In need of Motivation (Those in college)

"Kailand09" (kailand09) 09/09/2013 at 23:24 • Filed to: None

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In my final year of school, and have 1.5years of experience to boot. I have hated school pretty much my whole life, and it all comes down to this final year. I need to find the motivation though, and it's gotten so hard for me.

I'm in biomech engineering, and we have yet to make or do anything of worth. I hate that I'm in engineering and having been able to make a single mech thing... I've learned to program and dabbled in circuitry and made some of those things, and see my friends completing programs/circuits, and look at the mech side of things without shit to show. I hate that. It's so damn useless. We haven't even touched CAD.
Every school year I get the "I should just quit before I get too depressed to be worth it" thought in my head, though I've made it through so far with an OK gpa. I can do the work, just damn I'm so uninterested.

How do you people find the motivation to continue on school and the BS that comes with it?

Sorry for the rant.

Also: that's the car I want, and one of the few reasons I'm still in school. The other is the fiance.

***EDIT*** Keep the comments coming if you wish, but I'd like to thank everyone so far. Every answer provides insight and help, I'll get through fine I think. Just need to keep on truckin.

Jonathan Harper > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:28

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I wasn't the best student (massive understatement) and I didn't finish college in 4 years, but it was worth it. (Easy to say now)

Stay in school. Finish that shit.

Kailand09 > Jonathan Harper 09/09/2013 at 23:30

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Yeah I'll finish. I'm just worried about how my grades will go if I'm starting off with this little motivation to study etc. My big problem is the "what am I really working towards"? I see university as a distraction from actually doing something. What are the individual classes working towards? A piece of paper and a number tattooed to my record.

At least in our program that's what it's like. There's no way I'll remember how to do all this shit.

desertdog5051 > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:31

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This.

Kailand09 > desertdog5051 09/09/2013 at 23:33

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LOL I doubt I could afford one of those things, if not all five, with a measly engineering salary. That's why I'm shooting for the c5Z worth $20k LOL.

PRBot II > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:33

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The motivation can only come from keeping a positive attitude. As for the BS that comes with it?

scoob > desertdog5051 09/09/2013 at 23:36

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If only that were true. Most rich people that we see (on the interwebs at least) are like inherited rich, not work-hard rich.

Kailand09 > PRBot II 09/09/2013 at 23:37

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I LOL'd

PowderHound > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:38

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I hated school. Did great in High school without ever really trying. Did average in college, whole range of grades don't even know my final GPA. No idea what I am doing with the rest of my life, for the most part. (I am moving at the end of the month with no job, no place to live and just going for it.) The past couple months have sucked of, "Shit, I can't get a job. I will never get the job I want. blah blah blah." Fuck it. I am only 23 things will work out for better or worse. Also, I got an art degree and am the pickiest son of a bitch when it comes to where I want to live, so at least you probably have a lot more options than me. Shit will work out. Try not to stress too much about it, just finish school and go after what you want to do.

55Buick, Oversteer Scientist > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:39

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Basically what I do is just set my background to whatever car I want most at the time (it changes a lot.) Then, every time I switch apps/open a new window or whatever, I say to myself "I won't get that car by being lazy, so I'd better finish this BS assignment well." I'm just a sophomore in high school, but it's worked surprisingly well.

Here's some motivation:

B_dol > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:41

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Do you yourself a favor and avoid complaining about what your classes lack (ie. applications, projects, CAD use). All these are easily doable on the side, through clubs, or on the weekends. If the school has a MechE program they most likely have a CAD class. TAKE IT. I use Solidworks/ProE daily.

Kailand09 > PowderHound 09/09/2013 at 23:41

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Yeah. I mean I have job prospects already too, I just wish the whole piece of paper and four year program thing didn't exist. You learn a lot of shit you don't need to, or should learn on the job.

Kailand09 > 55Buick, Oversteer Scientist 09/09/2013 at 23:42

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hah ya, my BG is a vette. Thanks man.

Kailand09 > B_dol 09/09/2013 at 23:43

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Yeah we do have those things on the side. I'm working on my own side project currently, but as I said I consider school a distraction as opposed to productive time spent. For the $35k in tuition alone, I shouldn't have to go out of my way to do something useful. My curriculum should cover usefulness.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:43

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I have an engineering degree and god do I wish I had studied more. You think engineering school is hard? Try real life.

Getting good grades is important, and I guarantee you it isn't as hard as you think. Here are my biggest suggestions for you: go to every class and don't bring your laptop or your phone. You'll be amazed at how much you learn and how much easier everything is when you pay attention in class, consistently. Do the reading before lecture, that was something I didn't learn until late in my college career.

