How do you stay motivated at university?

[Spartan]

How do you stay motivated at university? I’m only in my first year and I’m already getting bored of it. However, dropping out isn’t an option. I don’t like hard work and I know the works only going to get harder. I don’t like the party lifestyle or getting drunk, which is annoying because that seems to be most peoples main social activity. However, I like the independence and I enjoy the clubs I’ve joined, such as the kickboxing club. Although this isn’t some big American college, so the clubs available are limited. I also enjoy going to the gym, but that isn’t really a social event. Anyway, I keep feeling like I’m waiting for my life to start, but I’m beginning to think I will always feel like that no matter what I do. Even after I have finished university, I still have to find a job that is satisfying; that is if I can even get a job, because there is a lot of competition for jobs in today’s market.

[The David]

Originally Posted by Spartan

How do you stay motivated at university? I’m only in my first year and I’m already getting bored of it. However, dropping out isn’t an option. I don’t like hard work and I know the works only going to get harder. I don’t like the party lifestyle or getting drunk, which is annoying because that seems to be most peoples main social activity. However, I like the independence and I enjoy the clubs I’ve joined, such as the kickboxing club. Although this isn’t some big American college, so the clubs available are limited. I also enjoy going to the gym, but that isn’t really a social event. Anyway, I keep feeling like I’m waiting for my life to start, but I’m beginning to think I will always feel like that no matter what I do. Even after I have finished university, I still have to find a job that is satisfying; that is if I can even get a job, because there is a lot of competition for jobs in today’s market.

Judging by this post, I'm exactly where you are right now. Ask yourself this: Why are you in college?

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by The David

Judging by this post, I'm exactly where you are right now. Ask yourself this: Why are you in college?

Because I had to do something. So after considering my options I thought college was the best choice and would provide me with the most opportunities.

[The David]

That's the same reason I went.

I'll let someone else take over before I end up telling you what I ultimately decided to do.

[astra]

It's tough, hey! At the age of 24, I have a list of 'prior areas of study' long enough to make people's eyes glaze over. But at the end of last year, I finished an Advanced Diploma. Only half of a Bachelor's degree really, but for me it felt like an end to the biggest struggle. The way I eventually made it through and finished something I started? I studied only subjects that interested me. Not majors or minors, just the individual subjects. If the subject spec bored me, I wouldn't do it. My reasoning was that if I had to study a boring subject to get a career, something about that career would be boring, and why spend your life on something boring.

I worked full-time in several different industries for several years in between this studying, and tried to get as close to the areas I thought would be interesting as possible. My main position may not have technically been in the field, but I offered to help out that area when they were busy and made sure my managers knew that's what I was interested in. Consequently, careers i thought were my passion got dropped by the wayside once I saw the realities of them. Much better than if I'd studied the boring subjects believing they would take me to my calling and then discovered I hated it.

Look at the sorts of clubs you're involved in, and what you do that makes you enjoy them so much. Maybe that can give you some hints. (IE if you're a treasurer of a club, maybe accounting's for you).

Don't despair, i'm sure there will be plenty of other suggestions for you Good luck.

[charismaseeker]

I am in my second year, and I am also getting really bored, but i hope it will improve. Everything takes time

[RT Wolf]

1. This sorta thing is normal after the winter break. I dunno why, but lots of students get demotivated after the break

2. Forget motivation, switch your school related functions to automatic and go out and do something interesting. I mean, switch it over the self-discipline, by studying for fifteen minutes a day and working your way upto half an hour or wahtever. Every day. Do it whether you're motivated or not.

[The David]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

1. This sorta thing is normal after the winter break. I dunno why, but lots of students get demotivated after the break

2. Forget motivation, switch your school related functions to automatic and go out and do something interesting. I mean, switch it over the self-discipline, by studying for fifteen minutes a day and working your way upto half an hour or wahtever. Every day. Do it whether you're motivated or not.

That's interesting. I was already unmotivated the previous semester, but there was a really dramatic decrease in interest a few days into the Spring semester.

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by astra

Look at the sorts of clubs you're involved in, and what you do that makes you enjoy them so much. Maybe that can give you some hints. (IE if you're a treasurer of a club, maybe accounting's for you).

