<p>I don't know if psychology class has been getting to me or not, but I've been thinking about my past studies up to now and I have been wondering where others get their motivation from.
I do not think I have been productive at all these past 2 years and I haven't been motivated to study as hard as I should. If it is something regarding schoolwork, I find some way to procrastinate; be it browsing through google or rereading Harry Potter/ Terry Pratchett/random books I find around the house. Several times, I realize what I am doing but like Holden Caulfield, I don't feel like studying/doing homework/working on papers. My grades are not bad (high 80s to high 90s(a lot less of these though)) but I just feel a bit depressed that I can't motivate myself to work. I don't know what I am working towards. I also get depressed when I realize that I do not have any leadership positions and have not been inclined to go into many ECs due to my dad's traditionalist "grades are everything and screw the ECs" sentiment. I have managed to join some clubs such as a People to People Chapter, NHS, and Frisbee Club my junior year though.
I did not mean for this to turn into a bit of rant, but I was wondering if you could give me some advice? I would appreciate anything from how to get motivated to do school work to things that might help distinguish me to other colleges.
Thanks very much! Either way, I feel better after typing all this out.</p>
<p>I'm sorry to hear about your predicament.</p>
<p>What year in high school are you?</p>
<p>I think what a huge chunk of your problem is your parents. I know it's not exactly something that you can change, but it seems that your dad isn't helping. </p>
<p>Where do you want to go to college?
Do you have any idea about a possible career?</p>
<p>I'm currently wrapping up my soph year, and I'm lucky that I go to a small (about 650 kids) catholic school cause it's easy to be involved in stuff. I'm in all honors classes, and i've gotten straight a's this year. I'm a self - motivated person because I feel that I have to do my best because I know that I can do that well (if that makes sense). I know that I'm capable of doing virtually anything I want. In the future, I want to have money, I want to live a comfortable life. I want to be happy. I want to be successful. Etc. I might be an engineer or something. We'll see, but I'm not quite sure yet. My point is that I have goals/dreams that are far down the road and that I see them as worth working towards. I don't want to be an average person or less, just struggling to make it. Reason is that I know can do so much better than that. </p>
<p>You have to find out what you want in life. Find out what interests you. I'm particularly lucky because my parents aren't traditional or stereotypical whatsoever. I just do what i want basically. But that works only because they know that what I choose is usually a good decision.</p>
<p>I think that your dad may be too caught up in the college thing. I don't think it makes as big of deal where are person goes once out of college, as long as it isn't community college. Besides, there is also graduate school, which I don't believe is as hard to get into if you do well in college (correct me if I'm wrong though somebody, thanks).</p>
<p>For me I might want to go to MIT, Caltech, or Stanford, etc, but I realize there is a good chance that I won't get accepted there just because the planets didn't align right or something, even if I do my best. </p>
<p>I hope any of this helps. What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply! I am currently a junior and I realized that I do have motivations. I want to go to college and I want to go to graduate school. I'm a bit insecure and probably as a result unmotivated because I just realized that I do not hold a candle to most of the resumes I see in the chance forums with their various top/prestigious awards such as Siemens, Math/Science Olympiad, etc or their various leadership positions. And to top it off, I am in the top 12% instead of the top 10%. I am pretty sure that with my grades and ECs, I do not have much of a chance in going to universities such as Emory/Vanderbilt/U. Miami/Rice (Some of my choices)</p>
<p>LOL. I know exactly what ur talking about with the "prestigious awards thing". These sites are kinda depressing when you find out that there are sooo many people "above" you and me. But to be honest, none of that really matters outside of college admission. Life isn't about being the top math olympiad. Besides, there are soo many great colleges and universities that I don't think that all these "top people" take up all of the open spots and we're stuck going to community college or something. Btw, if you're in the top 12%, that means that there is 88% below you (obvious, yes, but it's another way to think about it). I get what your saying, but you still will get accepted to a top/excellant college. </p>
<p>My other point is not to let other people make you feel insignificant or tell you that you're something less, because you aren't. You should be important to yourself, regardless of how many ap's or olympiads or whatev u or someone else achieves. </p>
<p>I'm sure that you'll go to a highly reputable college, and I don't think that a potential employer is going to reject you based on the fact that you might not have gone to an ivy or something. The fact that you at least have a degree, and later grad school degree means a hell of a lot more than the campus you got it from. </p>
<p>The most important thing above all of this is having fun, and finding happiness. It doesn't really matter what you do or how successful you are. You could be a billionaire but also miserable, so it wouldn't be much good. </p>
<p>Don't fight the system, but don't become a victim to it. </p>
<p>Take some time to reflect upon yourself and see what you come up with :D</p>
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I just realized that I do not hold a candle to most of the resumes I see in the chance forums
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<p>wassup woami. if you're referring to the chance forums here on cc, I don't think that's a good representation of the actual student populations. Lots of kids with really incredible resumes here. But it's not a reason though to feel inferior at all. You do what you can to make yourself look better in the eyes of the colleges. Bring up the GPA and class rank, fine-tune your essays, get high scores in your SAT/ACT, and don't screw the EC's like what your dad said :) Good luck.</p>
<p>Our chance forums aren't even an accurate representation of the applicants to the uber-selective colleges. You'll be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for reassuring me; I get a bit frantic when I read all these resumes and I see words like "reach, high reach, maybe...if you raise your gpa a few points, etc" I mean, if the resumes that good seem to be on the line, where would I be? :-P
Well, I guess that I don't really have to go to a top college. Most of my friends are in the top 10% and make it seem so effortless though. I'll admit that I was attracted to some colleges because of their name though. I'll start looking at colleges for what they are; each of them probably has a different set of challenges for me.</p>
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I'll start looking at colleges for what they are; each of them probably has a different set of challenges for me.
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<p>and with that, you just showed how much more mature and ready you are compared to some of the posters you were initially insecure of. :)</p>
<p>Yeah. Chin up, kiddo! Presumably, anyway.</p>
<p>Do all that you can, and don't worry about it. Getting depressed is useless. When college season comes to its end, you'll be glad you worked.</p>