Advice on fixing the "I like to miss class" syndrome.

I've been in college for a while, first at U of Memphis, then Ole Miss and now
UT-Knoxville...and as of late, I can't find any motivation to go to class besides
on exam days. As the weeks roll by, I miss more and more - fully aware that
my parents are spending a lot of money to send me here and that I'm fucking
up (both my grades and my parent's work.)

I wake up, I look at my clock and I take a shower - but from that point on, I
fight with myself until I watch the clock hit the time that I'm supposed to be
in class and then I give up. It's bullshit, but I can't fix it - even when I get out
the door and out of the dorm.

Anyway, I was wondering if anybody had ever gone through this and how
you fixed it if you did...I need some help.

Later

shir0

Work a Burger King for a month, that should cure you....

edit:Teen Girl Squad r0xors

Fantasize everyone in class naked. That should perk you right up.

I had the same problem in junior college and I never did fix it. Over two semesters, I probably only completed four courses, or 12 units. The problem continues with me today, as I continued procrastinating re-enrollment until it was finally too late. I guess there needs to be some sense of urgency about it for me, how to make that materialize is beyond me. I'm confident I'll get my shit together about school someday soon, unless something much more interesting comes along.

shir0 said:

Anyway, I was wondering if anybody had ever gone through this and how you fixed it if you did...I need some help.

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First look at yourself and ask:
I'm I studying in a field that really interests me? Is this leading me to where I want to go in the future?

If yes, then get off your butt and GO! I know it's hard to get motivated once you skipped. You feel like you've missed alot, stuff will go over your head but the more you wait the more you'll have to catch up.

If no, then maybe you should look at another program. I don't mean look for anything "easier", but look for something you've at least some interest in.

bokmeow said:

Fantasize everyone in class naked. That should perk you right up.

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We're in TN.

shir0 I dunno, I try to schedule all my classes starting at at earliest 10, and even those I miss sometimes. I love taking once a week 3 hour night classes. They usually only last 2 hours, and they're late. Night>day

Yeah, it's definitely hard to muster the motivation necessary to go if you aren't committed to getting through and going in a specific direction. Look at your major and program and ask yourself if that's truly what you want to do. I'm actually in a place now where I'm totally committed to what I'm doing and going to class is actually pretty easy now for the first time in a very long time. Of course, I've been going to school now on and off for a hell of a long time...and for the first time it feels really good to be focused and know I'm going for something I genuinely care about.

Basically, if you know what you want, it shouldn't be so hard.
Working at Burger King for a month was a good suggestion too. That'll make you get to class early.

Drop out, come back in a year. I had a hard time finding motivation to go to class myself. All the classes I was interested in taking would be filled by the time freshmen were allowed to register, so I was stuck with a bunch of requirements that felt like a repeat of high school. I didn't feel like waiting 3 years to take a class I was actually interested in. I dropped out, changed cities, did odd jobs for a while, taught english in Japan for a while, came back and re-enrolled (about 2 years later). At that point it felt new, so it was much easier to take.

lithy said:

We're in TN.

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Are you implying that everyone who attends classes in TN already attend them Au Naturale?

bokmeow said:

Are you implying that everyone who attends classes in TN already attend them Au Naturale?

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Nope and for that I'm glad, I'm more suggesting you consider the physical appearance of many Tennesseans.

just drop out dude thats what i did and check me out im kick ass. its much better working shit jobs to pay the bills and spending the rest of ur life doing whatever the fuck you want to do. if all you want to do is play games or watch movies or make music or write poetry or surf or skate or fuck people in various openings found on the human body then this is the life for you my friend. its very hard finding jobs that will pay you enough to play games or watch movies or make music or write poetry or surf or skate or fuck people in various openings so you must clean out dog kennels or sweep up floors or unclog toilets. when you look back 28 years from now you will be glad you didnt piss your life away trying to build a career or some shit.

SouthtownKid said:

taught english in Japan for a while,

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how did you do that before going to college? the take any american over there or something? could i go over there and get paid to be like "when you say "the" in means you want THE something. but when you add a y and say "they" it means THEY (meaning you) are japanese."

or do i have to know how to teach?

Alright Shir0, fuckin' sit down and brace yourself for the first and last serious Dinkins post this forum will ever see...

I had that same problem during my college years (with the exception that I was wasting my own money, which makes me even more of a monkey.) The first college that I attended, UNH, started out with a bang. During my first week I realized that I was sharing some classes with my buddy Matt... Matt also happened to deal on the side. Him and I would get high before class all the fucking time (which was nice.) After a while I just started to get stoned before class, grab a bite to eat, and go and take a nap without going to class. I was kicked out of UNH.

