<p>Everyday usually goes something like this: I go home, do school work for about 6 hours, then kill the remaining time with small activities. Everyday I also feel tired, mentally and physically. I don't have much time for extracurricular activities and that makes me feel bad that I can't do more. I'm a pretty good student, but I've always done my work because I had to. Why do I have to? For college of course. People say college is a fun relaxed time without the stress. But every day I feel like something's missing from me. I do my work but I really get no enjoyment out of it. I've become obsessed with worrying about college and my personal happiness and sanity has taken a hit. All I want is some purpose, or some reassurance that it's all worth it and no matter what happens it'll be fine in the end. </p>
<p>I feel like this too, honestly. All I’m doing is enduring mind-numbing (mostly) school and doing very well academically because I have to in order to do the things I want to do. I’m waiting out for that. In the mean time, I enjoy programming, maths, and robotics club, which has to do with what I wanna do in the future, but I’m just learning. <em>I’m not doing anything useful</em>. Maybe I could be, and I’m just lazy. I don’t know. So I don’t really have an answer for you.</p>
<p>I will say, however, that college is much more work than high school, but better for most I imagine due to the additional freedoms. Most people hate the responsibility that comes with more freedom, and see it as restricting their freedom, but I’m not one of them, and I don’t think you are either. </p>
<p>Dude my courses are pretty much the same. Especially considering my AP physics teacher, who shouldn’t even have a teaching degree because she can’t teach. Anyways the guy above me is right, your sanity is worth way more and if you’re worried about a competitive college, truth is state schools are just as good. I usually get home around three and work till 9 or 10 pm. I too have been wondering about the purpose of all this work, and wonder how much worth of all these classes really have. I gave up guitar just for these classes and it’s been one of my biggest regrets. Don’t put your classes over your life, but don’t put life over your classes. Try to find a balance.</p>
<ol>
<li>The purpose is to become an educated human being in order to have a better quality of life. After that you go to college to become learned in a trade so you can make money and live comfortably.</li>
<li>The other stuff just do whatever you like to do and go out and hang out with friends and get a significant other</li>
<li>If you’re doing 6 hours of homework, then it isn’t the school probably. You could have six or seven college courses at one time and not have that much homework. Try learning better study habits and ways to get through homework quicker like doing it with friends where everybody does a part of the homework and then just runs through what they did with the other people in the study group.</li>
</ol>
<p>
Some people are more careerist than others, and the purpose of college isn’t universally agreed upon by any means. You have to decide for yourself why you want to go, and whether it’s worth the cost.
It can be more fun and relaxed than adult life if you’re a “traditional” student living in a dorm, not having to work, etc. It’s still harder than high school in a lot of ways. There’s typically less homework, though, and it’s usually assigned a while before it’s due.
You wouldn’t necessarily have a lot of homework, but seven college classes in one semester would be difficult to handle at most places (unless they were mostly easy classes), especially if you had other responsibilities.
Are you worried about admissions, financial aid, or college life itself? Are these worries realistic? Do you have any trusted adults you could talk to, who could give you perspective on all of this?
Well, no…life isn’t like that.</p>
<p>I’m worried about admissions for a really stupid reason. Although I know it’s wrong, I can’t stop thinking that if I go to a college with less prestige than I’d hoped for, I’ve somehow failed myself or that I did not try my hardest. I know these views are unrealistic but they keep me worrying all the time for no good reason. I know life isn’t all fine in the end, but I need something to believe in to stop myself from this awful uncertainty.</p>
<p>Same. The HW load is crazy</p>
<p>@zxgzgds
(my response may seem bleak at first- but stay with me for a little) </p>
<p>Is there purpose? Like you, I’ve had my fair share of existential crises- sometimes prompted by schoolwork and ostensible emptiness, sometimes by other things- and the conclusion I have always reached is: no. </p>
<p>Well, that is, there is no objective purpose. None of us has any definitive reason why we’re here. Our universe, and by extension our collective existence, is purely accidental. To attempt to fashion any such definitive purpose from a void is absurd. </p>
<p>But! Here lies the potential of existential thought: as there is no definitive purpose, ALL purposes count equally. We each create our own justifications for why we’re here, and they are all valid. We are not tethered to any one particular. This what provides us with true freedom. </p>
<p>So how does this tie into your life? You say you need some purpose. No one else can supply you with you purpose. You must find it for yourself. If you are not finding purpose in schoolwork, you must look elsewhere. The good news is that no one else can dictate your purpose or create a sort of purpose hierarchy. </p>
<p>As for college obsession, I think we all suffer to that to some degree. That has a philosophical component as well: society stresses the objectivity of purpose, insisting we follow a set trajectory of what constitutes “success.” And we all absorb that to some extent. My suggestion would be, to adopt a broader perspective, look at the grand scheme of things- try to uncover your own purpose and unlearn all the societal pressure. </p>
<p>You are not a failure if you do not go a “prestigious” college, that is for certain. Instead of fixating on that, do things that you like, things that make you feel exhilarated. Search for enjoyment and personal meaning. And also recognize that you are a person first, and a student second. Your grades are not a measure of your self worth, and there are complex and valuable parts of your identity outside of tangible accomplishments. </p>
<p>Best of luck 
</p>
<p>The other day I was thinking basically the same exact thing. why tf am I doing all of this work, why do I put myself through so much stress. But, two upperclassmen told me not to give up and that they believed that I would make it to the college of my dreams. I Want to tell you the same exact thing. It will be worth it In the end,if you think you have a good shot at something, don’t take shortcuts, do everything you can to reach your dream so that if you don’t get accepted, you know you gave it your all and you don’t have regrets.</p>
<p>@abstract1 Thanks for your response. Sometimes you just need to take a step back - when it seems like everyone is trying to judge you and each other (the CC forums are no exception), what’s truly important can sometimes slip out of focus. </p>
<p>If we’re going off of purpose, why are we doing this? Why are we trying our hardest to get into good colleges, get good jobs, and then DIE. We’re all going to die, and all of our hard work is just going to be thrown away in the end. You could have the most prestigious major in the world, but that doesn’t save you from dying. We’re all going to die. It’s inevitable, and by those standards, why don’t we just do what we want? Why don’t I just kill someone? I don’t want to spend my life in a freedom-less craphole, that’s why. We only have one life, as we know of, and we’re all dying. </p>
<p>
If we did live forever, what would be the purpose of that? Even if the world were different, you could always just ask “But why?” over and over again until you ended up with nothing. Ultimate purpose is either self-evident or doesn’t exist. </p>
<p>Of course, thinking about stuff like this won’t stop anyone from worrying about school. (I’ve always been kind of amazed by how quickly I can go between worrying about <em>insert philosophy club discussion topic here</em> and worrying about whether my knuckles look weird.) For the most part your fears aren’t rational, so we can’t really get rid of them with rational arguments. I think you’ll eventually come to see that college admissions isn’t anywhere near as important as it seems right now, but this probably won’t happen until you’re done with the process. </p>
<p>It’s not about living forever. It’s about for me an idealized image of myself vs. the reality. I don’t want to accept the idea of not living up to my own standards. The thought is irrational. “Why can other people do everything?” “Why couldn’t have I just worked harder like everyone else does?” “Why do I care so much about other people?” Ego wants to be satisfied. Who am I without accomplishment? A nobody among millions. </p>