VW clutches usally last a long time. My brother in law sold his Jetta at 130,000 miles with the original clutch, which was still working fine.
If the clutch simply wears out, you usually are not stranded at the side of the highway. Usually you will notice slipping, first at highway speed when you apply power. But you will still be able to get to your destination by driving gently.
So, if the car is leaving you stranded, either something has broken.... or you have simply not recognised the symptoms of a slipping clutch and have driven the car until the clutch slips a lot, overheats and destroys itself.
Clutches are simple devices and not much can happen to them. But it is very easy to develop bad driving habits which can shorten clutch life. My dad ruined the clutch in his first car by slipping it too much. He thought that a bit of extra slipping when taking off or when shifting made for smoother driving. But it wore out the clutch in the first year.
When you get the latest clutch fixed, ask a couple of your friends who drive standard to take a drive with you and observe your driving. Ask them if they think you are doing something wrong, such as slip the clutch too much or fail to match revs well when releasing the clutch when shifting. You might find the opinions of others to be helpful.
