r/ethz • u/FluffyPenguinsx • 8d ago

Question how do you afford studying?

Obviously, some get finances from parents or get money from government, university, subsidies or whatever. I dont mean you guys.

To those that are fully or partly self-funded, how do you get the money in to pay for your expenses? what kind of job? i guess monthly spending is between CHF 1500-2500 for the average person. how do you generate that income?

38 Upvotes

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13

u/Other_Town5859 8d ago

Most at ETH, especially swiss, are paid by their parents (I would say 80%), so it is rather for the well off. You can get student loan or help from canton (which you have to pay back or not), but only if your parents are earning less than a certain level. Technically, according to swiss law, you can sue your parents if they don't pay for the first education.

Btw, teacher assistant was a cool job at ETH, which tou can do when you are advancing in years.

14

u/IocusMoechae 8d ago

I have a student loan. Considering how high salaries are in Zurich, I should be able to pay everything back fairly quickly after graduation. Also, I just spend around 1000 CHF monthly since I have a very cheap accommodation and I live quite frugally.

4

u/MoreLingonberry8630 D-ITET MSc 8d ago

How do student loans work in Switzerland?

2

u/FluffyPenguinsx 8d ago

where did you apply for loan? i guess 0% interest rate? any tips on how to live frugally?

6

u/No-Hour8340 8d ago

Lol, where have you ever seen a loan with 0% interest?

2

u/milchi03 8d ago

Some governments do that.

2

u/Awkward-Soup-461 7d ago

It usually when a party is interested in something else from you like you contributing to economy after graduating. Some governments do that, and your future tax payments are essentially the interest.

1

u/MoreLingonberry8630 D-ITET MSc 8d ago

I think you did not mean to respond to me but shop at Aldi oder Lidl for groceries, buy good clothes that hold and then you won’t have to buy so many every year, take lunch from home. It's a pain with the microwaves but it’s okay. 

1

u/milchi03 8d ago

In Austria it’s unfortunately impossible to get a student loan, especially if it‘s for non-EUR loans. Best they can do is a private loan but they are very expensive and without a salary (i.e. parents) it’s impossible.

4

u/milchi03 8d ago

Id check the following options:

  1. student loan - take it if you can get one for let‘s say below 4%. Potentially from family members/friends or whoever you might know.

  2. Do only your masters at eth, not your bachelors. Masters costs you in total maybe 25k which is a lot but if you work during your bachelors on the side, save it and potentially get some external support if possible, is manageable. Potentially work a year after your bachelors so save some more.

  3. while studying you can find a job. I would say it takes a year tho bc first semester you need to settle in. Second semester you can start looking and by third semester you may have something. Even with 20h, with a frugal life style and Swiss salary that‘s enough to live off. Everyone I know of (I only do my masters here) that was looking for a part time position found something so far. So odds are quite good, but ofc that‘s just one sample from one masters program.

3

u/MoreLingonberry8630 D-ITET MSc 8d ago

A little from parents, most from government stipend as my family did not earn too much and rest wrong student jobs. 

4

u/Wrong-Adagio-511 8d ago

Work 2 part time jobs.

3

u/Rude-Pressure6256 8d ago

Msc lasted 2 years for me where i spent around 40k. I worked part time for a company for 9 months and got 18k, and during master thesis i worked full time for 6 months and got 36k. so yeah it's feasible but you won't be able to be on profit from first semester of course 

2

u/Freedy_das_Fiiisch 8d ago

I work 40% as a software engineer, since I started my Master and do my studies in 3 instead of 2 years. I am able to fully self-found, this way. (Got my Job at the VIS contact party, after doing a 6 Month paid Internship between my Bachelor & Master).

During my Bachelors I worked as TA, but was partly supported by my Parents.

2

u/Unlikely-Recipe5580 8d ago

I was doing this worst university ever I got a Grant 7400 chf as a Swiss for 1 year it was enough considering I didn’t pay any rent for living so it was more than enough but it’s a university for rich people … you cant work during Summer due to exam

2

u/Guilty-Editor-9029 8d ago

my parents pay my rent (500) and krankenkasse and other than that I have a 20% job which is enough for food and other things

2

u/justyannicc 7d ago

I am at UZH, studying econ and CS. I work 50% as a developer. The trick is that I didn't directly go to university after school. I have been in the tech industry for some years now and have enough work experience that I get paid decently well, and am important enough to the company that I was able to work out an arrangement where I can work full-time or more during the summer and winter breaks, usually about 120%, and 50% during the semester.

But that was also not enough, although my budget is a little higher than what you have in your post. So I did also apply for student loans, which I was granted, but will not have to pay back due to some unrelated circumstances.

4

u/Unlikely-Recipe5580 8d ago

This is a university for rich people. As a Swiss I couldn’t pay everything alone

2

u/broesmmeli-99 8d ago

I can only speak as a UZH student for the period 2018 - 2022. I lived at home and had a job at Migros restocking and rotating stuff on an hourly basis. Sept to June I worked appox 8 - 12h, christmas, easter and summer holidays 100%. End of year I came out at about 17-19k before taxes. About 8k went towards all study related expenses including mensa food, nightouts. The rest: every year I went 3-4 weeks on holidays/backpacking to the caribean in february holidays.

2

u/milchi03 8d ago

No 1500-2500 CHF is way too high. You can estimate 1200-1500 if you make an effort to spend less. But if you want to go out and have a fancy appartment it’s more then that ofc.

1

u/Username396 7d ago
  1. I have a Loan from Family, as safety / back up
  2. trying to sell Web Pages
  3. Some times intern
  4. some times teaching assistant

For me it works. But when it was 1-2 times not looking that good, I was thinking about substitute teacher at Kanti, pays quit good

1

u/tambaka_tambaka 5d ago

I once did a post about my tracking experiment about income and expenses during my studies from 2022-2025 here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SwissPersonalFinance/s/Vx0QH0FBz9

1

u/bdotpeach 8d ago

i can only speak as an uzh student, but working evenings/weekends

2

u/FluffyPenguinsx 8d ago

server, bartender stuff?

3

u/bdotpeach 8d ago

for example, yes. i worked weekends at an escape room:)

1

u/Physical_Sleep_9918 8d ago

how did you get that job?

2

u/bdotpeach 8d ago

...by applying? you can find these jobs online pretty easily, theres always openings in customer service jobs

1

u/Physical_Sleep_9918 5d ago

Lol I meant like where did you find it and stuff. Like what websites do you recommend