Coping with studies

[Minuend]

I am curious what perspective you have on school. Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams? Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day? What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)? Do you skip classes if possible? Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

I am very tired just from being at school for three hours. When I get home all I want to do is lay down and sleep. I feel constantly stressed about assignments. Not super-stressed, but enough. I want to excel in everything because I want to be attractive when I'm applying for jobs. Ideally I want to get "noticed" by some of the professors, as I imagine they have contacts which could have an influence later. I don't know if that is realistic. So I set ridiculously high standards for myself which is eating at my motivation. It feels like I wont be finished in time, there's so much to do. And I do worry whether I am clever enough. Perhaps I have a "rich inner life" or whatever. But what use is that if I plainly suck at everything when externalizing it?

So, comment first, last or both paragraph.

Also, if anyone graduated have something to tell about their time in school, that would be nice.

If anyone made it....

 

[AlisaD]

I am curious what perspective you have on school. Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams? Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day? What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)? Do you skip classes if possible? Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

I never really believed I would learn anything I'd really appreciate in school. Depressing, but that's the way it was. I just saw it as an easier way to earn a comfortable living than actually working.
Never had any problems thinking I could fail to understand or pass an exam, my ego is to big to accept such a thought, I suppose. I did spend quite a bit of time going to classes at my first few months at the Uni, but as time passed, I got it down to going to about 2 classes a week, and studying only when absolutely necessary. Funnily enough, my grades got better the less I tried or cared.

I am very tired just from being at school for three hours. When I get home all I want to do is lay down and sleep.

That seems normal, having to be anywhere, surrounded by people, trying to concentrate, is exhausting.

I feel constantly stressed about assignments. Not super-stressed, but enough. I want to excel in everything because I want to be attractive when I'm applying for jobs. Ideally I want to get "noticed" by some of the professors, as I imagine they have contacts which could have an influence later. I don't know if that is realistic. So I set ridiculously high standards for myself which is eating at my motivation. It feels like I wont be finished in time, there's so much to do. And I do worry whether I am clever enough. Perhaps I have a "rich inner life" or whatever. But what use is that if I plainly suck at everything when externalizing it?

I'd say, just try and relax and give yourself a bit of time to get used to the whole thing. There's a lot of time in front of you, and writing papers and doing assignments gets easier as it becomes a routine. No need to rush.

Also, if anyone graduated have something to tell about their time in school, that would be nice.

I mostly spent it looking at the sea, climbing mountains and playing dice. Utterly useless, but highly relaxing.

If anyone made it....

It was a walk in the park. Moreover, it was a walk in the park for all my good friends. You seem at least as intelligent as they are, and they all seem just as weird as you are. So... stop worrying.

 

[Minuend]

Oh, to have your wisdom, old one.

That helps, actually. I suppose my need to be acknowledged has manifested in wanting to be amazing.

A general advice to other students:

DO NOT buy a super-fantastic-amazing couch. Buy one that is uncomfortable to sit and..... lie o......n..........zZzzZZzz

 

[Polaris]

I just wrote a long reply and my stupid internet connection timed out.....I'll try again tomorrow

Hang in there Minnie...your experiences are shared by millions of other students...

 

[Minuend]

Polaris! :smiley_emoticons_mr

Damned internet !

I'm highly curious as to what your experiences has been

 

[AlisaD]

Oh, to have your wisdom, old one.

That helps, actually. I suppose my need to be acknowledged has manifested in wanting to be amazing.

A general advice to other students:

DO NOT buy a super-fantastic-amazing couch. Buy one that is uncomfortable to sit and..... lie o......n..........zZzzZZzz

I'll sort that out for you in no time, Minnie

Spoiler

 

[Polaris]

I seriously need a better connection...and a better computer...and a better life...and better subjects....and better marks. I'm doing shit at the moment, although that is probably a rather doubtful "consolation".....

And if you're having trouble with an assignment, just let the cat accidentally piss on it....your lecturer will be in a right hurry to get it marked....



:smiley_emoticons_mr

 

[Vrecknidj]

I am curious what perspective you have on school.

A few notes...
1) I didn't much like school before college.
2) I really liked college.
3) I have taught at public universities for more than 20 years.
4) I have taught at a private high school for 5 years.
5) My wife and I homeschooled our own children.

Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams? Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day? What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)? Do you skip classes if possible? Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

I didn't like school because it started too early, lasted too long, and didn't engage me in ways I wanted to be engaged. Mostly, however, I didn't like school because I was intimidated, frustrated (by other people, not the academics), and disappointed. School, for the most part, wasn't fun and wasn't academically interesting. Instead, it was mostly dull and tiresome.

