself for the stress and I do...” It is very much a thing though that the lectures and script can be wayyy above the complexity of the actual exam

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  2026-10-11T18:50:18Z
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  Replying to “I know it's kinda weird, but I have a bit of a crush on my TA. For context, we're both around the same...” Could just ask them out for a coffee and be prepared to take a no for an answer, doesn't have to be awkward unless you make it awkward. If it does end up being awkward, can always switch to a different TA.

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  2026-10-11T18:39:03Z
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  Replying to “I know it's kinda weird, but I have a bit of a crush on my TA. For context, we're both around the same...” TAs are just students with a side hustle ;) I agree though that it's unlikely that they know much about the person this early in the semester.

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  2026-10-11T18:37:01Z
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  Replying to “How many times and how long am i supposed to keep trying to make friends and initiate stuff? It's tiri...” A lot of Swiss come to ETH with their existing friend groups, and it's very hard to get into them, it always feels like you're some sort of annoying outsider. I came to ETH during covid, and we were ordered into "bubbles" that we were supposed to socialize within, so as to limit the spread of the virus (whoever came up with that idea lmao). Also ETH cancelled the entry exams that year, so there were only students that didn't need one to get in (aka Swiss, Germans and Austrians, and people from German schools abroad). We quickly formed a "foreigner bubble" where I people I'm still friends with. You could ask directly in your study's group chat if there's any non-Swiss that want to meet up from time to time. There's also ESN and their events, but that's mostly people who are only here for one semester. It took me nearly a year before I started having Swiss friends, and trust me there's some real cool people out there, it just takes a bit of time to find them ;)

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  2026-10-11T18:32:24Z
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  Replying to “How do you deal with depression? Depressed episodes and still getting stuff done and finding joy a bit...” Antidepressants help to some extent, but it's never really "healed". I have episodes that can last from a couple days to 2 or 3 months. The downward swing is always the hardest because you're already doing bad and it's just getting worse and you kinda lose hope for the future, but then at some point it starts getting better and the hope helps immensely. Having to work on something as a distraction works quite well. If there's a reason that kinda started the episode it helps a lot talking to friends and family. They don't even have to offer any advice, but just "packaging" up your thoughts into sentences can help a lot.

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  2026-10-11T18:18:58Z
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  Replying to “For the people who study at hönggerberg: Which cafeteria is better: fusion or food market? I have been...” 100% food market. Fusion has that unmistakable cafeteria food vibe, and food market like something you'd actually want to eat.

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  2026-09-28T21:37:33Z
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  Replying to “It’s my first semester at ETH studying physics. I had mentally prepared myself for the stress and I do...” It might depend on the subject / department so don't take this as 100% applicable to you, but personally: I could totally see how somebody could spend 100% of their free time studping and still feel like they're falling behind, at the same time a friend of mine does nothing the entire semester, then crams everything 3 days before the exam and passes with a decent grade.

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  2026-09-28T21:33:43Z
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  Replying to “First week. I miss my home, my old life, my friends and family… I hate this city— it feels like some k...” I first moved to Zürich during the semester break into a single flat while covid was a thing. Any friends I had managed to make until that point moved back home during the break, and I spent the most depressing 3 months in that apartment. I moved back home after that, but that also didn’t feel right and was worried about how I was missing out on being in this conglomeration of brilliant students. I managed to find a room for the next semester, made some incredibly close friends and started feeling more at home in Zürich than back with my parents. I can really understand your feeling, Zürich can have a very odd vibe. Most people seem to be here for the money, and the city can feel like a concrete jungle at times. But you also manage to find some incredibly cool counter-cultures after some time, and while ETH does tend to select for very self-centered people, there’s also really cool and open peeps to make friends with. Unfortunately it does take some time to find them, but for me it’s gotten to the point where I’d prefer to stay in Zürich for at least some portion of my life :)

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  2026-09-20T15:57:35Z
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  Replying to “To people who’ve already survived a few semesters: what’s one thing you wish someone had told you befo...” leave yourself some time and energy for other parts of your life

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  2026-09-14T11:31:18Z