Motivation

[mooSe_]

I've always been rather lazy when I comes to school work, but I always did well enough up until now because I'm reasonable intelligent (so I like to think) or at least I'm good at exams.

In my first year of uni I did ok: I went to most of the lectures and handed all the work in on time even if some of it was a bit half-arsed. I didn't do lots of the required reading because first year was mostly going over topics which I had already done at A-level. Basically philosophy A level isn't a requirement for a philosophy degree, so they teach first year as though no one knows anything about philosophy. Since I thought I already knew it all I just wrote essays and turned up to seminars without having prepared; and I did well enough (kinda around 2:1). I thought it didn't really matter because the grade I got in first year didn't count towards my overall degree. I always thought "It's no problem I'll just try harder in second year".

Now that I'm in my second year I am definitely not trying harder, in fact I put in hardly any effort. I do almost none of the required reading until it's time for essays or exams and then I just rush through the necessary chapters so I at least understand what is going on. This year isn't stuff I've already done for the most part, so I can't justify not studying it, but I really did no work for the first 5 weeks of this term (6th week now).

I have 3 coursework essays due for midday friday. I managed to finish one of them yesterday, although I know if I had given myself more time it could've been a lot better. The essays are only 2,000 words, but now I have 2 essays to do the reading for, plan and write in 2 days when I could've done it a month ago.

I don't want to end up in this situation again next time I have important work to do, but I'm completely incapable of motivating myself or planning my time to get work done. Whenever I try to start my work I just get distracted by posting on forums (exactly like now lol: why am I posting? I should be writing an essay) or listening to music or something. This has turned out to be mostly a rant thread but I guess I'll make it constructive by asking how do you guys motivate yourself to get work done and how do you manage to plan your time?

 

[Ormorof]

I was terrible at organising my time at uni too

(and my first year proceeded much as yours)

i found the trick to actually getting work done would be to find a place with few distractions and work there, i could never do any work in my room at home as i had movies, books, games, internet to distract me, found a nice quiet corner of a disused reference library on campus and worked on everything there (they had PC's but were useless for internet because they were so old but perfect for typing, frankly im suprised if anyone had been down there for years before i showed up!)

 

[Wij]

I did a philosophy degree and I never turned up at all in my 2nd and 3rd years. I occasionally read a book but I did fine.

Got a 2:2. Would have been a 2:1 easy but I got the date my dissertation was due wrong (hadn't started it.)

If you aren't desperate for 1st then you shouldn't need to work. Freshers don't just fuck themselves.



(Alright, more realistically Pot Noodles don't just eat themselves and Holly Willoughby's tits on This Morning don't just wank over themselves )

 

[mooSe_]

I was terrible at organising my time at uni too

(and my first year proceeded much as yours)

i found the trick to actually getting work done would be to find a place with few distractions and work there, i could never do any work in my room at home as i had movies, books, games, internet to distract me, found a nice quiet corner of a disused reference library on campus and worked on everything there (they had PC's but were useless for internet because they were so old but perfect for typing, frankly im suprised if anyone had been down there for years before i showed up!)

I might try going to the library to get work done tomorrow, depending on how well I do today. I think I'll have to go early though, whenever I have tried before around midday all the computers seem to be taken.

I did a philosophy degree and I never turned up at all in my 2nd and 3rd years. I occasionally read a book but I did fine.

Got a 2:2. Would have been a 2:1 easy but I got the date my dissertation was due wrong (hadn't started it.)

If you aren't desperate for 1st then you shouldn't need to work. Freshers don't just fuck themselves.



(Alright, more realistically Pot Noodles don't just eat themselves and Holly Willoughby's tits on This Morning don't just wank over themselves )

I'm not bothered about getting a first really, but a 2:1 would be nice. I don't get up early enough to watch this morning so I have to get my willoughby boobs elsewhere

 

[Huntingtons]

do work when you get it, would always be the simple solution. Read stuff after lectures, start on papers same day as you get them. Wouldnt that be a start? same work but just start it earlier.

 

[Everz]

Could be getting sick of education? I know I can't wait for my placement year and some of my work this year has just been enough to maintain a nice 60%.