I am very tired just from being at school for three hours. When I get home all I want to do is lay down and sleep. I feel constantly stressed about assignments. Not super-stressed, but enough. I want to excel in everything because I want to be attractive when I'm applying for jobs. Ideally I want to get "noticed" by some of the professors, as I imagine they have contacts which could have an influence later. I don't know if that is realistic. So I set ridiculously high standards for myself which is eating at my motivation. It feels like I wont be finished in time, there's so much to do. And I do worry whether I am clever enough. Perhaps I have a "rich inner life" or whatever. But what use is that if I plainly suck at everything when externalizing it?

How you do at the university level is FAR more important than how you do prior to the university.

Best of luck.

Dave

 

[Chimera]

Today was my first day returning to school (I'm now a senior in high school), and already I feel exhausted and anxious because oh god if I can't make it through one day without a mental breakdown, how can I expect to survive 90?
I should have just graduated last year--I had the credits, I had the choice. Damn sentimentality and wanting to graduate with my class. Now I'm stuck in another long, unfulfilling year, with nothing to keep my company but my notebook full of thoughts similar to "this life is a joke."
I hate everything about my class framework, which revolves around the premise of "I'm taking this class to impress potential colleges, not for immediate personal gain." It seems like such a shallow, cynical take on education and I despise it, yet I have to find some way to get through it.


Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment?
I did when I was in AP Composition last year...but that class was an anomaly due to my teacher. He is without a doubt the most fascinating person I have met in a long time, and in his classes I strove to improve my writing in seek of his approval. After teaching at a university level for 5 years and high school for 3, I earned his first-ever-given 100% essay. I miss that class...

Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams?
Orrrr cram until 5 minutes beforehand...

Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day?
Painfully drained. The agony of it lends well to narrative expression, though.

What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)?
I like writing papers and doing individual projects (fuck group work), but only if the teacher does more than give it a cursory glance when grading. If I feel that my extra effort isn't appreciated, I'll bite back on my creativity and only do the bare minimum.

Do you skip classes if possible?
Never skipped a class, but I have a feeling that might change in college.

Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school?
Not particularly...though I do get discouraged very easily if a grade starts to slip.

That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?
Yes.
​

 

[Polaris]

Ok...take two....

I am curious what perspective you have on school.

School is school...university is different. I believe you are doing some preparatory subjects for uni...?

I detested school (junior high, high school), mostly because of the students, but also because I was seriously bored. I think this was largely due to very uninspiring teachers who exerted minimal effort on making the subjects interesting. It was pretty much a receipe they followed, and one could sense it. I never studied, not even for exams and still got good marks.

So I guess there was no challenge to speak of. so that when I started my first degree, I was pretty much in that same frame of mind. Minimal study and still getting through, although I had chosen the wrong degree so my focus was elsewhere.

Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams?

Depends on the subject....if I like the subject, yes. I cram before exams, never have time to study properly as I'm working full time to support my studies....it is a bit of a Catch-22.....

Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day?

I felt drained to begin with, in my first year at uni. Only because this is my second degree, and I am serious about it, this time. For the first time I am motivated to do well, but I have had to do a hell of a lot of catching up as I didn't do high level maths or chemistry at high school. And that was a long time ago. I got accepted into my course as a "mature-age" student, plus already having completed a degree gave me extra creds.

Only problem is I cannot defer my subject payments as I am not a citizen of this country....even if I have paid in excess of AUS$ 100 000 tax to the Australian government....thanks guys, I see you really want to help lay the foundations for a better educated Australia. This means I am forced to study part- time, so it is dragging out, not very motivating.

Whereas I could have potentially gone straight into the job market now. Not much forward-thinking going on here....

What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)? Do you skip classes if possible?

I much prefer uni. I tend to get involved in class....can't shut up as I've always generated ideas from listening to others. I like the bouncing of brainwaves. I have good relationships with my lecturers, and they have helped me to find work related to what I am studying. I only skip classes if the subject doesn't grab me. Such as the one I'm stuck with this semester....it is social-based and I hate being told what to think. Particularly when there is so much underlying hypocrisy going on....I am doing terribly in it, and I know why...

Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

I never did. Although, I had a bit of a shock when I started uni, as I wasn't used to not "getting it" straight away. Arrogance took a little nose-dive....welcome Humbleness. Particularly with things like mathematics. Yes, that was stressful. But I scraped through, and that is perhaps what you may have to settle for initially; not doing as well as you'd like to. The first year is hard in the way that one is finding one's feet, academically, socially, etc. It can be very lonely. Many students suffer anxiety and depression (I know, because I used to work in the uni pharmacy.....) Also one proffessor said to me that you aren't a "real" student until you have failed a subject. Lessons learnt from that are hard earnt, but even the brightest go through that. I failed organic chemistry because I had no time to memorise all the chemical structures. I did well in labs, but failed my exam. Hence, I failed the subject by one mark....

That was a total wake-up call.....get to work, Polaris.

