Searching for motivation - I don't want to let my degree slip away!

Kristoph

Kristoph

Kristoph

Soldato
Joined
11 May 2007
Posts
8,303
Hey,

Dunno if many of you can relate, but I'm in my 2nd year of uni and see myself probably ending up with a 2.2, when I know I'm capable of a 2.1 or maybe even a 1st.

I was the same at college, I'd do just enough work to get by, often leaving coursework so close to the deadline I'd end up doing it the morning I needed to hand it in. I'd still do well enough to get an average grade, but I know I could have done a lot better if I'd put the effort in.

Now I was going to spend a 3rd year at college, but was accepted to Uni late!

I sorta scraped through my 1st year, just enough to get by - often leaving it all to the last minute, even though I told myself I'd get it done early...

Now its my 2nd year, and last year I told myself I wouldn't do that again this year as I'd done it at college and my 1st year at uni!

Guess what, I'm doing it again...

I can't physically motivate myself enough to get work done early, I always see it as a chore, I always leave it till the last minute, I always get average grades...

I'm going to end up kicking myself when I've finished uni and I think back and realise I've wasted the 3 years away.



Did any of you manage to pull yourself out of it? Or did you end up with a grade you weren't entirely happy with? How has it affected you getting a job etc?
 
Something that ****** me right off about the course I'm on.

They advertise all this creative design you will be doing, oh yeaaa its awesome etc

Then when it comes to it, we do more paperwork and boring sheet than actual design

Tutors wonder why i always have photoshop open or something >_<
 
i have problems trying to get started aswell..

best thing ive found is as soon as you get any work, just start it, even if its only a little bit, you know in your head your already that little bit closer to doing it, then i find myself sitting down for a good few hours getting through lots and lots of work...

works for me :)
 
Im in my 3rd year of a Graphic Design degree now, after Easter i've got a 5 week project and then thats me done, throughout the whole year i've wasted massive amounts of time and now im left playing catch-up in whats meant to be a couple of weeks off. Every project i've had in this year has left me pulling tonnes of all-nighters cause I left everything to the last minute...hell my dissertation I did 4.5k words in one night and only just got it in 5 mins before the deadline....dumb way of doing things.


Just remember dude, uni goes by so sodding fast and then its time to make the real money, I just keep thinking that soon enough ill be able to make some good amounts of cash and spend it on the things I really enjoy, but you can only do that if you knuckle down and get things sorted now.
 
competitiveness.
mainly with siblings but also with friends, iv beaten by brother + sister at every academic stage so far, they both got 2:1's so ill be damned if im getting anything less than a first.

although saying that i havnt attended a single lecture this year which is pretty bad, im still averaging a 1st though but only just, and its first year so it will get harder. but my logic is ill go when the work actually counts towards my degree, hope it happens.
 
Well year 2 is worth 30% and my 3rd year is worth 70%.

I'll probably end up with 55% average this year, so thats like 16.5% of my overall grade.

I'd need to get 65% average in my final year, which is 45.5% of my overall grade. Meaning I'd get a 2.1...

I've not completely lost reach of a 2.1, just making it harder for myself.
 
I'm not at uni but I do have a serious problem with procrastination. If I've got a job to do (normally involving a spreadsheet or some PHP) I'll put it off until I realise that the deadline has already passed.

The key is to rid yourself of distractions. Block OcUK, block eBay, block MSN. Uninstall all your games. Take a laptop to the library and work there. Promise yourself a reward when you're done and get stuck in.

If you find the subject utterly boring, perhaps a change of degree?
 
mp3kla said:
Guess what, I'm doing it again...

I can't physically motivate myself enough to get work done early, I always see it as a chore, I always leave it till the last minute, I always get average grades...

I'm going to end up kicking myself when I've finished uni and I think back and realise I've wasted the 3 years away.
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did the same. in college just let it pass me by and got rubbish A levels and im doing it again in uni, already accepted i wont/cant pass my first year at the 60% i need to jump into a second year degree (doing a foundation) and even if i did i'd be screwed because i can't get to grips with coding which is what i want to do but due to missing a month+ of lecture from the late start i'm finding it impossible. I'm just gonna finish this first year and then see what my options are really which will likely be drop out or finish the ****** foundation course which is boring the stuffing out of me.....:(
 
Nimzicki said:
Just remember dude, uni goes by so sodding fast and then its time to make the real money, I just keep thinking that soon enough ill be able to make some good amounts of cash and spend it on the things I really enjoy, but you can only do that if you knuckle down and get things sorted now.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that...

This 2nd year has gone extremely quickly. I've got my proposal for my dissertation to hand in next friday, as soon as I've finished the assignments I have for wednesday, I'll be starting it thursday!!!

THATS A PROMISE!
 
I know how you feel. Everywhere advertises their courses as amazing/interesting/exciting and they all turn out to be boring and crap.
 
I'm not motivated at all but luckily still get 75-95% on all work. Don't think that will cut it in my final year though.
 
I thought my course would be a lot more interesting than it is. Doing forensic science...

About 30% of it is actually interesting, but the rest is just padded out with such a broad range of subjects, like maths, law, research methods... Some bits are interesting, like Forensic science in practice, Biological Anthropology and Biochemistry.
 
mp3kla said:
THATS A PROMISE!
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i feel for you i really do, i get your feelings all the time as my course if not where i should be, should be much higher, and it is not what i want to do work wise, the course is just designed to teach you to jump through hoops as opposed to actually learning anything useful, but thankfully i have a really great gf to get me by and keep me going. if it weren't for her i would be in a much worse position then i am in atm motivation wise.

one thing i find that makes things worse is how like you,i promise myself something and get really determined to do it, espcially happens when im lying in bed going to sleep, i say you knwo what, im going to set an alarm for 6am, get up, work, do 2 months of work in 2 hours, and then earn so much money, have all coursework done before i even get set it, and then when it comes to it i don't, but i know full well i have promised myself to do it i just can't be bothered, this then makes me more ****** at myself and even less botehred to do it.

do you have an big hobbies other then computers? perhaps you are spending too much time at a computer meaing you don't get a chance to be thankful of the time you have on it to learn and work. try taking up new hobbies setting aside days where you woudln't go on the thing not even to check emails, you may soon start to really want to go back and get your butt into gear, or not then you knwo it's time to change career but atleast you will find out.
 
Well I've got 1 year left to go, and will finish my degree around May 2009...
There aren't really any other degrees I'd fancy switching over to, and I don't want to be here any longer than May 2009 as I'm (hopefully) moving to NZ in Dec 2009.

Which adds pressure to this year at uni - if I fail I've been told by my parents they'd rather I came out to NZ with them than stay an extra year finishing my degree off.

I'd hate to go out there next December without a degree under my belt.
 
I went through a period like this during my law degree. Bottom line is that its gonna take some will-power for you to get the good grade you want. It's easy for me to say you gotta discipline yourself and just knuckle down, but its true.

One thing I tried was going to the gym in the morning, or in the afternoon to break up your day. Give yourself a dam good workout and set yourself targets in the gym. You will feel better about yourself if you can at least meet these physical targets. Plus there's benefits for mind and body to be had from exercise. Good luck!
 
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