“My Roots Are Here” – Student Life in Kosovska Mitrovica

Student life in Kosovska Mitrovica is filled with lectures, exams, friendships, socialising and plans for the future. But students here also face circumstances that their peers in central Serbia are largely unfamiliar with.

Student life in Kosovska Mitrovica is filled with lectures, exams, friendships, socialising and plans for the future. But students here also face circumstances that their peers in central Serbia are largely unfamiliar with.

From a Little Girl Who Dreamed of Becoming a Doctor to a Medical Student

Nikolija, why did you choose to study medicine?

Ever since I was little, I wanted to do something humanitarian, something that would help people and our community in Kosovo and Metohija. When I was still in kindergarten, a TV crew came to film us and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, “I’m going to be a doctor!” I still have that recording at home. And now, I’m making that childhood dream come true.

Although she initially wanted to study in central Serbia, Nikolija changed her mind during her first year. She particularly appreciates her professors’ dedication. With fewer students, they are able to give each one more individual attention.

I have never regretted studying here rather than in central Serbia. At first, though, I thought I should transfer to another university because I believed the study conditions would be better there.

Stipendije HO Kosovsko Pomoravlje

“We Don’t Have the Same Sense of Freedom”

Still, studying in Kosovska Mitrovica has another side, one that is talked about far less often.

Is life here different from student life in central Serbia?

Things aren’t quite the way the media portray them. It’s not impossible to go out or to visit a shop. Life is a little different, but it’s not frightening in that sense. Maybe I’m an optimist, or perhaps I’ve simply got used to everything. We don’t have the same sense of freedom as students studying in central Serbia. We’re always under a certain amount of tension, wondering whether something might happen to our faculty the next day. We’re afraid of the uncertainty. But we try to put those worries aside and find a brighter side to things

Nikolija also addresses the misconception that faculties in Kosovska Mitrovica provide a lower standard of education. She acknowledges that practical training opportunities can sometimes be more limited, but emphasises that students’ hard work and the accessibility of their professors help make up for many of these shortcomings.

When Even Getting a Simple Document Means Travelling

We also spoke with Neveža Guzvić about the everyday obstacles students face. In Kosovska Mitrovica, even gathering the paperwork required for a scholarship or student loan can become a serious challenge. It is difficult to imagine how a university town can function without a bank, post office, municipal office or notary.

Since our institutions, municipal office and post office are no longer here, we have to cross the administrative boundary into central Serbia to take care of these things. It makes everything more difficult. Our parents have jobs and responsibilities of their own, and we have our daily university commitments. You can’t afford to lose two days just to get one document, missing lectures, practical classes or work in the process and spending money, too.

Is this one of the reasons why students appreciate the scholarships offered by our organisation?

Yes, it is. For your scholarship, we only had to submit our grade transcripts and proof of enrolment. We didn’t have to deal with a lot of additional paperwork. You checked the essential documents and, most importantly, our academic results.

Stipendije HO Kosovsko Pomoravlje

“My Roots Are Here”

At the end of our conversation, we asked Nikolija a question that may be one of the most important for the future of Kosovo and Metohija.

Do you see yourself staying in Kosovo and Metohija after you graduate?

I hope we can stay in Kosovo and Metohija for as long as possible. And as long as there is even one Serb here, I would want to be part of Kosovo and Metohija. I was born here, and my roots are here. Working in central Serbia would be fine, but I wouldn’t feel at home in another country. I would probably feel like a guest there, and a guest in my own home, too.

These words capture just how important it is to support young people in Kosovo and Metohija. Supporting their education is about more than helping them through their studies. It is also about supporting their wish to stay, work and build a future in the place where their roots lie.

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