 

[Wij]

I'm not bothered about getting a first really, but a 2:1 would be nice. I don't get up early enough to watch this morning so I have to get my willoughby boobs elsewhere

Then relax, slack away

And Victorian Pages has good caps with the non-wanky bits edited out I believe. You young-uns are spoilt. Wanks took a lot more planning and daring when I was a student.

 

[ileks]

I'm in a really similar situation. Second year maths atm, got a 2.1 in first year without doing much and am doing the exact same thing this year.

I've never done an assignment in advanced. No matter what I tell myself, I always end up doing an all-nighter on a sunday night. I also have to give a presentation about an essay I am supposed to have done over the last 2 terms (like a 15 page maths essay) in exactly 2 weeks. I have even got a title yet.

For me I think the problem is i just don't like my course any more. I enjoy some of the modules, but a lot of it is getting so abstract and difficult I just can't be bothered with it. Next year I'm going to load up on the (substantially easier) physics modules and hope I will be more motivated to do work in advanced / go to lectures.

 

[mooSe_]

do work when you get it, would always be the simple solution. Read stuff after lectures, start on papers same day as you get them. Wouldnt that be a start? same work but just start it earlier.

Well I always plan to do that, but it just doesn't happen. I get home from lectures and turn on my pc, and think "I'll get started on my work in a minute". I then procede to check facebook, then check a bunch of forums. Then I suddenly realise I want to play StarCraft! Then it's 3:30am and I have to go to bed

Could be getting sick of education? I know I can't wait for my placement year and some of my work this year has just been enough to maintain a nice 60%.

Yeah I think this is probably at least partly it. I considered taking a gap year after A levels, but I knew that I didn't want to get a job either and I don't have any money for travelling so I just went straight to uni. Sadly there's no work placements relating to philosophy I'm considering applying to one of those summer courses this year though where you go work in america or somewhere. But once again my laziness has got the best of me and if I don't organise it very soon it will be too late (unless it already is).

edit: 500 words into today's essay, I'm making progress! Philosophical behaviourism is proper shit though

 

[Wij]

Loose Women is on now if you're really stuck :/

I won't tell. Honest.

 

[Huntingtons]

honestly. Quit and go pro sc2.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Treat your life like a game and your games like life; you'll be more efficient, have more fun and you won't be a dick online.

 

[Huntingtons]

youll be a dick in real life though. why not be one both places. treat everything like a game.

 

[old.Tohtori]

youll be a dick in real life though. why not be one both places. treat everything like a game.

It's kinda like, umm, supposed to mean certain aspects of one and the other without countering the good parts... and..yeah.

Just be a dick 24/7 and you're fine

 

[mooSe_]

Got them all handed in on time

I went to the library last night to write the last essay and dominated it in only a few hours. Definitely a plan for next time (a few weeks time). However now that I know I can get half of the term's work done in a week or less, it's gonna be hard not to leave it to the last minute again lol

 

[Ezteq]

lol man I paid for my course myself and I'll be damned if I am going to see £7k go down the pan because I cba working...that's kind of the main motivational factor for me. The other is that if I do really well I can get an excellent job at the end of it, rather than being stuck in with the other so-so job applications when I qualify and probably being overlooked for someone who got a first if I only get a 2.2 or 2.1.

Those are the big things that get me moving but some days I just really cannot find the energy or brain power to concentrate so I'll set small targets like work till 13:00 and then can have a snack break, or if I get [set goal here] this far by the end of the week I'll go see a movie. I am basically a shallow and selfish being and so the though of getting 'stuff' for my work really does get me moving more than the moral reward.


However, some days it just does not happen at all and I have learned (thanks to a similar thread asking for help that I made here a while ago) just to knock it off and have a day off rather than sitting gawping at the PC and not getting anything done then making myself feel bad about it.

You get back what you put in, if you cba to work then you probably won't do very well and you just have to accept that. If you want to do well you will start working for it, if you don't then I really cannot see the point in continuing with your study, I mean a shitty half arsed qualification might actually be more damaging than none to some employers. If you'd rather be doing something else with your time then go do it, you only live once my friend (unless you're a hindu).

 

[Moriath]

came out of uni with a 2:2 in Computer Science and had a lot more fun than those who got 1st's

Did my final year project in 1 week with like 4 hours sleep a day was hard but worth the extra time i had having fun

Only get Uni once if your like the majority so enjoy it while you can cause working for a living sucks.