The biggest thing you need to do though? Cut it out with the frigging pity party, it'll get you no where. I'm not saying this to be mean but ultimately the only person who cares about you and your problems is you and I guarantee you in a few years if you continue down the route you're on you'll regret it. Take responsibility for everything that is happening to you. It's not your program's fault that you're bored and you're not doing the things you want to do, it's your fault for choosing the wrong program. If you really want to be doing what your friends are doing then switch programs even if it takes extra time in school. If that isn't a viable option then finish out your final year strong. The worst possible thing you can do is drop out, the next worst option is to spend a bunch of money finish off the year while wasting it getting crappy grades. This is your life and you are responsible for everything that happens in it, take control of it and take responsibility for it.

GhostZ > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:45

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Get creative and try and get a patent. Spend your free time doing that. If you're lucky you'll be able to sell the idea to a small startup for some stock share, and then parachute out after it grows big and you can sell off for enough money to get you a jump start after school.

Me? I couldn't care less about grades. I think grades, majors, prestige, is about the stupidest shit in the world. In real life, people care about what you can bring them and how you can do it, not what kind of title or number is put on your name. I'm in my second year and I've come to realize that while my major department is one of the best in the world for where I'm at, there is very little that they can teach me that I haven't either already learned myself or couldn't read about in the right set of books, without the massive time (and lost money) of formal schooling. It's good for security and meeting people, but its actually a pretty bad way to learn in the world we have today.

It's the potential to make huge money and build an absurdly fast car where cost is no object that keeps me going.

PowderHound > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:47

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I learned a good amount at school that learning on the job would be a hassle for the employer. I could have easily learned all that stuff online but whatever. I had a blast at school, just not the school part.

BRZJon > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:47

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You already have gone this far, there is no sense in dropping all of the hard work you have already done (and money). I was in the same boat. I was dreading the final years of my Chemical Engineering degree (plus my GPA was horrible). I managed be a trooper and finish. Best decision I have ever made. Just think of driving the Corvette with your fiance as co-pilot.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:47

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The degree and the grades are all that matters. Any engineer worth his salt will tell you that nothing you learn in any class is actually useful. The sooner you realize that the better. Especially in anything related to biology, it's too broad a field to learn anything worthwhile as an undergrad.

B_dol > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:50

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Agreed. Sometimes formalities are necessary. All worth it in the long haul

Jayhawk Jake > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:52

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As a somewhat recent grad myself, let me tell you a little secret: no matter how much you hate school now, you'll look back on it as the best years of your life and miss it dearly.

Additionally, it sounds like your complaints are easily fixed. Get active. Want to learn CAD? Take a class. Want to build something? Join a club or work on research. I don't think you need motivation, but you could use a wake up call. Things won't be handed to you. If you want it, get it. Don't know how to get it? Ask a professor, they've been doing this a lot longer than you, I guarantee they know a way.

Kailand09 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 09/09/2013 at 23:53

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I see what you're saying. As I've said in another thread, $35k a year for tuition should including interesting things and not just bull shit. I wish I knew I didn't like mech so much, but it was too late by the time I realized it. I can't afford the time to take more school time.

I won't actually drop out, it's just a dream. I don't use my phone in class, and don't use my laptop either. I actually do pay attention (despite some day dreaming).

I tried finding our FSAE team at my school, but that had been disbanded by the time I got here. I spent most of my free time for the first years in the symphony orchestra, since that is my real passion. I'm no deadbeat. Just don't agree with a lot of the BS that surrounds modern university.

I agree though. It isn't any useful sitting and complaining. I may have to try reading before class a bit though, have yet to do that.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:54

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Biomech engineering, well there's your problem. What you wanted is Mechanical Engineering.

Kailand09 > GhostZ 09/09/2013 at 23:54

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I agree with a lot of that. That's part of my problem for no motivation, it all means nothing really.

Kailand09 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 09/09/2013 at 23:55

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Yeah, I've been told that at my co-op and the previous internship. It seems so damn wasteful.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:57

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Keeping an air of positivity and perseverance is the best thing I can think of - after all, you're almost there.

I mean, I'm a bioengineering major and I fared miserably in my first semester of college last year - I didn't know how much foresight I needed to have, had no work ethic, had no idea just how hard I need to work, etc. By the end of this semester I'll have spent this entire year climbing out of the hole I dug myself into in one semester. And on top of all that, I don't even know if BioE's something I want to do anymore - I keep thinking that I'd rather do Mechanical, as I've given up on ever making the cut for med school and specifically picked BioE over Biology in case this happened.

