just because its 3am and school is stressful

[gt2.5turbo]

Dont know if anyone else has been through this but lately ive noticed that motivation school wise has been a big issue for me and it is getting worse. I keep telling myself im going to change my habits of last minute papers and studying but so far its a no go. I've set up scheduals and routines for myself and they work for about 2-3 days then are abandoned. I cant figure out how to get on the right track and make myself pass on doing everything else later and get done what i need to for school.

Its hard with only one of my 3 roomates being in summer school with me and he is in way easy classes that require hardly any outa class commitment so they are alway wanting to do things. I have a huge car project that im really itching to start and i cant stop thinking about. Its just really hard to fight the urge to do anything but school. I know that i need to change if im going to suceed in my major and be able to go on and do what i want, but i cant figure out how to break my procrastination habits.

Just wondering if any of you have any advice or have been in the same situation.

[jnorion]

Was in the same situation all through high school and college. Every semester I told myself "This time I won't procrastinate!" It never worked.

[Manarius]

I still procrastinate. I've been saying that I shouldn't do it now for a long time. Alas, I continue to fail miserably.

[Legacy777]

The way I look at it....everyone has a particular style of doing work, or other various tasks.

Some people are extremely organized, keep track of everything in a planner, take good notes, and all that jazz, while others wing it, and so on.

I sort of fall into the middle. Despite me being rather AR, I just can't keep a daily schedule/log of what I do, or what needs to be done. If I need to do something, I'll stick it into outlook WITH a reminder. That's about the only way I'll fully remember I have to attend a meeting.

In college, I took notes, they were rather sloppy, and I sort of used them for studying. Papers, I'd try to get done early because I have a huge issue with getting started. Once they're started, I'm fine...it's the getting started thing.

I guess what my ramblings are trying to say is that....everyone has a unique style/personality that they do things. If you want to change it, you have to actively and persistently focus on changing it.

However, what I've found with myself is that if you try to change things from one side of the spectrum to the other side, you just won't stick with it. Try to find a middle ground.

The other thing too....you may wait until the last minute.....but do things get done? If so....then all you're doing is maybe creating extra stress. If things are not getting done, you need step up and make things happen.

My motivation throughout school was, there's no fucking way I'm going to be here longer then 4 years. I had one summer class and retook 10 credits, including that summer course, and still graduated in 4 years. I think my total credits was like 147 or something like that.

Find something that motivates you and use that.

[206er]

ive got the same problem.
I try to spend more time in the library away from all the distractions of home, such as TV, internet, BSing with the roomies, beer, the garage, etc. turn my phone off, go sit in the basement of the library where it is DESERTED, crank the ipod and go to work. problem for me is that its only open till 10, right when I'm really hitting my stride for studying.
whats your project gt2.5? I'd like to check it out some time if thats cool...

[AWD_addict]

School is making you bored, yet crazy? Big car project? Drunk roomies always party?
Sounds like me spring quarter. My solution was to not take summer quarter and work full time. It helps to have a change of pace, and more money for the car project.

And as for the roomates, make it clear that you need to get some things done. You could also put your car project in the garage, maybe inhibiting their party space.

[entirelyturbo]

You're not alone gt2.5, you're not alone

I, in general, hate school. I just don't like it. I didn't like high school, and I don't like college. I know for a fact that about 75% of the stuff I'm learning in college is going to serve me no use in any professional career. I just feel like I'm wasting my time and my grandparents' money, all for a piece-of-shit paper that says I graduated.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that many college students (at least in this area) don't work, so they party their asses off and still have oodles of time to study, whereas I work, and furthermore, I'm not much of a party/club guy. So I think that maybe depresses me a little bit.

I'm taking one class for the second summer semester, a Victorian poetry class, and it's a 4000-level class. It's my first 4000-level class, and it's kicking my ass. There's already some 400 pages of bullshit that I've supposed to have read already that I haven't, and I'm still trying to decide how to pull off my final exam.

Oh... I'm sorry... you wanted words of encouragement!

Like Josh said, you have to find what works for you, but I need to usually go to one of two extremes in order to make myself study: 1) I have to put myself on top of the world, like everything is just going hunky-dory, and then somehow, that gets me motivated to study or whatever...

That usually doesn't last very long though

Or...
2) I have to kick myself in the ass, and remind myself that my grandparents are only gonna keep me up in their rental property as long as I'm in college, that if I flunk out, I'm majorly screwed, and then I'll start studying out of fear...



Hope that helps somehow...

[gt2.5turbo]

Thanks alot it does help to hear that im not the only one. I just keep telling myself that all these extra classes that have nothing to do with what i want to do will be outa the way soon...

206er- "the project" will be underway soon hopefully i move into my house next tuesday so then it will be full out car time and ill let ya know whats going on and you can come check it out if you want... but like i said nothing to special yet... everyone else is just going to have to wait till i decided to post up

[Murphy]

Aw man i have that problem big time, i havent gone a year without failing a class since the 4th grade, im now a junior in high school and luckly only failed one class last year (English 2), i procrastinate so much i never get school work done, if its a subject i think is unessisary i just dont feel motivated at all (wich is way i failed English 2). Ive tried having things to motivate me like getting my permit, my parents (realy just my mom) wont let me have my permit till i pass all of my classes.
Which is exactly why i bought a car that didnt run a year ago, fixed it, and am starting to buy things for it, but have never legaly driven it (my dad lets me drive because he thinks it wrong that i wont have my liscene untill im 18yo), wich would be good for motivation except that i no longer realy care for driving, id much rather sit and work on my car than drive it.
All i do is think about that car and other cars and loud noises coming from cars and ocasionaly i will think about driving around on the service roads (realy fast).

The reason i belive i am not motivated is that im going into the automotive industry, my senior year i will take a automotive tech class then in the ARMY i will be a mechanic and then attend UTI with my GI Bill and get ASE certified will there or in the ARMY. So i dont think classes like English 2 and Latin (i failed it my freshman year) are important at all to what i want to do in life wich is why i never put effort (no matter how much i tell myself i am) into the classes.

[Manarius]

I had no problem passing in High School. I found it to be a major bore. And that was taking 3 AP classes.

[dzx]

it depends on what you deem imporatant. If you're willing to sacrifice the long term stable life for the more exciting short term, you're screwed. I'm still fighting through it myself, as my poor legacy sits in the driveway.