<p>Recently, Ive developed a sever case of laziness when it comes to my school work. I could go in to the specifics for each of my classes but it mostly boils down to not caring since </p>
<p>1) none of these classes Im taking at this community college are going to count for any credit at my home school anyway since Im on extended break (due to other stupid school reasons which I wont get into unless need be) therefore causing me to feel like im wasting my time and money</p>
<p>2)One of the classes is just so retardedly stupid that I dont need to care (I chose to take it since its a prereq for a class I thought would be offered next quarter but that turned out false so now Im stuck in it). Basically the class is learning how to use Windows and the internet but coated with a "Mechanical Engineering Technology" name</p>
<p>3)My other class, Diff Eq, isnt hard and my teacher just basically does not care when we turn in our homework since he doesnt keep up with everything he assigns so I just work on that at my leisure. He's a good teacher tho, I learn alot from him and he's hilarious (for what thats worth)</p>
<p>4)My computer concepts/Logic is using the book that I didnt buy until I missed 2 assignments (since I didnt have the money to get it) and now Im just behind and not really wanting to try to catch up.</p>
<p>All in all, Ive just noticed that if a class doesnt appeal to me from the start or I do horribly on a test, I have a hard time keeping up or caring to keep up or even doing well, which somewhat explains my poor grades at my home school. I try to force myself to study and put myself in study conducive situations, but its just so hard. Any advice or criticisms?</p>
<p>I think the best thing to do when you’re having studying problems is to create a very regular schedule and stick to it. Set aside a specific time to do homework for classes and study. Then force yourself to do it. Ignore the 1,000,000 excuses you will come up with as to why you can do it later or don’t need to put much/any effort into it. Just do it. But… No, just do it. Eventually the schedule will be second nature.</p>
<p>Also, something that can really help with this is to form a study group that meets at a said time. I found this provides opportunities to “teach” the material and really reinforce it in your head. The “pressure” of having a few people expect you to show up may really help you stick with the schedule. And studying with others can make it a lot more fun, which means you actually want to go.</p>
<p>The thing is though, my classes arent even hard at all, its just I lack the motivation to actually do work in them for some odd reason which is really hindering me from doing well (not that it really matters since Im not getting any credit for any of these classes at all). </p>
<p>A question I have is how do you force yourself to study if you just dont “feel” it? Like you failed one test and its too late to drop the class or the class is stupid but your in it and just cant get with it?</p>
<p>Personally I think of it like this:
Every single assignment or test that I successfully complete gets me closer to the completion of my Engineering degree even if it is only by tiny amount regardless of whether it is easy or hard, interesting or boring.</p>
<p>To me competing my degree is like finally proving to myself that I am worth something and finally having a real skill I can apply to the real world.
I also like to think of that nice paycheck at the end of the academic road. lol $_$</p>
<p>Stop wasting your time. You want to work at McDonald’s when you’re twenty-five and live in your parents’ basement? Or do you want to have a swanky engineering job? Grow up, suck it up, and be a proper student. Doesn’t matter if the classes aren’t for your major, it’s a hoop you have to jump through to get the diploma so jump already. Study for the class and get a good grade. The world will not bend for you, you bend for the world first.</p>
<p>Tom is right here. This is a mentality you’ll have to get into time and time again. It’s just life. You do stuff you don’t want to do but do it anyway because it gets you somewhere you want to be. It’s called hard work for a reason.</p>
<p>When you realize that you’re building a good work ethic even with these stupid classes, you’ll feel like you’re doing something to better yourself. Trust me, when you get started on that note, you end up doing very well. Not only that, but you also end up with a life skill or two that will help you through the classes that you WILL have to work hard.</p>
<p>You just need to realize that if you don’t get into shape and get good grades now, you will regret it. A low GPA can affect your chances at getting internships, which will really help you land that great job after you graduate. Down the road, poor performance as an undergrad can greatly affect whether or not you’ll make it into a good grad program, or any program for that matter.</p>
<p>What could really help you is if you set some goals for yourself. Lack of goals can lead to lack of focus which can lead to lack of motivation. Find a few grad programs you want to get into and aim to be a great candidate. Try to join an honors fraternity or try to graduate with honors. Think about what career paths you want to head down. </p>
<p>If you don’t buck up now, it’s a steep, uphill climb to redemption. Take it from me. I graduated with a 2.3 GPA and failed miserably at applying to grad schools. Now I’m trying to go back and get a second degree in ChE, and even that is uncertain. It’s very possible that I could get rejected and have to take classes over again at a CC just to get into a Bachelor’s program, when I already have a degree! </p>