EPT
Serious motivational problems
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eMbrace
United States1300 Posts
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Husky
United States3362 Posts
I have a horrible time paying attention to classes that I dont find interesting. As an example, I took computer classes for the last two years (web design, networking, a little programming, lots of applications classes, servers, stuff like that) and my GPA for all those was 3.8. Fast forward to where I am now having to take English, Biology, etc etc, my GPA is actually failing. Because of that I'm going back to the stuff I care most about, computers. I was the same way in highschool as well. I was super lazy and still got by just fine. I wouldnt even do the readings and could somehow pass all my classes without a second thought. I've just never found studying too important unless its something I am genuinely interested in. The best example of this in my person life is my YouTube page. I can easily spend 5-6 hours making videos for that, but give me a 1 hour essay to write to pass a class and I have the hardest time focusing. Its not that I'm not smart, I just dont see the point. Hope that makes sense. I know getting good grades and passing all the 'basic' classes is important, I just have the hardest time with them. | ||
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Mikilatov
United States3897 Posts
I've had issues with similar motivation problems, as well as many other similar problems (which you may have as well and not even realize or know about) and they all stemmed from this same thing. It's not typically what people think of when they think of A.D.D., but it certainly affects more than just out of control hyperactive kids. Just a thought, if you want to know more, let me know. edit: Also, check this if you want more info, too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_ADD | ||
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Clow
Brazil880 Posts
As I was getting older, my motivation in school dropped so much I almost failed. Today I have so many things I'd like to do (or need to) but I can't get motivated, and in the end I just waste my time. I don't really know what to do, and I'm starting to get more and more worried about it... | ||
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eMbrace
United States1300 Posts
On July 31 2009 09:24 Mikilatov wrote: I can't say anything conclusively of course, but it sounds like there's a possibility that you could have adult A.D.D. If you can, talk to a doctor about this problem and see what he/she has to say. I've had issues with similar motivation problems, as well as many other similar problems (which you may have as well and not even realize or know about) and they all stemmed from this same thing. It's not typically what people think of when they think of A.D.D., but it certainly affects more than just out of control hyperactive kids. Just a thought, if you want to know more, let me know. edit: Also, check this if you want more info, too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_ADD Yeah I read the wiki and it nails my problems pretty accurately. I fully believe that I don't need a doctor to handle myself though. The problem is so simple that being told to go to a doctor just motivated me a whole lot to improve myself. I actually feel a bit better now =p Thanks | ||
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Clasic
Bosnia-Herzegovina1437 Posts
best of luck to ya =D | ||
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Sigh
Canada2433 Posts
Thinking like " If i dont do well in school, i'll be a damn hobo for the rest of my life " usually increases my motivation... slightly... for a couple of days, rofl. zzzzzz | ||
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Gliche
United States811 Posts
Basically my advice is to find something that really interests you. Not something just for the grade, or just for show. It doesn't have to be a school subject. It could be a goal of some sort, an idea of where you want to be, a task you want to learn how to do, an issue you want to figure out. And try a shitload of new things once you hit college. You'll make lots of friends and eventually find something you're passionate about. From there, work towards it and school will come easier after that because you'll see it not as a chore but as a stepping stone to where you want to get. My parents hated how spread out and unfocused I was at first, but if you stumble through school just for the grades, you won't make it out the other side in good shape imo. Right now I'm finishing up university and know exactly what I want to do. I switched through majors ranging from aerospace engineering to psychology and liked every second of it as long as I was going in the direction I personally set for myself. I don't know if this was good advice or not but it seemed like a good idea for me. Just like how TL has its place in the community because it's passionate about Starcraft, you won't get anywhere past D+ level in life if you aren't passionate about something yourself. | ||
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Hiphopapotamus
United States121 Posts
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Rev0lution
United States1805 Posts
If you are planning on getting A's specially if you are in the sciences or math you better start studying 4 hours every day, I'm taking Orgo next semester and I am already hitting the books during the summer. | ||
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Archaic
United States4024 Posts
On July 31 2009 09:19 HuskyTheHusky wrote: wow, this blog sounds just like me haha. And since I'm earlier in the stage, I just hope I can find motivation to be working hard on my studies, as I do hope the same for you. | ||
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eMbrace
United States1300 Posts
On July 31 2009 10:13 Rev0lution wrote: Welcome to higher education, highschool is a fucking joke. If you are planning on getting A's specially if you are in the sciences or math you better start studying 4 hours every day, I'm taking Orgo next semester and I am already hitting the books during the summer. 0_o, i'm doing better in college then I ever was in highschool the difficulty of school has nothing to do with my issue | ||
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Kletus
Canada580 Posts
I think you just need to find something that really interests you. | ||
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D00dles
Cambodia217 Posts