I am very tired just from being at school for three hours. When I get home all I want to do is lay down and sleep. I feel constantly stressed about assignments. Not super-stressed, but enough. I want to excel in everything because I want to be attractive when I'm applying for jobs.

It is your first year. This is common. As Alisa said, it will take time to get used to the pace. Usually assignments are weighed in %, so if an assignment is worth 30%, one should dedicate three weeks, if it's 50%, you spend five weeks, etc. Have a look at all your assignments and their individual weights, and draw a diagram so you know what to prioritise.

Also, making yourself attractive to potential employers......just do what you love, and you'll do well. The brighter students are usually ambitious....but give yourself a break, and just concentrate on passing with perhaps not amazing marks at first....

Ideally I want to get "noticed" by some of the professors, as I imagine they have contacts which could have an influence later. I don't know if that is realistic. So I set ridiculously high standards for myself which is eating at my motivation. It feels like I wont be finished in time, there's so much to do. And I do worry whether I am clever enough. Perhaps I have a "rich inner life" or whatever. But what use is that if I plainly suck at everything when externalizing it?

You are ambitious. Which is why you are putting perhaps unrealistic pressure on yourself. Which means you are serious. Excellent. Lecturers will pick up on that, but you have to communicate.

If you struggle with something, speak with your lecturers. And you will never feel as if you have enough time. First year subjects are highly generalised, so you are skimming a very large surface. If you try to delve deeper, you'll run out of time. This is extremely frustrated for the more curious and gifted.....

I hope that helped a little.....

 

[pjoa09]

I sucked at school, never paid attention to what I should, and 2 years later still on my 'gap year'. Still can't see the point.

Where I live school is better than university as it sounds. I even visited a university and never came back to pay the fees for my first semester.

 

[Minuend]

Thanks, guys, that's helpful. I'm relived to know you manage(d) without sitting day and night reading. Like it seems Agent Intellects does, whenever something is discussed he has always read a book or article about it.

You want to hear the worst part? The course I'm taking now.... it isn't...... graded...... It's a fail/pass course......

Edit; I removed the space, annoying.

 

[mainiac]

Mayube this will interest you. When I was in grade school they told outrageous lies about our (founding fathers) such as. "I can not tell a lie, It was I that chopped down the cherry true. Supposedly said by a youn george washington! Utter nonsense. The reality is he was a brawler and a bully and attacked his own people with the militia because France was demanding loan payment for financing the revolutionary war.

This is just once example of many false histroy lessons that I was taught as a child. I am near 50 now. Schools in general teach you main stream science that ignores what flies in the face of their own dogma, and call anything they do not understand an (anomalie) or they ridicule what they hsould be studying.

The worse thing is that the institutions of suppose higher learning make sure that if you want to do certain things in liefe you must first pay a great deal of time and money to get one of their (degrees) or you may not practice that proffesion. This makes sure that the only way in wich it will be practiced is the way that they..the powers that be.. aprrove of.

I hated school as far back as I could remember, but always kept my mouth shut and suspected that tone of BS was being shoveled at me daily. An interesting thing has happened of late. All those with (degrees)n are finding out hat today they do not seem to be worth much. After being told that all they had to do was pay up and sacrifice several years of their life to them they would surely prosper the moment they got out of school.

If I have the intelligence and knowledge of a PHD organic chemist with out the 12 years of school and can demenstrate it to a potential employer, why then should I be forced to extorted to having no choice if say that was the profession I wanted to follow?

Such is the way of it with many things. One of the things they try to do to execptiuonal bright people that dont like the song and dance is to bribe them with an (honorary doctorate) false flattery that probably works most of the time making sure that this kind to falls in line.

 

[AlisaD]

Mayube this will interest you. When I was in grade school they told outrageous lies about our (founding fathers) such as. "I can not tell a lie, It was I that chopped down the cherry true. Supposedly said by a youn george washington! Utter nonsense. The reality is he was a brawler and a bully and attacked his own people with the militia because France was demanding loan payment for financing the revolutionary war.

This is just once example of many false histroy lessons that I was taught as a child. I am near 50 now. Schools in general teach you main stream science that ignores what flies in the face of their own dogma, and call anything they do not understand an (anomalie) or they ridicule what they hsould be studying.

The worse thing is that the institutions of suppose higher learning make sure that if you want to do certain things in liefe you must first pay a great deal of time and money to get one of their (degrees) or you may not practice that proffesion. This makes sure that the only way in wich it will be practiced is the way that they..the powers that be.. aprrove of.

I hated school as far back as I could remember, but always kept my mouth shut and suspected that tone of BS was being shoveled at me daily. An interesting thing has happened of late. All those with (degrees)n are finding out hat today they do not seem to be worth much. After being told that all they had to do was pay up and sacrifice several years of their life to them they would surely prosper the moment they got out of school.

