University or Not

Personally I have had countless conversations with friends and family regarding whether an individual should attend a university or if it is better not to. This topic is not something that can be answered by a 'yes' or a 'no', it needs a lot of personal thinking and decision making.

Recently I came up with an idea regarding a hotel. My cousin and I decided to carry on with a business plan and asked lecturers, professors, company owners and regular citizens for their opinion. Most people were impressed and very enthusiastic about the plan and willing to assist in any way that they can. We are both university students. I am studying at Hotelschool the Hague which is one of the best Hospitality schools on the planet and my cousin is studying at the University of Reading, a leading business school in the United kingdom. The question is, "do we need academic knowledge in order for our plan to become a reality?".

The first question that someone needs to answer, is whether he/she knows what he/she wants to achieve in life or not. If the answer is 'no', then academic life will serve no better than sitting on their couch watching movies all day long. However, if the answer is positive then there is a second clarification needed. "What do I need to do in order to achieve that goal". Usually the most important part is knowledge and then comes time, money and people. Then you are in a good position to decide what path you want to follow.

There are many paths in acquiring knowledge and skills. Most people believe that going to a university provides a stable life and a future career. Unfortunately this is not true. You need to find a university that provides the right knowledge for your future career but also the right tools in order to pursue it. There are thousands of universities and colleges, however only a few or maybe none of them can provide a "stable future". Therefore something else is needed after all and that is "motivation". Many people think that they are motivated because they have a dream, but actually they are not because 'a dream is a dream' unless you work hard for it in order for it to become a reality one day. Only a handful of people achieve their actual dreams, whether they are academically knowledgeable or practically and theoretically skillful.

Therefore, in the end a person that has spent approximately 20-150 thousand on education for 2-6 years may have the same result as a person who has been working during that time. Thus the person who has spent all this time on education is broke whereas the worker has been saving a stable amount every year.

Finally, everyone has heard about people that have not attended a university but turned out to be billionaires. In my opinion this is possible if you have the right tools. These are motivation, determination, an unparalleled will to succeed but also the knowledge needed in order to succeed. What I always believed is that "if someone attends lectures just for a degree then they should not be there".

Many people asked me, "are you going to wait until the end of your studies in order to pursue your dream?". My answer is, "I am going to pursue success as early as possible, university only provides the knowledge and skills needed in order for me to finish my business plan and then find investments. If I find the investment needed before the end of my studies I am going for it with everything I got." Therefore I hope that this article will help you decide what you want to do in the future and take some serious time before you do.

What Is It Like To Live In London

As I aforementioned in a previous article the past two months or so I was experiencing the lifestyle in London. With the word lifestyle I mean working full time and fitting in that schedule my traveling and all my other activities like sports, movies, socializing and so on and so forth.

The first thing that I want to note is the reason that I have used the picture that you can all see in this article. This specific picture was taken by me two days ago when I went for some shopping in Oxford street. I wanted to give the picture the black and white coloring in order to show you something, the nature of the lifestyle in London.

Most people in London and in most large cities in the world wake up in the morning eat, go to work, wait for the rush hour to finish in a pub in order to go home more comfortably and they fall asleep. Someone may ask '' so you want us to believe that all these people do not have any other things to do?''. No, of course they have but their state of mind is focused on those things. Money, success, work, sleep, waiting for a single Friday night to show off or get drunk in order to feel happy, these are the characteristics of most large cities on this planet.

Some people may disagree with my statements. However in two months I had the opportunity to meet people from all the classes in London. I have met billionaires, millionaires, middle class people and poor people that barely survive. Thus, this single picture can show you the face of London. Beautiful, charming but moody, boring and without almost any form of happiness.

Now if I compare Cyprus with London there are simple examples that prove my point. Every morning I get up and I want to exercise. In Cyprus I just get up and I want to run. However in London I want to stay in bed regardless of the hours that I have been sleeping. Therefore with just a small example I can show you what I mean about the nature of the lifestyle in London and big cities in general.

