How can I make myself more motivated?

Question

I'm at uni doing a History degree and am finding it really boring at the moment. I can't seem to motivate myself to study. I always leave everything to the last minute, and end up doing the work at 2am of the day it's due in. How can I stop being a lazy cow and be more motivated?

Answer 1

In my limited experience, most history majors seem to be drawn to the major because of stories of past events that they found exciting or interesting when they first heard them. The problem with majoring in history on this basis is you have to sift through LOADS of events that are not as interesting or exciting. By second year most seem bored with the subject matter, and are contemplating suicide by year three, if they last that long... so know you are not alone in your lack of motivation.

It seems academia has a tendency to suck the excitement right out of historical events and replace them with memorization exercises. To succeed as a history major you have to find ways YOURSELF to make things interesting again.

I have a friend who took a theater and a drama class in his third year so that he could get into the heads of some of the people he was studying by acting out historical event in which those people were involved. His drama projects became his motivation to delve into the specifics of events and learn more about the human aspects of historical people and events. Through this he gained a better understanding of history AND it's sociological ramifications, as well as a particularly acute sense of self. Most of all, he said it put the fun back into a dry subject by finding a new way to approach the material. I'm sure, with a little imagination and creativity, you can find similar mechanisms.

That said...

That same friend recently changed his career because -- and I quote -- "History was never me". It seems it was just the major he picked because he was marginally more interested in that versus other lines of study, and he couldn't decide what else to do with his life. I suspect you did the same.

Bottom line:

It seems you really have to love history itself to succeed as a history major. I find that that is true for many other fields as well. I might be wrong, but it seems you do not have a real LOVE for it, just want to get through it. You might want to re-visit your choice in major if (as I suspect) your heart is not truly in it.

Everyone IS one thing. They do lots of things, but they ARE only one. Society usually forces us to choose a career before we are ready to, so few realize what they really are until much later in life (I think that's the major cause of mid-life crisis).

My advise is to take the time NOW to find out what is really YOU. If you love music and wake up singing... you might be a musician at heart. If you always find the aesthetic beauty in the things around you -- even when others don't -- you may be an artist at heart.
Whatever it is, it has to be from your heart (not the intellect that tells you there's no money in it, etc.). Your ambition must serve you internally as well as monetarily (both realistic AND idealistic, remember). Don't think it's too late to switch majors if you find your passion lies in something else.

If you find that history IS your passion, than try to remember why, and find that passion again.

Either way, I think you'll find it is MUCH easier to study your passion. It will inherently provide the motivation you need.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

P.S.: I liked the sweet shop idea the best!

Answer 2

Try this. Unless you want to be dogmeat on the job ,market, get to work and get that degree!
Dropouts are a dime a dozen.
I hope this works on you. Sometimes, you hust have to hit where it hurts.
Good luck.