Pjeter Berisha: «This support means I'm no longer a burden on my parents»

Pjeter, you are the recipient of this year’s ETH Alumni grant. Congratulations! What does this support mean for you?

I’d like to start by saying a huge thank you for this tremendous support. I’m delighted to accept it and am truly grateful.

This support means I’m no longer a burden on my parents. This is really important to me. They have worked so hard and their goal has always been to give their kids a good education and happy life. I hope that this grant means that my parents can focus a little bit more on themselves and their own needs and I’m less of a burden on them. It’s also a huge recognition of the work I try to put into my studies. Although I study primarily for myself, it’s really fantastic that I’m being supported in the goals I’m working towards.

Had you heard of the ETH Alumni association before you were awarded the grant?

I first heard about the ETH Alumni association in connection to its 150th anniversary, last year. I remember the really tasty anniversary cupcake I got in ETH’s main building. But before then I didn't know that ETH had an alumni association. But sometime soon I’ll become an alumnus too.

Exactly. What course are on you? And why did you choose it?

I’m studying for a Bachelors’ degree in mechanical engineering and I’m in my fourth semester. I chose this course because I’ve been interested in maths, physics and other natural sciences from an early age. In my fourth year of high school I joined an extra-curriculum group for people interested in robotics. We built and programmed robots using Lego Mindstorms. I was fascinated by this and it was then pretty clear to me that I wanted to study mechanical engineering. So the choice of courses at ETH was easy. There are no comparable courses available in Graubünden, where I come from.

What would a typical day at ETH look like for you?

I’ve got a fixed daily schedule. In the morning, I get up and leave the apartment where I stay to walk to nearby Hönggeberg. From there I take the link bus to the main building where I have lectures and practicals. In the evenings, I either work alone or with fellow students and then go back to my apartment for dinner.

At the moment, given the exceptional circumstances we find ourselves in with COVID-19, everything’s changed. The first two days after the initial measures imposed by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, I simply stayed at home and followed all my lectures on live streams or recordings and worked on the tasks alone. There weren't actually any major changes to my studies. When the lectures are available via a live transmission, this helps me to discipline myself a bit because like normal I need to be ready at quarter to eight in the morning so I don't miss the lecture. This method allows a dialogue to be maintained between students and lecturers. We can ask questions via our online platform and it’s been working really well so far.

What do you want to do once your studies are complete?

It’s still too early for me to be able to say exactly. I’ll probably be studying for a long while to come. Once I’ve got my Bachelors’ degree, I want to get a Masters’ too.
The workshop placement I had in my first year gave me insight into the daily life of someone who had studied mechanical engineering at ETH. My placement was in a company which specialises in the automation industry. I was fascinated by it and I can imagine doing something similar one day. When I graduate from ETH, I will certainly have good prospects.

What do you do to relax when you are not studying?

Before the corona crisis, I had started to go to the gym at the Hönggerberg sports centre occasionally. And every Thursday, we play football at ASVZ. But everything’s a bit different now. I’m back living with my parents.