Closing, I know that every young person like me wants to explore the world and experience many different things. But be careful where you choose to live those experiences. I have made my choice and my choice is Amsterdam a rich capital but with a lifestyle and character that only a few cities have and that is why I have chosen it. What will your decision be?

One of my favorite places in London

Yesterday I went to the only major site of London that I have not yet been. Trafalgar square should have been one of my first sites to visit especially on a sunset. It is so beautiful and lively that makes you happy from the moment you enter that square. From there you can see Big Ben in distance which makes it an even more interesting place to be. If you ever come to London Trafalgar square should be one of the first places to visit in your list and believe me you will not be disappointed.

While filming London

Last night I was filming London for a new video that I will post soon in my YouTube channel. While filming I realized that London is so beautiful now that Christmas is near. Full of markets and ice-skating rinks, kids having fun, adults drinking and eating and tourists smiling and queuing for the major sites. This is a photo from the market at the London eye. If you ever get the chance London is a great destination for Christmas and any other time of the year in general.

Off the beaten path

Most of the times people while travelling tend to go where everyone else is going for example going to big cities or shopping districts or major sites. There is nothing wrong with that but sometimes if you catch a bus and just get off anywhere or catch a train to the outskirts of the city you might find the most amazing view you have ever seen in your life and you would just sit there for hours and hours without thinking of anything else. You would just be mesmerize by the shear beauty of the place.
An example is this picture. This is Devin, a small town outside of Bratislava. I went there to see a castle but when I got there it was closed. So I was disappointed and I walked around of the castle for a bit and then when I got to the other side I saw this amazing view. I planned to stay there for like 30 minutes but I ended up staying for more than 3 hours. Therefore if you can don't follow the croud and it will lead you to some unforgettable experiences.

Bratislava

Another stop during my travelling in Europe was Bratislava. Most people told me that Bratislava is not a nice city to visit but I took the risk. It is a small city but with many things to do and see. For example the castle, its cathedrals, the old town, a nice walking tour in order to learn the history of the place and my favorite sitting on a bench at Bratislava's main square. Now when it comes to food Bratislava is a cheap city if you compare it with other cities in Europe. I recommend having a nice beer at a local restaurant ( not in the center of the city ) and try some of the local soups and dishes like Halusky. The meal will cost about 7 euros per person. Overall, Bratislava is a great destination in my opinion, really hospitable, beautiful, cheap and with some of the best nightlife experiences that I have ever had.

Beautiful Prague

During my euro trip I have visited Prague. Prague for me is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It reminded me a lot of Budapest because I had a lot of nice memories from Budapest. The views of Prague from the river, its castle, the Devin mountain, the old town, the market square and countless other sites will remain forever in my mind. Also in Prague you can taste many good beers and have some really nice traditional dishes like the goulash and some great sweets like the trdlo. This picture is from the Lennon wall. Here during the communist era in Prague people would paint John Lennon's face in order to protest against the communist government. Then everyday the wall changed shapes as many artists painted there illegally but still today there is always at least one painting of John Lennon. I hope one day you will have the chance to visit this amazing city because I can assure you that you will never forget it.

The power of desire and determination

Recently I bought my self a camera. It is a canon 1300 a pretty good camera for amateur photographers and film makers. So I started experimenting and this is one of my pictures that I took when I bought the camera. This picture proves that with some desire to learn and achieve things and with the tiniest and most simple objects and resources great results may occur in life. We just have to want it, and sometimes want it badly.

Brighton

This is the dome of Brighton. I have visited Brighton a few days ago. It is a very welcoming place, comparatively cheap to dine and with many nice breweries for the fans of beer. It has really beautiful sites like the dome, the marina, the pier and little streets called the lanes. Therefore I recommend that you should visit Brighton for a nice weekend by the beach and enjoy its' hospitality .