Subjective alienation from educational work Test - the question form

1. I do not know why I am studying at all.

2. Teachers can manipulate students who have difficulty mastering the course material however they want.

3. Most of the time spent in classes is wasted.

4. I enjoy the feeling of risk when I have to use a cheat sheet during an exam.

5. I have never understood people who study beyond what is assigned.

6. No matter how much you study, you still will not achieve anything good in life.

7. It does not matter how well you do in your studies; what matters is how well you get on in life.

8. Everyday academic work is so boring and monotonous that I constantly want excitement.

9. I do not like my future profession, and I do not intend to do anything to master it.

10. I do not feel the need to put effort into my studies; it will not make any difference anyway.

11. I find it hard to believe classmates who say that studying gives them more satisfaction than other activities.

12. I would find studying more satisfying if it involved some danger, or at least if practical training involved some danger.

13. Students have no control; instructors control our entire academic life.

14. University rules, regulations, and standards are so flawed that I do not want to have anything to do with them.

15. Doing extracurricular or community work at university only makes sense if it helps achieve some other goal.

16. I am constantly tempted to drop everything and do something else, such as going into business.

17. To avoid problems with the administration, it is better not to get involved with them—and let things take their course.

18. At university, I feel forced to do what others want from me (e.g., the administration, instructors, classmates).

19. No matter how sincerely officials try to reform higher education, it will not improve for the better anyway.

20. The most meaningful moments in my life were those when I took part in informal movements.

21. Student self-government has no truly worthwhile goals or values, so taking part in it is completely foolish.

22. Trying to obtain grants, diplomas, enhanced scholarships, etc., is pointless: everything has long been decided in advance.

23. Overall, the university’s problems are not my problems.

24. I admire students who openly criticize the administration without fearing negative consequences.

25. In a group, I feel better when I keep to myself.

26. My academic advisor, class representative, and other students are constantly taking advantage of me, and I cannot do anything about it.

27. It is naive to think that, in a difficult moment, classmates in my group will come to help me.

28. Among my classmates, there are always some people who can be used for one’s own purposes.

29. Normal human relationships between instructors and students at the university are impossible.

30. Whenever I try to make friends with someone, I think it will not work out.

31. Friendships and romantic relationships in college are only temporary; there are more important things.

32. When I see classmates having a heated debate, I feel like adding fuel to the fire.

33. Most interpersonal interactions that students have with each other are meaningless.

34. In conversations, I rarely express my own opinion because I am not sure I would be able to defend it.

35. The "luxury of human interaction" is not something one can count on at university.

36. From what I observe in interpersonal interactions, I like scenes of conflict most of all.

37. The meaning of life is to live, not to ask a foolish question about why I came into this world.

38. "Personal freedom" and "free will" are just idealists' inventions; unfortunately, in real life such things do not exist.

39. Any attempts to understand myself are a waste of time.

40. In life, I follow the principle: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

41. It is foolish to work yourself extremely hard at university for all five years.

42. No matter how hard I try, my efforts still do not lead to anything good.

43. Striving to graduate with highest honors is justified only if you want to market yourself advantageously in the job market.

44. Sometimes it is acceptable to compromise one’s personal principles for one’s own well-being.

45. I do not know who controls my life—God or fate—but it is not me.

46. I have never really wanted anything in life.

47. If you want to make money, go into business, not university.

48. I think I should have chosen a job like being a firefighter, a rescue worker, or something similar, where life feels real.