academics: how do you enjoy what you're studying?

[lespauldude]

i've always studied for the grade throughout schooling and that has given me enough motivation to study hard (e.g. to get the gpa to get into college). now that i've gotten into a good college, i've just gotten so tired of trying and studying.

is there a way to study just for the fun of it? i know i can do that with reading but i have studying (espcially math and science) so tied to pain and work that it stresses me out and i often lose concentration while working.

any suggestions?

[Amro]

Quick Fix: link what you currently find boring to something you find deeply interesting.

Path Of Greatest Growth: ditch your major/switch to something that excites you.


The two options aren't really mutually exclusive; in my experience, following the "quick fix" deep enough gave me insights into the interrelatedness of seemingly different fields.

[CoolBee]

LPD - what are you studying and why?

[aelle]

Originally Posted by Amro

Quick Fix: link what you currently find boring to something you find deeply interesting.

Path Of Greatest Growth: ditch your major/switch to something that excites you.


The two options aren't really mutually exclusive; in my experience, following the "quick fix" deep enough gave me insights into the interrelatedness of seemingly different fields.

Absolutely.

Learning is meant to be exciting. If studying is making you apathetic and bored, you need to seriously reconsider why you are studying, what you are studying, how you are studying. And by all means do it quickly, before you're not just bored with your classes but with learning overall.

[allen080105]

I felt like that when I majored in accounting in college. I would go to class, look around the room and see if other people were as bored out of their mind as I was. I think it was because it was so distant from me. I would have been way more interested in accounting if I had a business and had to do serious accounting for it.

I would say find something that you're interested in and can use right now. I enjoy learning about different aspects of personal growth or music because I can implement what I learn right away.

[rohan]

I can completely relate to your situation. I too am struggling to get through my courses. Since I HATE studying under pressure or out of fear (of low grades etc) I end up procrastinating (coupled with apathy towards my course).

HOW THE HELL do you make your studies seem more interesting?

[saif]

You have to love what you study and also do it as a hobby. However for me, exams let that thinking down. I am a practical person and find myself getting top marks in practicals and always looking forward to them but dread going in for exams and spend more time worrying about them than actually preparing for them.

[rei]

i will probably be following this thread as i would also enjoy suggestions for this issue.

to the OP: i understand what you're talking about. i don't know whether you are at the graduate or undergraduate level, but at the undergrad level the school expects you to want a 'well-rounded' education, which typically means you won't be naturally interested in every subject you take.

but you can generate interest. as someone said, you can link the topic to something you're already interested in. get creative with it... everything, and i mean everything, is connected. so you can look at making those connections more obvious to yourself.

another idea i have is actually a personal development option. you said:

"but i have studying (espcially math and science) so tied to pain and work that it stresses me out and i often lose concentration while working."

deciding a subject is not interesting or creating a connection to pain and effort is a form of attachment and an assumption. what was true in the past doesn't HAVE to be true now. you can shift your perspective. consciously release the assumption that studying is always a chore. make this shift into a game if that makes it easier... decide you will set a goal to study for just one less interesting subject and look at it as a valuable endeavor worthy of your time just because you signed up for the class. studying is only excessively like a chore or painful if you decide to see it that way.

i am taking a class this semester that i have no interest in: management of a non-profit organization. i don't want to be a manager and the format of the class (entirely online) leads me to find the subject even less interesting. but i have noticed the process of homework, assignments, etc. is so much more of a drag if i dread it, if i remind myself i don't like the topics or the format of the class. there are times when i set those beliefs aside and focus on learning the actual material, without my attachment (in the form of an attempt to avoid something i've labeled unpleasant). when i don't tell myself it's unpleasant, the whole process is more enjoyable and i probably learn better too because that attachment (wanting to avoid the activity) is a type of resistance. so it's the difference between trying to walk through mud and walking on one of those airport treadmills. i've provided my own experience here to show you that it really can make a difference to shift our perspective about learning.

also make sure you have scheduled time that is not related to academics. whether it's sports, arts, socializing, gaming, something you don't have to study for. this will be really valuable in avoiding burnout or keeping it from getting any worse as you shift your perspective.

good luck!