But I know I want to be an engineer of some kind - if that requires hard work, then what choice do I have when I want to make it happen and, based on what success that I have had in college, I know that I can make it happen? I've gotta keep at it. There's a lot of BS that's thrown into course registration, loony instructors, adjusting policies so that I can be graded harsher or have to make do with less help, and so on, but I've gotta keep at it.

Looking at what I've just typed... I'm not sure it makes any sense.

Kailand09 > Jayhawk Jake 09/09/2013 at 23:58

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Easier said than done, unfortunately. As a co-op student, I gave up any schedule/class flexibility. FSAE was disbanded here. We are also not a huge research university, so those positions are taken up by masters/PhD students. I've tried, but all the clubs I had interest in disbanded. We used to have a rocket team that built rockets in the local competition, but that's gone now too.

I used to do symphony orchestra, and my massive boredom is now probably because winds can't play in that any more (they made a dumb decision).

6cyl > Kailand09 09/09/2013 at 23:58

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A teacher finally explained it to my in my senior year when I had the same complaints. They said this "we are not always teaching you what you need to know as every job will have very different skills and knowledge needed but what we are doing is turning you into a better learner and self teacher than someone who does not go to college." This makes some sense to me and helped me push through.

Good luck with your last year.

Kailand09 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/09/2013 at 23:58

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Yeah, a lot of places throw out my resume the minute they see the "bio" part.

Kailand09 > 6cyl 09/10/2013 at 00:00

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Thanks, interesting quote.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:01

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LOL, yeah you're always gonna be pissed if you expect engineering classes to be inherently interesting. If you're not interested in the subject it'll never be interesting. Again that is your problem, not your university's. You seem to be suffering from the delusion that world owes you something.

Another suggestion: Take a random super specific humanities class pass/fail. I took a photography class my junior year and loved it, nothing took the edge of hours of fluid mechanics problems like a solid darkroom session.

Senior year I took a History class about WW1 pass/fail. It was fantastic, I was the most prepared person for class and I didn't even write the paper since it was pass fail but I actually looked forward to going to class.

Also get used to BS, you'll encounter way more of it once you start working.

GhostZ > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:01

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No, no no, It definitely means something. I believe that college has nothing to do with success in life, but it has everything to do with failure. It allows you to meet, interact with, and see the inner workings of, a lot of businesses, creatives, and successful people in a field and see exactly what they do. This means the more "traditional" 'college is to find out what you want to do in life' aspect, but it more important can be used to establish a job (don't graduate unemployed, whatever you do) build businesses, and get free access to things that are otherwise behind closed doors.

It's like getting 4 years in Oz. It doesn't matter how smart you are (some of the wealthiest, most 'successful' students at my school are dumb as shit and not able to put two coherent sentences together, yet they'll be secure for the rest of their life) or how much you learn or what your grades are, it all depends on what kind of advantages you can get and what you can create. That's what really matters, school is just a way to get there.

Kailand09 > SonorousSpeedJoe 09/10/2013 at 00:04

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Makes lots of sense.

One word of wisdom from someone who wishes he had changed majors - get yourself some experience in all three of the major disciplines (mech, comp, elec). Then decide what you like. Try to program some, and then go do some massive physics-based dynamics and see how you like that, or CAD. You've seen circuitry probably. Either way, mechanical isn't what it was cracked up to be for me.

Kailand09 > GhostZ 09/10/2013 at 00:06

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Very good points. I guess I should have been more descriptive. I meant that most of the classes and their content mean nothing when you aren't actually trying to make something with the engineering "know-how".

I owe all my experience and internships to my school, that's for sure. Some lessons in resume building, and networking, etc, are all things I have taken as a positive from school.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:08

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"My curriculum should cover usefulness"

You keep saying shit like this. Guess what: no it shouldn't. You chose a bio related degree, guess what? Every bio related problem in the real world requires super specific knowledge. There is no way to teach you all of that in 4 years, let alone 6 including a masters or even 8 including a PHD. A undergraduate bio degree is all about a broad, shallow base of knowledge so you can choose your specialty when you get a masters/PhD.

Bioengineering was a big program at my school, the way we always described them was jack of all trades, master of none. A little, programming, a little physics/mechanic, a little chemical, not a lot of anything. It's an inherently non-useful degree, stop expecting them to teach you how to do something specific.

