Keeping that desire to do better going?

[Liquid Blue]

A friend of mine who's going to become a docter gave me this advice-

It doesn't sound like burnout, just a lack of focus.

The best remedy for a lack of focus is some sort of staunch reminder of why you're there; the driving reason why you work as hard as you do to obtain the goals you're pushing towards. Try and envision every minute as a small piece of the whole that will eventually become your reality, whether it be attached to your academics or not. In the classroom and at home, every project brings you that much closer. Strive for the highest standard and accept no less from yourself.

So I want to be a physician, an MD, a medical professional, etc etc etc. It's tough to stay focused on that goal all the time, just like it's tough to stay focused on anything that you're dead-set on achieving in the long run. Whenever I start to lose focus, I flip to the Discovery Health channel and watch shows like Paramedics, Trauma and The Critical Hour. It sounds hokey but it always reminds me of why I've chosen that career path and what it's going to take to get there.

This all sounds a bit broad and sweeping, but it's a mindset that's done me well.

[Theif of Time]

now that is good advice.

[NaiLed]

I used to be fine with all my homework -- I used to be able to do it without any problems. But since I started 6th form, I've really been slacking. Maybe it's to do with the amount of homework/coursework - the more I get the more reluctant I am to do any of it.

I agree with what LB said though; these few years will affect the rest of my life - may as well make them count.

[Evasive]

2 words

tony robbins

[Sufficient]

Good advice LB.

[Liquid Blue]

So I've fallen into this period of apathy again, looking back at this topic helps a little bit, but I dunno. I have a few friends who are also in a slump of motivation, as well as Mrs. Blue when it comes to school. Could it be something to do with our generation or high standard of living that contribute to a lack of motivation?

EDIT: For me in terms of school it just feels like such a waste of time. I go to a small school, and have had the same guy for about 90% of my 2D animation classes- thing is, he's into makeup/special effects more than traditional animation, you can tell this by how he teaches and by his portfolio. We have no real 2D animators here to teach (I can't blame them) , and I feel like I never learn enough in the classes to warrant the time or money spent on them. Then there is the case of 3D animation, something which I find to be a complete waste of time. I'd seriously rather work as a garbage man then sit in front of a computer every day doing 3D work, it's that mind-numbingly boring and soul-sucking to me. I have 3 classes atm, Acting for Animators, Materials and Lighting, and Intermediate 3D Animation.

Acting for Animators- Teacher is the same guy that's taught my other 2D classes, and like before I don't feel like I've learned stuff in his class. Almost everyone else feels the same way (we've talked about it at various times as a group)- he's not a bad guy, just either has no idea how to teach the subjects they give him, or doesn't teach very well. He's also mad introverted, so he never can really express a whole lot of emotion, which is counter-productive when trying to teach animation classes, especially an Acting for Animators class. Intermediate 3D is "ok" because the teacher is cool, but I still find a massive blackhole where motivation should be most of the time- in fact I need to head over there now. More later, bleh.

[NaiLed]

yeah, i would say so.

i'm also terrible at putting things off to the last minute; i tend to look at the short term rather than the long term. will finishing this piece of coursework now make things easier in a few weeks? probably. am i going to do it? sod off

[ZeUs!!]

Degrees are over-rated, you could end up working for the British government spending the time making shiney boxes for you boss to keep his sick records in

[Mr. Peanuts]

In the last few weeks I started working a lot more in college, getting things done and after I've done it I get a great feeling, but for some reason I'm still quite reluctant to start the work, even though by the end of the day I will be pleased with what I've done.

Hard work pays off later, laziness pays off now.

[a falling tree]

I do know what you mean, mr. Peanuts. I'm in ICT in college. More specifically programming.
Now, the way they described it at first it was going to be an all round course.

go figure, it's not. That demotivated me. I want to continue, but my drive to continue is gone. We're almost 3/4th of the year now and the drive is, besides that last shred of Hardware & "tech support"-class we get, gone.