After my brief stint at UNH I picked up my wits and carted my ass off to NH Tech Nashua to continue my learnings in the extremely boring field of comp. programming. My first day I noticed that I was paired with my buddy Shawn in about half of my classes. Shawn too was a dealer, which was nice. Before class on most days we'd get stoned in the parking lot. Eventually I'd just smoke up with him in his car, jump back in my car, drive to Taco Bell to grab something to eat, go to the Comic Book Store down the street to dick around for a while, and go home to take a nap (without going to class). NH Tech kicked me out.

After college I did many drugs and had many a good time. Eventually a good-paying job with benefits fell into my lap.

There you have it. Get high all the time and don't worry about it. Don't worry about anything, it worked for Dinkins.

Serious-Dinkins

I had this problem as well when I went to St. Phillips Community College, but that had more to do with that I had to take your standard BASIC courses and none of it interested me. Unlike going to a bigger University where you more or less can skip classes and just show up on Exam day... {which would've been ideal for me as I absorbed up what I read} but there you had to actually BE IN CLASS so many days otherwise you were dropped by the school all together. *I ended up saying fuck it and living life by the seat of my pants. ---Thus if you're stuck in required BASIC courses and not studying something that interests you then I don't know what to tell you. If it's something you picked, re-evaluate it. For now I'd just call it quits for the year and go live your life. HOSTEL across the nation, there's a lot of cool stuff to be seen and done most will never do. Fuck some broads and while you're doing that just think things through. But the real question is... Is College for you?

a lot of people I know go because Mommy & Daddy are expecting something out of their children that maybe the child doesn't want. Are you going to school for you, or them? Would you be happier in a TRADE? These are the major things that need to be asked. Of course working in food service will indeed get your ass to school on time.

MERCENARY X99

The thing that motivates me to go to college is the fact that I am paying for all of it as I go. No student loans, no help from mum and pop. To be perfectly honest though college is not for me and the only thing that keeps me coming back is the "school" experience (not the work but the fun of just going) and all the secksay ladies (go post secondary!)

Pay for it yourself and I'm sure you will change your mind.

nope never really had this problem. I enjoy school and am actually interested in my courses, so I'm more motvated to go. I know if I were forced to study feild that I hated then I would prob never get up and go to school either. I have to get up real early everyday and drive to my school too, plus Im paying for loans. right now I'm taking up fine arts and psychology and am really motivated.

So the real problem is like merc said, is that maybe college just isn't for you. maybe you shuold take up a difrrent subject.

um....whay are you studying, btw.....

I force myself to go, I have a routine, I get up at the same times each day, and there's fucking nothing else better to do anyways, so I walk to school with my ipod on, just go to class sit down, take notes for a couple hours, come home eat, then sleep then do it all again.

Just get a routine going, and FORCE yourself, eventually it will become second nature.


Also I agree that in order to be motivated to go to class, you really should have a desire to be in what youre studying.

when I went through this, it was actually failing a course that got me out of it. I had gotten shitty grades before, but never to the point where I didn't receive credit. Maybe it would be different for you, sinc eyour parents are paying for it, but for a student loan junkie like me, the moment that F showed up on my transcript was the last time I skipped class with any regularity. Something about the realization that you're about to pay for a redundant class, and/or have to pay for spending extra time in school will make you get serious about your classes pretty quickly. What others have said about making sure to take classes/major in a field that you're interested in couldn't be more true. In my situation, I was two classes away from a math degree, but after failing one of those two classes, I decided having the minor would be sufficient--I simply didn't like pure mathematics that much.

FeelGood said:

how did you do that before going to college? the take any american over there or something? could i go over there and get paid to be like "when you say "the" in means you want THE something. but when you add a y and say "they" it means THEY (meaning you) are japanese."

or do i have to know how to teach?

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Things were a lot looser back in the year 1990, but mostly it came down to the fact that a friend's girlfriend worked in the office of one of the main branches and got us in. Asked us if we graduated college, we said yes. Said we were 22 years old (closer to 19). Could only stay in the country 3 months without a work visa, but we did two 3-month stints. And they teach you how to teach. After the bubble burst a lot of schools closed (including Attny, where I worked) so there are fewer jobs, I think. It seems like a lot of people here do it now, though...maybe they could help you out somehow if you're interested.

As with many things, who you know becomes more important than what you know.

FeelGood said:

just drop out dude thats what i did and check me out im kick ass. its much better working shit jobs to pay the bills and spending the rest of ur life doing whatever the fuck you want to do. if all you want to do is play games or watch movies or make music or write poetry or surf or skate or fuck people in various openings found on the human body then this is the life for you my friend. its very hard finding jobs that will pay you enough to play games or watch movies or make music or write poetry or surf or skate or fuck people in various openings so you must clean out dog kennels or sweep up floors or unclog toilets. when you look back 28 years from now you will be glad you didnt piss your life away trying to build a career or some shit.