I enjoy physical stuff mainly like kickboxing and MMA (mixed martial arts). This makes me forget about how boring life actually is and gives me a goal to focus on. Exercise is my escapism. Not sure about accounting to be honest, but thanks for the suggestion.

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

1. This sorta thing is normal after the winter break. I dunno why, but lots of students get demotivated after the break

2. Forget motivation, switch your school related functions to automatic and go out and do something interesting. I mean, switch it over the self-discipline, by studying for fifteen minutes a day and working your way upto half an hour or wahtever. Every day. Do it whether you're motivated or not.

That is interesting. It's probably because 4 weeks is quite a long break and so people get used to being at home again. Plus when they go back they know what's in store for them, so it's not exciting anymore.

I guess one problem I have is just being around so many people that are different to me. A lot of people are at that rebelling stage and just want to have a laugh. And alcohol is like a catalyst for their immature behaviour. Sometimes I feel like people are judging me negatively just because I don't want to act that way.

[LifeFirst]

Seriously? All the people that you are around just want to drink and get drunk? I don't know but I have found the alcohol stereotype among college students to be not true at all. Yeah, they get drunk once in a while but not all the time. Maybe it's because most of the students are math, econ, IT majors....no time for that stuff. Maybe you're around the wrong types of people.

[ericwmontgomery]

Since I'm finally near the finish line of my college career, I'll throw my two cents in here.

When I started college, I lost interest in my classes very quickly; ended up dropping a lot of classes each semester and was just generally not being a very effective student. I turned it around by changing programs - I switched to a two-year degree program in an area I knew I was passionate about. I still had to take the odd class that wasn't related to my major, but actually having interesting classes for the most part made a major difference.

I finished that degree program, then decided the two year degree wasn't good enough and decided to go for my bachelors degree, which is what I'm finishing now. The downside of my approach to school is that I'm now older than just about everyone I'm taking classes with because I wasted so much of that time early on. Everyone my age is past the school and working on the career by now. But I'm glad that I'm finishing at all; making sure I was taking interesting classes made it possible to stick with it.

Good luck!

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by LifeFirst

Seriously? All the people that you are around just want to drink and get drunk? I don't know but I have found the alcohol stereotype among college students to be not true at all. Yeah, they get drunk once in a while but not all the time. Maybe it's because most of the students are math, econ, IT majors....no time for that stuff. Maybe you're around the wrong types of people.

I don't know, I'm guessing that obviously not everyone is true of the stereotype. But when I get the chance to ask people what they like doing to socialise? It's usually going to clubs and/or drinking alcohol.

You are right when you say that most students aren't out drinking every night, since a lot of people have work to do or have a class in the morning. Plus most students don't have the money to go out every night. However, it seems like when they do decide to go out and socialise, most students go out to some club or party and get drunk. I don't want to generalize here, I'm just stating my observations.

I don't like getting drunk period, in fact I don't really like alcohol, since I hate its affects on people. Also, I find clubs really boring, since I don't enjoy dancing and the music is far too loud to be able to have a conversation with someone.

PS Sorry if this sounds like a rant.

[Kaspian]

I am no fan of alcohol and loud clubs, either. Perhaps I had an atypical college experience, but the people I spent time with had little interest in those things. The musicians focused on improving their skill on their instruments, and the science crowd considered studying at a coffee house "going out." (Okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but not much.) Most of my socializing occurred between classes, before rehearsals and during breaks, and study sessions.

I took classes that interested me, tried to avoid those that didn't, worked on two related degrees and a third, unrelated major, played in orchestras outside the university, and mostly stayed interested in what I was doing.

Yes, I eventually burned out from being WAY too busy and dropped the science degree, but biology and genetics still fascinate me, and I continue to enjoy music professionally.

What's my point? Do college on your own terms. Study for a degree that interests you. Take classes that appeal to you, whether they're in your major or not. Avoid or drop classes that are boring or have unreasonable professors.

If you're not finding a degree that appeals to you and if you are bored by every class you take, consider leaving college, at least for now. (You say that dropping out isn't an option, but there are always options, and you have that choice.) Allow yourself the possibility that you might not ever want to come back. You'll be happier in the long run if you come back to it when you really want it—if you really want it.