How do you keep yourself motivated in education?

January 7, 2013 4:05pm CST
I am slowly finding myself coming to a road-block. I am at university and really enjoyed my first year. I'm half way through second year now and to be honest I am hating it. I don't enjoy what I am learning anymore, I don't see myself working with what I am doing in a future job and everyone just seems to be falling apart. Right now I just do not want to carry on. So my question is, how do you guys get through the times where you have no motivation and just want to quit? People just keep telling me to keep going and it will get better, but its rubbish advice that doesn't help the situation. Look forward to your replies!
8 responses
• United States
9 Jan 13
First, you have to find out what you want to do after college. If you truly love what you do, it isn't work it is doing what you love and getting paid for it. You might want to talk to your guidance councler and see what degree plans your college have and what jobs they can provide. Then go from there.
@Shavkat (140157)
• Philippines
9 Jan 13
The only thing that made me keep on going to study in college days is to have a better future. Graduating from college is a very rewarding and you will bring proud to people close to you. It may seems so difficult or boring but you just need to accept as a challenge.
• United States
8 Jan 13
Don't worry, this happens from too much stress of school. In the beginning, we have the urge to study because it is the first year in college. But then as we keep moving ahead we get tired of all the classes and that is what prevents us from learning. I went through it. There were times when I thought I was getting old and I could no longer take the burden of all the exams and projects. But I was still in my early 20s. From my experience, I can say that it is best to let a hard class accompany two or three easy ones. Stress will be even less if one of them turns out to be online. All hard classes in one semester turn life into hell. They also ruin GPA and health! Never even think of taking two math classes together. They get intermingled and then ruin exam moments. Also never go to school all 4 or 5 days a week. Keep two days off in between. This really helps! All you need to do is plan your schedule in that way. I did it and saw the difference in GPA. I never wanted to quit. I thought this would shatter my life. In my entire university life, I did not even take a summer off. I carried on and it was made possible by a few online classes. They truly are the best things American universities have come up with.
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
8 Jan 13
One motivation that i used to continue my study is our current status in life. We are not rich but not poor, in other words we are just in the middle. This make me motivated to pursue my study. Another is that my parents are really proud of me on my study and my willingness to finish my school. What more if I graduated, they are most probably one of the happiest parent. In my case, there are also times that I want to quit but I just keep on thinking positively and I can make it to the finish line. Hope this experience helped you in motivating you to pursue your school.
• India
8 Jan 13
Ok, first year of every one passes by experiencing the college life. But the situation you mention, I had too gone from this. The subjects we were studying in second year was absolutely absurd. But there are some subjects that will definitely be useful for you career. Go on and concentrate on those subjects. It's just not that you should be bound to the syllabus, you can go beyond that and can learn a lot from other resources. College is the time where you have to explore other areas apart from studies and chilling with friends. Participate in events that take place through out the year in your college. Indulge in those activities that you cherish the most. Have a holistic approach in college life.
• India
8 Jan 13
Hi friend, sad to hear about this, i wonder why you lost your motivation? during college days education is our only responsibility and we must give our full focus with it. I will share a story here, hope you will get motivation after reading it. A small boy near to my household is doing 4th standard in a private school, he is not good in studies and always get poor marks, some of his relatives suggested his father to admit him in a normal school, since he is studying very poorly and his money is gone as waste. But his father is having faith with his son. This kind of under estimation made a change in the boy and he studied very hard, as a result he got first mark in the class in the quarterly exam. Now his father is very happy and the relatives felt shame.
@aabuda (1722)
• Philippines
7 Jan 13
I came from a poor family and believe me, I have struggled a lot in order to graduate from college. I tried to excel my studies eventhough I was taking up Statistics which was a very tough course for me, and I also tried politics in the University which paved way in order for me to have a scholarship and allowed me to travel in distant places for free in our country which I was not dreaming of reaching. I realized that money is a hindrance for me in order to succeed. So during summer break, I usually applied for any student jobs which help me to gain money. Our social and financial status made me realized to struggle a lot and to finish my studies in order to land a job in order for me to help my family and my self. Just try thinking for your future. And you will realized the value of education.
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
7 Jan 13
Oh, it's a hard question. I've dealt with problems like that, I even slacked and delayed 2 years (I have to mention that I was raised in an achievement-oriented family, and my high school years were a nightmare, so I felkt that I should take some time off before I get completely burnt out and crazy). What you should do, I think, is: -to realize how important studying and getting a degree is to excel on the job market and get a workplace and job you would enjoy -praise and reward yourself if you complete a task which is connected to the university . smaller rewards for smaller tasks, bigger rewards for bigger task... it would work even better if you didn't reward yourself or bought stuff for yourself which you don't need throughout the taskless time :) -have breaks when you study, go out to the nature a lot, have enough sleep, read a lot, eat healthily... just have a healthy, balanced life, and always be bright and alive and awake for classes -talk to a psychologist to get to know yourself and stuff like why you get into a mood like this (I was afraid of this, but no, going to a psychologist doesn't mean you're mad... I've visited the psychologist for about 1/4 a year now, and it's such a good feeling to tell everything that annoys you to a stranger who wouldn't judge, really) -if you think what you study won't get you anywhere, stop it and start another major or any special courses (or start working if that interests you more)