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FeelGood you crack me up dude.

Funniest member EVAR!

I remember those days. I used to be the exact same way back in 99-2001 over at a community college here in Seattle.

Except, I would ditch classes to play at the school's SAC(Student Activity Center) and Hoop all afternoon or participate in the Fighting Game Tournaments.

It was the place for competetion at the time. We had a lot of MVC and SFA2 matches there. I was the worst noob ever and became one of the top players over time.

Eventually, it became boring. You saw a lot of people come and go. After awhile you found only yourself being there. Everyone had eithered dropped out or transfered elsewhere. It was really sad.

Anyway, I can't believe I blew that much tuition and financial aid money over those things. I basically was paying for playing.

Been out of school since 2001 and i'm seriously considering going back. Tired of this work force crap. Shoud have graduated this year if I had disciplined myself better. I'd say balance things out and discipline yourself to stay in school.

"Can't make up for lost time."

I never had this problem all that badly. I think everyone battles with it, but I never had it to the extent that I was in danger of failing out. However, I will say that the more I realized what I want to do and that my grades needed to improve to go to grad school, the easier it became to just do well and show up in general. Now it's almost like I feel worse when I don't go. I need recommendations. I need to stay over 3.0. More importantly, I *want* to learn because I know I will need to do it for the job I want. I know I'm going to use this information. It helps SO MUCH when you actually can say, "Hey, I have to know this for the job I want to do! Class is saving me time by teaching it to me..."

So my advice is try as best you can to do well and just hang in there and figure out what you actually want to do with yourself. And I don't mean, "Well I kinda want to be a computer programmer..." Fuck that. I'm talking, "I'm GOING TO BE this, and I WANT to be this." If you can't feel that way about anything, then just take a career at a supermarket and be done with it. College is for learning to prepare for your future. If you're not going to use it then just get out. We are too obsessed with college these days, as a society.

I have a similar problem, except for only one class. I can't stand to go to it. I LOATHE going to it. The worst part of it is that there really isn't any work due, our grade is more or less dependant on a couple of exams and a final. So it's so easy to miss. Besides, with 200 people in there, it's not like the professor will notice me?

The bright side?

It's helped me figure out what I don't want to do, so I'm going to switch majors.

The new problem? Picking a major where I know I won't come across the same problem.

Sorry Galfordo, I guess BME just isn't for me.

Damn chemistry classes.

I had a couple of friends go through this, and I came really close my 2nd year. For me it was girl troubles, giving up a sport I'd played all my life (and was still playing but not enjoying), and not being sure about my major.

My friends' situations wasn't so clear. A couple of them got to the point where they'd still be in bed in the afternoon. I think it was maybe more of a depression with one.

They both ended up dropping out. To this day they regret it because they won't ever get a degree now. If they couldn't be motivated to go to class when they were already enrolled (and living there) then going back was really a stretch, especially when they felt they'd failed. The "failure" haunts them today.

Dropping out may be necessary but I'd be damn sure that's the right decision. I'd suggest getting some counseling from someone qualified to work you through it. There could be something you aren't really that aware of as an underlying issue. Maybe the school has a psychologist or something. I'd seriously consider it, and there's no shame in it. You might not be that far from a turning point.

Having a degree can seriously make your life a lot easier. You just need to fix the root of the lack of motivation.

Edit: In the working world I've worked with a lot of people with 2 year degrees, which is obviously a step up from no degree. Even these people have a noticeably more difficult time in life. In my current job they had to live with the fact that though they may end up doing the same jobs as others with 4 year degrees, but they would always be paid less, always face a barrier which they couldn't pass via promotions, and always have less job security. I say "had" because when times got tough they were all the first to get laid off. At my previous job there weren't really any barriers to speak of, but when another company bought us out, they were all demoted and had their pay reduced for the lack of a 4 year degree. That had to be done to make the "end company" consistent. Now, to apply this to your possible future situation imagine that these folks have things great compared to someone without any college degree.

Good luck!

B

I'm gling through this right now...I'm not motivated to attend class. I think its because I dislike the field I'm in.

I try and get my seft to class but all this week I just said "fuck it". Now that I think about it, it was a nice little break, but we all have to get back to the REAL WORLD sometime. What gets me going is the fact that you have to have some sort of schooling these days to get a decient job.

I say for you, you should try go to some of the courses you like...that can get you moving...

I failed a class. That worked wonders.