Kailand09 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 09/10/2013 at 00:08

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Well I know I'm not interested in mech, but as I said too late for that. We are required to take core classes, and so there is no room for extra classes at all apart from the music classes I took in my fresh/soph years.

Also, I don't generally accept that you'll just get BS all the time when I'm paying for something. If you offer a service for money, you do it right.

The man in the iron mask > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:10

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keep it up, the only thing i ask is you buy it with the stick

Kailand09 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 09/10/2013 at 00:10

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That's my whole point, it's a non-useful degree. I wish I had known this going in. And there is nothing that's "right" about that. Why even offer a bio-engineering degree if it is too specific to really do anything with?

GhostZ > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:10

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I'm also in the social sciences, which is quite a bit different from engineering (all the scientists at my school are theoretical or physicists, or worse, theoretical physicists!) so I can see how it can be particularly frustrating with something like that.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:12

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Well you're gonna have to accept it because that is the way of the world. And I"ll tell you something else from the real world: the customer is not always right. The customer is in fact normally wrong. You also shouldn't consider yourself a customer of your university, that kind of mindset is a recipe for disappointment.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:13

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Part of my draw to mechanical is that we have a FSAE team and an Automotive Engineering specialization (though it seems to be only two courses). It might be a case of my interests interfering with my priorities, but I still want to explore those possibilities. If not that, then I have to figure out whether I want to stick to the Biomedical Instrumentation track of my degree or give pre-med another shot once I have my shit together.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:15

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Because you need that broad base of knowledge to do other things. Those other things require more training though, either on the job or through more school. But guess what? Pretty much all the other engineering degrees are almost as bad. Engineering school is not about gaining specific useful knowledge that you use in a career. It's about:

1. Learning a process for problem solving

2. Proving to employers that you care enough about your future to put the effort into getting good grades.

You seem to have been expecting engineering school to include lots of welding and building shit. Sorry buddy, should have done your research in advance.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:18

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If you want to learn CAD, go to Autodesk's website and free student download it. Then just search out the online tutorials. Then try applying at places that make medical implants. Who knows, you might just design the next generation of fake tits.

Kailand09 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 09/10/2013 at 00:20

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While yes, school should prepare you in those ways, I think that would include actually working on something other than a text book.

Also, I did do my research. You know what all the university's propaganda told me? I'd be designing/building things. Had I known I wouldn't like mech and gone computing, I would have actually made programs, which did occur in one class I enjoyed: computational modelling. That class was good, since I actually made computational models instead of just going over theory.

Kailand09 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/10/2013 at 00:23

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Great idea, thanks! I actually have plenty of access to solidworks at school and somewhat enjoy that, but I could use that on my personal computer.

Also LOL! Not sure how that would go over with the fiance, but testing could be fun!

Kailand09 > The man in the iron mask 09/10/2013 at 00:23

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Z06 only comes in stick! No other way to go. Thanks man.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:25

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Find the tutorials and have fun.

Drew > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:28

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I can certainly relate. I hated school and hated busting my ass through college. Took some good advice and kept my nose to the grindstone until I got my Master's degree. I graduated poor and stressed out.

I turned 27 in May. Last month, I went on a cross country road rally in my C6 to celebrate my girlfriend and my one year anniversary (

). When I got back, I bought a Miata to play with on the track since I needed a project and my girlfriend is going to start DD'ing my CTS-V. Next month, I'm going to be making it down to Houston to race with a buddy's LeMons team.

People who say that success is part luck can kiss my shiny metal ass. I worked my damn tail off to be able to afford the things I want to do. I'm not all that smart and I don't have the luck of a lottery winner. I knew the car hobby I had slotted somewhere on the expensive scale between drugs and speedboats, so I knew I'd have to work for it. And so I did.

I owe it big to my folks. But I owe it also to this one guy on FerrariChat who posted late one night back when I was a junior and wanted nothing more than to just get out of college. The guy took delivery of his first 355 and had just taken it canyon carving for the first time and wrote to thank everyone profusely for providing the late night motivation for putting in the time on the clock. I wanted to be that guy, so I stuck to it.

I hope you can find that motivation here on this forum. Good luck.

alexotics > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:30

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With one year to go in Uni, in a direction I wasn't happy in, I decided to print off a sheet of paper with three things on it.

- The car I'd buy my dad one day.

- The country's Top 40 under 40 certificate awarded to some of the highest achievers.

- The girl I liked.

I hung it up above my TV as a reminder to not waste my time in front of it.

