Motivation Has Disappeared...

[katiejill]

Hey everyone! Okay… so here is the deal…

I am currently attending community college to get my associates in chemistry and then transfer (BYU… UCLA… UCSD… I don't know where yet). I am taking biology, calculus, and organic chemistry. Not exactly a walk in the park, but I have always pushed myself academically. In college I have gotten all A's except one C which is a long story.

So this semester all my motivation is gone. In math and bio I am still doing alright (probably a low A right now) and am relatively motivated. But organic chemistry… I am dying. I am dying because it is a RIDICULOUSLY hard class for one, and the fact that I don't even try anymore isn't making the class any easier. I always work hard and do my best, but this class I haven't been. For example, we had our second exam today and I did the first 2 pages of the like 12 page test, hardly even looked at the other pages, and left the other pages blank. I was feeling sick, had a headache, mouth hurt, and a stomach ache, but even with all of that, I have never not given some sort of answer for a problem, even if I totally guess.

What also is alarming is how much I don't care. I mean, I care enough that I want to care, but that's about it.

So… any advice? How can I motivate myself?

[Vort]

Is it too late to drop? If not, drop the class.

If it is too late to drop, you will have to learn to force yourself to do what you don't want to do. This was my own biggest failure as a student, and it cost me my intended career. I have spent years regretting my poor study habits and lack of willingness to discipline myself to work hard in classes I wasn't interested in or felt overwhelmed in.

Go to your school's counseling center. Tell them your problem. Any decent school, even a CC, should have resources to help with this all-too-common malady. In any case, don't just let the class slide. You will be unhappy about it for years to come. Act now.

[katiejill]

Yeah it is too late to drop, unless I wanted to drop and have a "W" on my transcript… not exactly sure how much that would hurt my transferability.

I guess I am going to have to force myself. There isn't much of a choice. I figured as much, but was hoping that maybe there was some magic way of looking at things that would help. Oh well.

Thanks Vort!

[carlimac]

This makes me smile. You should meet my son. He just went through the exact same thing with chemistry. He was a top chemistry student his freshman year at BYU- even got an award for it. When he got back from his mission he struggled with it for some reason. (How could you go from being the top chem student to hating it with a mission sandwiched in between? OH well) He was simply NOT interested or motivated anymore. But he hung in there for two more semesters and finally about 3 weeks ago he said-"enough!!" and dropped out of his one remaining chemistry class. He has a W on his transcripts but he's already at BYU. I hope it doesn't affect getting into grad school but at this point he is dreaming of dropping out of college all together and starting a business. Anyway, he's switching to computer science and he's happier than he's been for a year.

(He's cute, too. )

Edited October 19, 2012 by carlimac

[classylady]

I had to drop organic chemistry and physics. I tried taking them a 2nd time, and again had to drop them and this time I switched my major. For me, it wasn't for lack of trying or motivation. I was a mother of 7 kids, going to school full time, and I knew how to study. I was up until nearly 2 and 3 am, night after night, and still couldn't get it. Maybe if I had sought out a tutor, or other help at the University, I would have finally been able to do the classes. But, I was already over 40 years old. I didn't have all the time in the world, so I decided to switch majors. Best thing I ever did. I don't feel like I gave up, I just changed direction.

[Dark_Jedi]

I was going to say something similar to classylady in that maybe you should consider changing majors. Maybe your lack of motivation has to do with really (deep down) not liking the subject. As for the W, it looks better than an F.

[Dravin]

Is it too late to drop? If not, drop the class.

If it is too late to drop, you will have to learn to force yourself to do what you don't want to do. This was my own biggest failure as a student, and it cost me my intended career. I have spent years regretting my poor study habits and lack of willingness to discipline myself to work hard in classes I wasn't interested in or felt overwhelmed in.

You comments echo my initial thoughts. In a way the classes I liked the least or found the hardest are, I think, some of the classes I've grown the most in. If I'm in a class that either comes relatively naturally or is on a subject I like enough to easily devote the effort it's all fun and lolly pops (not really, but compared to the classes I dislike) and I sort of just flow along, but the classes that were hard or that I disliked force me to stretch myself, either in the subject matter or in developing the fortitude to power through that which I disliked or found hard.

I kind of look at it as practice for my future career, there is bound to be some part of the job I like the least but will have to do anyway whether it be because it's a 'hard' part of the job or just one I dislike. This isn't to say that a lack of interest means you may not want to reconsider your major, but I suspect there are bound to be a few disliked/hard classes in almost any program requirements. I suppose it's a question of deciding where the tipping point is between some classes you don't like and realizing it's the subject matter you dislike.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Dravin

[Sharky]

I chuckled as I read the OP & some of the responses.

Looking back at college & facing some very similar situations & choices and how often as life has progressed I have found myself feeling much the same about different challenges I have encountered.

College experiences, including this "loss of motivation" are simply a preparatory process for things you will encounter as life progresses.

Rarely will you find "real life" situations so clear & visible & easily defined as are the situtaions you encounter in college, yet they so very similar.

As for a W? If you promptly take the course again (& pass) it shows some perseverence & can be something you turn into a "selling point" as to why youshould get into the PhD program or get that dream job you apply for or whatever else you can apply that lesson in life to.

[katiejill]

Thanks everybody for their thoughts! I just really need to buckle down again. I was pretty focused for the first test, studied a ton, almost everyday in the library for weeks. And then I got my test back and I got a 49% which wasn't bad considering 65% was an A. I got a high C.

I want to go on a mission so I've been overly distracted by that. I am/was spending the time I would usually spend studying on studying the scriptures. I think I need to balance a little better.

Luckily he drops one exam, so this last exam will be dropped. Better buckle down! I really appreciate the comments on how this is preparing me for my future.

Thanks again!