I do want to work...it's not fun enough. Now I know I shouldn't expect it to be all fun & games...but still.
Starting on some assignment is always crap, but as you said, you'll feel a lot better when you finished it and can say: am I glad that's finished, and a nice job I did.

[Troll King]

I'm not sure how many people knew this, but I recently went back to school. I'm in a journalism program at a local college. For me, motivation hasn't been a problem, but that's mainly because of the reasons I've gone back to school. I didn't feel that I could fully use my creativity in teaching, and a lot of what attracted me to that was bogged down by bureaucracy.

So far I've been doing well in the journalism program. Writing for the school paper, I'm enjoying my work, and have even taken on more work than I need. We have to do one article per week for the paper, and during Reading Week (our "spring break", if you will, only it's in February) I worked on three for the next edition.

My instructors have given me great feedback. One of them even said that I was a good writer but also had potential for being an editor and entering the management side. That has motivated me into doing something I usually avoid doing: taking a leadership role. I've never thought of myself as a leader. I'm usually better in a secondary role working beside a leader. I usually say that I don't make a good captain but would make a great lieutenant. But with how I am doing so far, and with confidence and motivation from my teachers and peers, I accepted the role of Editor-in-Chief for the magazine our class is producing. And so far, it's been hectic and stressful, but I'm actually enjoying it.

I can tell that a lot of my classmates are feeling the same lack of motivation that you described, LB. I think that at this time of year, that's a common feeling as you pass the midpoint of a semester. Part of my role as the EiC is to keep my team motivated and I've been trying to do that. It is tough however, but one of the things that's been keeping me motivated is knowing that I have to be, if I want to keep the rest of the class motivated too.

The only snag, however, was that as of this morning, instructors at colleges in Ontario collectively went on strike after labour talks with colleges fell through. While some people feel they wouldn't mind a bit of a break, I've been through a prolonged strike during my undergraduate university years and am rather more anxious to get things started again.

[Galleleo]

I am soo hopeless at doing stuff for college. Like last week I had vacation for a week and I was planning on reading alot, getting back up to the point where I should have been, in the end I have done absolutely nothing during that vacation for Uni.

I have a couple of problems, first: concentration.. I cannot stay concentrated on something cept if I really, really, really like it. For example, I like football alot, but on matches that don't involve Ajax or the dutch team and that don't involve very good, offensive football.. I can't stay concentrated on it. Same with stuff for Uni, I am studying law and management right now, and law is already a pretty tough study, specially language wise, how the books are written and stuff. So after 10/15 min of reading I started thinking about other stuff and I have to read stuff twice or three times to really read what it says because I am thinking off something else while reading it. Management has an easier language and I find it way more interesting so it's not that hard to read it, but it's alot and that also gets to me in the end.

So far, I have made 2 exams, 1 for law and 1 for management, I failed the one for law and I am 2 exams behind on Law. So I know I really HAVE to work and keep up to make it this year, because I have to pass every single class to be able to start next year. Then again, I am not someone who panics quickly, so I am not panicing at all right now, or stressing or whatever.

Another problem is that I have never actually had to do anything to get good grades, for my final exams for High School, I had done every course the day before, and for English, History and Dutch I hadn't really done anything at all, but I easily passed them. Uni however is like 15 steps higher then high school and if I keep doing what I am used to doing, I prob won't make it. I just need pressure to really sit down and study, if an exam is 2/3 weeks away I simply can't get myself to really study.. I can be like: I am gonna read 50 pages everyday from now on.. but I know I'll read 10 the first day and think, mwah I'll catch up tommorow, and then I won't etc.. But like I said, I don't panic easily, and I am still very confident all will be well, I have a huge test coming up in 3 weeks, (4 exams). I'll see where I am at after that. Only downside atm is that I know that I already have to come back in August to redo an exam.. wich cuts into my summer vacation, but it's my own fault in the end.

[ZeUs!!]

You're presuming there's a desire to do better present in the first place

[Sufficient]

http://lifehacker.com/
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/p...ion-154286.php

[Bioture]

For me, the best way is probably to clarify the good things that can come about doing well. Although sometimes, the desire to do better in school is on the bottom of your "desires" list.