GatorEight > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 00:40

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The most important thing I learned in school was, it is what you make it . Take advantage of the tools at your disposal. It will get a lot harder to build and make things when you leave college and you don't have the tools or software to make anything. Have a goal by the end of the year, have two, and just do it. Make something that will make employers want to hire you to do what you like to do. School is just a pantry full of ingredients, YOU have to figure out how to make dinner.

The man in the iron mask > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 01:07

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well thats great, i love it when auto makers do that, it makes it a drivers car, the BMW 1m is standard only, and so is the GT500

Milky > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 01:27

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Also a senior this year ... and baybey step your positive game up. Soon you'll/we'll be getting that money that you all ready need because of the students and all will be fine.

Also Majestic casual is great for jamming while doing work http://www.youtube.com/majesticcasual .

Last but not least since your a C5 fan, I present with a friends car, that graduated my freshman year. He had the modded 240 in school and has since upgraded .... a couple times.

The 240 was SBC swapped, the red C5 had about 500hp, and now the silver C5 has roughly 600hp.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 02:01

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There are a few things I can recommend from experience are actually pretty simple:

1) Remember why you're there. You have reasons why you started, why you're finishing, and why you enjoyed the idea in the first place. Keep those things in front of you in multiple places—your car, wallpaper on phone/laptop, in your room, and especially where you do most of your school work. If you hit a snag, take a break, and remember why you're there. It might seem like a small tweak, but it helps.

2) Plan out your semester. If you don't have one, get yourself a paper calendar, and then sync important test/due dates into your phone (with checkpoints) later. Physically writing them down will help you remember and keep you thinking about what you need to get done.

3) Take full advantage of each and every networking opportunity you can. If your GPA is average or slightly above, making a good impression on someone can get your foot in some doors a good GPA can't.

4) This one is key, but it takes some discipline to not over-indulge: Find positive (read: not partying) ways to relieve stress. Whether it's picking up something like pool or bowling to joining your school's Formula SAE team, find something. It's a bonus if you can use some of your skills learned in school to put to good use. It'll be an extra motivation to do well in classes, and it could double as a class project, too!

H4N5 GRU83R > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 03:18

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Keep pushing. I have a mechanical engineering degree and many times I walked into exams knowing full well the beating I was going to receive. For me there was no other option; I didnt know what else I wanted to do, so there was no retreating to a plan B. I just kept going no matter what.

As far as not building anything of worth yet, please please please do yourself a favor and find an internship SOMEWHERE to start gaining experience. I made the mistake of having zero experience when I graduated so employers only looked at my grades (which were not spectacular). Otherwise I only had my senior design project (FSAE) as some kind of relevant experience. I ended up graduating, then taking an internship at $10/hr to gain experience. I am not joking; the economy sucked and I had to start somewhere.

Go to career fairs. Ask fellow classmates or recent grads for help. Appy everywhere. Careerbuilder, Monster, all of those. You may have to deal with annoying headhunters. You just need to get your foot in the door somewhere. After that you will be set.

All in all my degree has treated me well. After that first job ive never been out of work, ever. Currently I am at Mazda which makes me very happy. You will be fine, just keep pushing and you will have that Z06 before you know it. Good luck.

N51fanatic > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 05:40

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Engineering Degree here too. I did my undergrad in the late 90's. With all the hype of the internet. I wanted to cash in, so I majored in Comp E. I HATED IT, halfway through i wanted to switch majors. But i kept on trucking becuase quite frankly, i didnt want to start over, or pay to start over. I took some Communications track courses on the side, got a minor in Elelectrical with a comms focus, and turned that into healthy 10 year career in wireless systems engineering. I love the work, and the best part, I am paid a handsome salary which allows me to spend on my hobbies (cars included).

Be aware, college is for the most part a tryout. Just a means to showing a perspective employer that your smart enough to be taught something, and you'll show up everyday. Your 3/4 of the way there, you'll be alright.

doodon2whls > Kailand09 09/10/2013 at 06:41

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The other commenters have pretty much covered all of the points I would make, and it looks like you've read most of the most important ones.

I came here to add my $0.02 of motivation and tell you that you are the only one in control of your engagement @ university. University is not a spoon feeding environment. You pay the university tuition to get access to resources, so exploit them ! I am a hands on nuts & bolts engr and do not like school, but I still managed to complete a bachelors (full time) and two masters (part time) in ten years time.

Gut it out, get a job, and get paid.

Kailand09 > Milky 09/10/2013 at 08:37

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damn. Now that there is some motivation hah! Thanks. Your friend has a very nice car