I've also left pretty much all my work til the last moment, i try and fucking do it but i can't.. I can't explain it, i'll just leave it to the last moment every single fucking time. I think it's because i never really enjoyed any of the subjects i was studying and pretty much every single teacher doesn't care with the exception of a few that were awesome. So, i'm going to uni this september to study Archaeology.. Maybe because it's something i find interesting i'll be able to get out of the shitstorm i've been in revision/study wise and finally be able to sit down and do work instead of doing anything but it. If it's something you enjoy, you should have no trouble doing work towards said enjoyment. For instance; Back at my school, you could choose french or german.. nothing else, this shit was compulsory up until sixth form.. I was good at french but i didn't care as i didn't want to learn this shit in the first place, if it was something not boring (Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese. etc.etc.) I would of found it very enjoyable. | ||
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n.DieJokes
United States3443 Posts
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Hypnosis
United States2061 Posts
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KaasZerg
Netherlands927 Posts
The effects are very variable and interact with things happening in your life. | ||
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Xeris
Iran17695 Posts
On July 31 2009 09:13 eMbrace wrote: I've been a straight 'A' student all the way up to my freshman year in highschool. My grades gradually started falling from there, I even ended up failing a couple optional AP classes, or getting Ds in simple math classes. Straight A student in elementary school and middle school? You make that sound like some kind of accomplishment, high school is easy as shit but compared to that middle school is like child's play, getting straight A's there means absolutely nothing because as long as you are even slightly above average intelligence you should be able to do that. I personally think school is the easiest shit in the world, and because of that maybe I didn't take it seriously. The "smartest" kids and even the valedictorian study for like 5 hours a day for a simple history test -- all I do is read the chapter and ace it. I'm not bragging, I'm just trying to point out that I'm fully capable. I'm pretty sure the smartest kids were still smarter than you. The difference between them and you though is work ethic. You make it seem like studying for 5 hours for a 'simple history test' is a bad thing. Guess what.. A valedictorian is going to end up at Harvard or some other Ivy (for the most part)... and where are you now? A state school? If all you needed to do was read the chapters and ace tests then why were you getting D's? The teachers were terrible people, and I know kids always complain about that but honestly -- 90% of the teachers there were lazier than I was. I started to hate homework because I thought the concept of it was stupid -- if I can ace everything you throw at me but forget to practice before hand, why am I labeled as a bad student? You're not lazy, you just like to say that you are lazy to absolve yourself of the responsibility of thinking you're better than you are. That's not the issue. You could put me in a room with nothing to do but my homework and I will stare at the wall instead. I will only bring myself to do my work at the last minute, because I guess that pressure motivates me -- sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't. It's a serious problem. That is a serious problem, I used to be like that. If what I said before sounded harsh, sorry, but anyways here's my input. You are right in saying that you shouldn't need to go to a doctor for something this simple. It isn't a medical issue, it's a personal issue. Basically here's the deal. You think you have some sort of entitlement because you are smart, but guess what? There are 460980986409 other smart people to. You call yourself lazy and whatever else because it's akin to taking the easy way out. You know you're smart but the others around you are much more successful. "Well, I'm just as smart as them... but I'm just lazy". That's the biggest bullshit copout ever, and I know because I used to say that in high school. When I was in high school I thought it was all about potential, I'd say "well I know I'm smart so things will just work out for me". Wrong. Nobody gives two shits about your potential unless you're making the most of it. You can't sit there and say "oh school is easy and if I tried harder I'd be doing better." That's the case for EVERYONE, you're not special. You aren't as successful as you want to be, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and calling yourself lazy and do shit. If you find that you're not able to, it's most likely because you've been telling yourself that you're lazy for so long that your brain now has developed a mental block. I'm sure you were just like me in high school, where you thought you were hot shit because you could not study and end up getting some decent grades... only now you realize that what you have is actually a problem, and nobody thinks what you do is cool because soon after high school people realize the payoff that people who studied hard actually got (I.E going to a much better place than a state school). It took me a year to break out of that mold, and now I'm doing just fine... but it takes a lot of work on your part. The deal is that you're never going to be able to coast through life based off your potential alone and if you have any aspirations of making something big of yourself, now is the time to start. | ||
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eMbrace
United States1300 Posts
I'll be able to solve this myself, I'm pretty sure -- I just wanted to see if anyone else had similar situations and what they went through or did to resolve it. | ||
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v1rtu0so
United States140 Posts
This is not an ego problem. I myself developed a similar problem as I entered university, which happens to be a top school, making it harder to keep up with others with this kind of problem. Here's what I try to do. I keep a flowchart of concrete steps to get me working and keep working. For example, 1)Try to keep a good pace of working and feeling accomplishment if not 2) Sit down, rationalize that not slacking off will lead not only to better life, but way less stress and guilt in the long term -- it is the logical thing to do in any sense therefore, force myself to a) stop what i am doing right now b) put the distractors away, put on music that helps u focus etc c) JUST DO IT d)try to enjoy feeling of accomplishment and habitualize What i do is to keep this flowchart and force myself to reference it whenever I am procrastinating etc. It is also important that you update and modify it as u see fit, as you change etc This is not a panacea -- I still have a lot of motivation/procratinating issues -- but it helps and hopefully I can develop a solid habit eventually from it. | ||
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