What do Russian students do in the summer?
As the summer comes to an end, so has my time here. Thank you all who have been reading these articles, and of course everyone at Liden & Denz, for this summer! I decided to dedicate my final article to this very theme: summer.
Russian students have over 2 months of summer break each year. How do they spend all that time? Natasha, who studies at Saint Petersburg State University, talked to us about this theme.
So, what do Russian students do in the summer, when not traveling?
Many Russian students, whose parents have country houses (dacha), prefer to go there and relax for a while. We like to do it together with friends, for example my friends invite me to their country houses every summer. There are also a lot of students in the city during summer, they meet friends and walk in parks, hang out in the city center, etc.
We like to walk at night also when it is warm. Many of us have more time for reading, hobbies, and playing sports. And of course, every Russian student try to sleep a lot on holidays because they don’t have such opportunities during studies. 🙂
What are the typical vacation destinations for Russians during the summer, and why?
The sea, of course. All want to go to the seaside for sunbathing and swimming. It can be tours to the mountains or boat tours. Lots of Russians like to go to our warmer cities (Sochi, Sevastopol) or travel around Russia. In most cases Russians choose southern destinations for summer holidays.
What are the typical summer jobs that Russian students have?
As a waiter. You can see a lot of young people working in the restaurants or cafes. It is the easiest job to get when you don’t have higher education or experience. Maybe in other countries you can get a summer job connected with your education, but in Russia you definitely need experience to get such summer jobs.
In what ways do you think Russian students spend the summer differently than in other countries?
Maybe Russian students don’t travel so much, but it depends on how much money they have. They prefer not to relax but work, because summer means extra time to earn money. Most of them don’t study during summer holidays, because they have studied so much during the year. I think in contrast with them, students in other countries try to study a little bit during summer break, because they don’t want to forget everything.
Russian students meet with friends in the evening or late at night, then they sleep a lot and get up very late. Such nightlife is normal in the summer.
Nick Nguyen
