Hey guys,

I'm in summer school doing some required courses to advance to second year. However I'm finding it extremely difficult to actually sit down and so the necessary work. I guess you could say I'm not motivated at all.

I understand a lot is at stake here for me but that doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I would really appreciate it if you guys can share your experiences or motivating factors.

Thanks much
-Ish

P.S I've already seen Paush's Last Lecture. Loved it, it's been an inspiring video to me for years but it's not working anymore :/

Originally Posted by Ish001

Hey guys,

I'm in summer school doing some required courses to advance to second year. However I'm finding it extremely difficult to actually sit down and so the necessary work. I guess you could say I'm not motivated at all.

I understand a lot is at stake here for me but that doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I would really appreciate it if you guys can share your experiences or motivating factors.

Thanks much
-Ish

P.S I've already seen Paush's Last Lecture. Loved it, it's been an inspiring video to me for years but it's not working anymore :/

I'd offer you advice, but I have a midterm worth 50% of my final mark in two and a half hours and I pretty much just started studying yesterday. Also, I'm on MacInsiders right now.

p.s. accounting sucks

Originally Posted by Entropy

I'd offer you advice, but I have a midterm worth 50% of my final mark in two and a half hours and I pretty much just started studying yesterday. Also, I'm on MacInsiders right now.

p.s. accounting sucks

is it 3ab3? 3 hour lectures with hao are terrible

Originally Posted by Commie8507

is it 3ab3? 3 hour lectures with hao are terrible

Heh, not even. I'm in 2AA3 with Paul Ianni right now. He's a pretty cool dude but I find overly air-conditioned environments (like BSB B136 in the summer >.>) extremely easy to fall asleep in, which suddenly makes sitting near the front not such a great idea.

Some real advice: find someone or a group of people that you don't like and/or you know you should do better than. Push yourself to do better than them at the risk of your pride being shattered if you don't.

That's probably the only reason I even bothered to start studying yesterday.

I'm in the same boat as you! but I force myself to sit down and do my work because I know that's the right thing to do and I don't want any regrets later. Also, having short term goals help such as wanting a certain mark in the class so your CA goes up for second year. And having competition seems to help most often and it doesn't have to be competition with someone in class, it can just be yourself (trying to improve yourself, get out of this habit). But I would say force yourself to sit down, focus, and study. If you get distracted just focus again because once you get into studying than you won't think about motivation or anything.

PS - " “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”

I've been rewarding 30 minutes of continous study with skittles. So far I'm doing okay.

Originally Posted by RyanC

I've been rewarding 30 minutes of continous study with skittles. So far I'm doing okay.

I like skittles :o

@OP

The amount of money you pay for your tuition fees?

Motivation is a tricky thing, we all become unmotivated from time to time, that's normal, that's human and that's natural. I think the question you should be asking, is what is motivation and how can be generated in your mind? If you wiki motivation, for a basic understanding 2 factors contribute to motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic reasons for being motivated include enjoying the task itself, this exists within you. This is a rather complicated part, as it is both internal and personal. Extrinsic motivation comes inside the individual, this is the more common form of motivation. You realize you have a exam that is worth 50% of your mark the next day, you WILL study because there is SOCIAL/ACADEMIC PRESSURE. It comes outside of your internal motivation. A good example is having a job, many people hate their job and only do it for money, which is an extrinsic reason. Volunteers, may do work because they intrinsically enjoy that particular activity. For instance, a girl who likes animals volunteers with a animal shelter, she receives positive feedback from the experience and therefore that makes it pleasurable, and thus it may lead to more emotional and internal motivation. Now I don't want to go into anymore details. In order to motivate yourself, you have to ask what makes me feel like I want to get up and go. You need to induce positive emotions in yourself surrounding your course. One strategy I like using is alternating between a task I enjoy/ have intrinsic motivation and the work the course requires. I find the positive experience and feeling of motivation in that 1 "fun" task, will tend to carry over to the alternate task, which is your course work. Be one with the activity you do, embrace, and become more and rise above! It's a bit of psychology, but it does make sense. Just give it time and you will succeed.

Silent Hero

I also find listening to music I enjoy, that is positive and motivating can help. This makes work more fun, as long as you don't get too distracted. I hope this helps.

I find that having a some sort of sense of responsibility helps. I mean for myself, my most profound role so far in the world is being a student. I feel that I should continue my studies because I should and need to, otherwise.. my life really isn't much.

Getting started is the hardest part, so focus on a strategy for that. Be it isolation in the library, study room or some random room in BSB. Keeping deadlines in mind might also help, so that hopefully you eventually realize you're going to run out of time if you don't start now.

guys I actually had the opposite problem, I'd be too amped (I guess you could call it greed) thinking about how successful I'd be one day, and all the money I'd make, and the nice car I'd have, That I couldn't go to sleep lol. I'd study hard, but if anything wasn't on the path to success I'd get too down on myself, or if something went too well I'd get too happy and be distracted. This might seem awesome, but it wasn't, I only ended up with a 9 average, even though I was sure I could get 12.

The key to my success (a year later) is too keep a level head and set very small goals that are achievable in the near future (even if its just for the day lol)

I still think about the money and living a good life, but i try not to obsess about it, allowing me to have productive days without getting too anxious. The morale don't get too complacent, but realize that being too ambitious has its downfall too.

Originally Posted by Silent Hero

Motivation is a tricky thing, we all become unmotivated from time to time, that's normal, that's human and that's natural. I think the question you should be asking, is what is motivation and how can be generated in your mind? If you wiki motivation, for a basic understanding 2 factors contribute to motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic reasons for being motivated include enjoying the task itself, this exists within you. This is a rather complicated part, as it is both internal and personal. Extrinsic motivation comes inside the individual, this is the more common form of motivation. You realize you have a exam that is worth 50% of your mark the next day, you WILL study because there is SOCIAL/ACADEMIC PRESSURE. It comes outside of your internal motivation. A good example is having a job, many people hate their job and only do it for money, which is an extrinsic reason. Volunteers, may do work because they intrinsically enjoy that particular activity. For instance, a girl who likes animals volunteers with a animal shelter, she receives positive feedback from the experience and therefore that makes it pleasurable, and thus it may lead to more emotional and internal motivation. Now I don't want to go into anymore details. In order to motivate yourself, you have to ask what makes me feel like I want to get up and go. You need to induce positive emotions in yourself surrounding your course. One strategy I like using is alternating between a task I enjoy/ have intrinsic motivation and the work the course requires. I find the positive experience and feeling of motivation in that 1 "fun" task, will tend to carry over to the alternate task, which is your course work. Be one with the activity you do, embrace, and become more and rise above! It's a bit of psychology, but it does make sense. Just give it time and you will succeed.

Silent Hero

I must say that this is very well written. Probably the best Macinsider reply/advice I've seen so far. Great job!!

Originally Posted by Silent Hero

I also find listening to music I enjoy, that is positive and motivating can help. This makes work more fun, as long as you don't get too distracted. I hope this helps.

Music can be distracting because I end up paying more attention to the lyrics or beat of the song. I'm trying this new thing where I play lyric less soft music, in my case I'm trying a playlist of Bocelli on you tube. It has lyrics but I have no idea what's he saying

I'm yet to see if this is effective

Originally Posted by Twelve Chars

I like but maybe a bit more creativity woulda been fun