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Pandora_Box
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12 Jul 2011, 1:55 pm

Another boring thread on motivation. Fall semester is starting in August. I want to be prepared I suppose.

I'm really starting to wonder if college is my thing. Not only does it seem like every "friend" of mine will not call me or e-mail me. But I don't seem to be making very many friends. But it isn't about that.

What's killing me is myself. The first two weeks are always okay. I do the homework on time, ahead of schedule. I'm motivated about the class. And am rearing to go.

Then, suddenly. I lose it. I don't feel like doing the homework. Don't feel like going to classes. Sometimes I had to go off and drag myself to the classes because I was fighting myself not to go. Sometimes I purposely sleep in, knowing I have to go, and that I sleep like the dead and will not wake up if I go back to sleep.

Part of this I think has to do with the way I have been treated in class. Except, I knew I screwed up Anthropology and HCD because of the family divorce and I have to take care of my brothers now.

Its like I lose motivation the moment things cause my stress. My own intelligence is never appreciated or accepted. So I have to shut up, and that kills me inside. Because I love discussion. I love discussing the material. I do not like hearing someone talk about the information. My favorite times of learning, were memories of me as a kid watching documentaries with my dad and pulling up information from articles or whatever else I read and discussing with him. He would always pause the documentary and we'd always have long discussions.

What ended up happening in my Anthro class was we had a group project. Now, I was the only person who initially started out any part of the work. I had thought of the name of the tribe and everything. Then suddenly right between crunch time, when we had three weeks to prepare. Everything I had started, was destroyed and erased. There were to many Indians with no chief. They slammed everyone's idea together. And made a horrible horrible group play. That was embarassing to be a part of.

I was so stressed initially from not only the divorce and situation at home, one time I had to fight myself not to cry in class or break down at any point. I was doing all the main work on the project. Trying to get homework done for the Anthropology class and still have enough energy for the 4hrs of class and still have enough energy to do the HCD.

I do horrible when I have to deal with multiple classes. But I fear I'll be stuck in college if I don't amp the amount of work I am doing.

Anyway, the biggest issue is staying on top of things and cotinuely being motivated to do to the work and go to class. But I just don't know how to do that.

I don't know how to stay motivated or what makes me loose my motivation so much. Is it just the stress and the anxiety builds up? Am I just a bad multitasker?

I have great self discipline. When I do set my mind on something I will do it easy with no distractions. So I know it has nothing to do with my discipline.

Anyone else suffer from this? Anyone know how to fix it?



Pandora_Box
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15 Jul 2011, 4:07 am

I don't like doing this kind of stuff. But eh hem.



GoonSquad
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23 Jul 2011, 10:09 pm

I’m having a lot of motivation problems too.

This spring I studied on my own and cleped out of two math classes. I tried to take a 3rd class this summer, but I just couldn’t keep up with the summer school pace. I dropped the class and promised myself I’d study on my own so I’d have an easy time in the class this fall.

Right now, I’m at work, where I have plenty of time to study, but I just can’t make myself do the math… On my days off, when I should be doing math, I go kayaking or play video games instead.

I just changed majors to technical education and I really need to get these math requirements out of the way so I can take higher level science/engineering classes… But I just can’t make myself study! :?

I also have problem with taking multiple classes. Usually, I’ll get obsessed with a subject or assignment and do WAY MORE WORK than necessary… I’ve always gotten good results, but all the extra work really stresses me out. Hence, I don’t take more than 3 classes/term for fear of overworking myself and breaking down.

The psych department at my uni is offering free learning disability assessments right now… I know my problems are AS related, but I think I’m going to apply for an assessment and see if they can help me.

You might want to check with the psychology department at your school and see if they can offer any help.


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SammichEater
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24 Jul 2011, 12:05 am

Just do it. I don't know what else to say. It will pay off eventually.


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Pandora_Box
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24 Jul 2011, 3:28 am

SammichEater wrote:
Just do it. I don't know what else to say. It will pay off eventually.


Thing is I don't know how to do it. I mean I do and I don't.



Ancalagon
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24 Jul 2011, 3:30 am

SammichEater wrote:
Just do it. I don't know what else to say. It will pay off eventually.

^This^


The first time I went to college was about 12 years ago, and I bombed out horribly, which was very depressing.

Now I'm back and doing very well. I still have times when I don't feel like going to class, but I make myself anyway. Often I don't feel motivated, especially if the class is boring or stupid or poorly taught. I go anyway, even if there's nothing to miss.

Just go to class. Just do the work. Trying to psyche yourself up is probably a waste of time. Worrying about it obsessively is definitely a waste of time.


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24 Jul 2011, 8:08 am

I too would like to know how to pretend to give a f**k about everything. There's a mindset that I have that most won't approve of which that the education system should be changed dramatically to the point where people choose what form of education they want to go through and no one should be forced to go through school against their will. That's never going to change.



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25 Jul 2011, 8:40 am

Well I appreciate your intelligence, my good sir. If there is something I respect it is intelligence.
So cheer up and show what you can do with your head and you will one day feel the reward of your work.
I know you can do it :D :!:


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BWV1007
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29 Jul 2011, 1:54 am

I feel the EXACT same way. I really like some of my class material and I can even get excited about writing papers and doing the work...until it comes time to actually do it. I think 50%+ of the papers I've been assigned in college I've turned in late. I've heard/told myself the "just do it" line countless times, but it's so much harder than that.



yoquierotacobell
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30 Jul 2011, 8:36 am

I did the same thing. I'd be really motivated at first and then realize i didn't have to do as much work to get the same good grades. Then i would slack even more and accept Bs instead of the As I have always gotten. Just go to class. Make yourself go. That way, you don't have to do as much extra work on your own. When you skip you tell yourself that you will do the extra work but then you don't want to do that work anymore either. My goal is to get an education and become financially stable so i can do what i want and not worry about money. You could do this too and keep thinking of the day that you can finally relax.



Pandora_Box
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30 Jul 2011, 8:50 am

BWV1007 wrote:
I feel the EXACT same way. I really like some of my class material and I can even get excited about writing papers and doing the work...until it comes time to actually do it. I think 50%+ of the papers I've been assigned in college I've turned in late. I've heard/told myself the "just do it" line countless times, but it's so much harder than that.


A lot of the time my personal feelings about the teacher has gotten in the way. As probably mentioned before I wanted to be a journalist. Even went into a journalism course.

But the way the teacher treated me was less than inspiring for me to want to do real work or even go to the class because of the abuse.