If I have the intelligence and knowledge of a PHD organic chemist with out the 12 years of school and can demenstrate it to a potential employer, why then should I be forced to extorted to having no choice if say that was the profession I wanted to follow?

Such is the way of it with many things. One of the things they try to do to execptiuonal bright people that dont like the song and dance is to bribe them with an (honorary doctorate) false flattery that probably works most of the time making sure that this kind to falls in line.

I am not a big fan of formal education, but the one thing they do teach in them schools is grammar.
It helps people understand and appreciate what you are trying to communicate.

 

[pjoa09]

I am not a big fan of formal education, but the one thing they do teach in them schools is grammar.
It helps people understand and appreciate what you are trying to communicate.

 

[Sosekopp]

I just started my second year of videregående (Norwegian equivalent of high school), and I am specializing in music.

I am curious what perspective you have on school.

I have a very ambivalent attitude towards school. Many of my teachers are good pedagogues and most of my classmates are nice people, but I can't help but think that school is an unnecessary bureaucracy between me and my education. But with things being the way they are, I might as well try to learn something from it.

Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams?

It depends on the subject. I love the music related subjects, and I'm okay with the rest. I cram a lot, but if it seems like it's too much, I just improvise.

Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day?

School drains me completely for energy. When I get home I usually have to lay down and do nothing for a while before I can get on with anyting else.

What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)?

I really enjoy writing papers and essays, and I think that is what helps keep my grades at an acceptable level.
I detest group work. At least if free-jazz jamming is not involved.

Do you skip classes if possible?

I sometimes skip classes. It's not necessarily because I dislike that particular teacher or that particular class, but because I just want to get home and spend some time alone.

Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

Not so much about the cleverness and smartness, but the apathetic attitude very much indeed.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Thanks, guys, that's helpful. I'm relived to know you manage(d) without sitting day and night reading. Like it seems Agent Intellects does, whenever something is discussed he has always read a book or article about it.

Here is my problem: when I'm not taking a class on something, I have a lot of interest in it. When I finally take a class on it, studying the subject suddenly feels like a chore.

For instance, I signed up for organic chemistry last April. Over the summer, I pretty much taught myself the major themes and principles of organic chemistry (reading books, watching Khan Academy etc). Now that I'm in the class, the homework and classwork feels like a chore - the same stuff I was hungrily doing on my own free time just days prior.

I've noticed the reverse, too. I took calculus 1 and 2 over summer (yes, at the same time I was teaching myself organic chemistry) and had to force myself to do any homework for those classes. Literally the day after I finished calculus 2, I started watching the calculus 3 videos on Khan Academy and doing the calculus 3 problems from my book (the book contained all three semesters worth of stuff) just on my own. What's the deal with that shit?

As to the original topic, the thing I do to force myself into doing homework is staying at school when I'm not in class. If I come home, all my books, my computer, and all those other distractions are right there. If I stay at school, my mind sort of stays in 'school mode' and it makes it easier to just get down to business. I think the environment of my own room is just not conducive to school work.

 

[Minuend]

Hah... I get what you are saying. I don't like writing rapports or answering quizzies.

I'm trying a new approach. I get up between 7.00-8.30 and drive to school to study. (It's a 7-10 min drive). This way I've managed to stay at school for about 7 hours. Some days including lectures. Today I read only. The room where I'm at usually don't have that many people, so it's quite peaceful.

So I suggest trying that for anyone who has trouble studying.

Some might think it a waste of time when they can plough through everything the day before exams, but I find the process of learning more enjoyable than memorizing. I find myself looking forward to the next day and all the reading when I go to bed.

I also read quite a few books related to my obligatory books. So when I spend this much time studying, I get to see other perspectives and learn things in detail. The better I understand it, the less I have to memorize.

 

[xbox]

I am curious what perspective you have on school. Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment? Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams? Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day? What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)? Do you skip classes if possible? Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

I am very tired just from being at school for three hours. When I get home all I want to do is lay down and sleep. I feel constantly stressed about assignments. Not super-stressed, but enough. I want to excel in everything because I want to be attractive when I'm applying for jobs. Ideally I want to get "noticed" by some of the professors, as I imagine they have contacts which could have an influence later. I don't know if that is realistic. So I set ridiculously high standards for myself which is eating at my motivation. It feels like I wont be finished in time, there's so much to do. And I do worry whether I am clever enough. Perhaps I have a "rich inner life" or whatever. But what use is that if I plainly suck at everything when externalizing it?

So, comment first, last or both paragraph.

Also, if anyone graduated have something to tell about their time in school, that would be nice.

If anyone made it....

I havent completed anything, except highschool, even after I made it to med school after an incomplete undergrad. Medicine just wasn't my thing.

So this time I picked classes that I've always been interested in: Math, Physics.

This time around I can compare my habits from doing something I didn't enjoy, to doing something I do enjoy now. I've seen a bit of a difference, but an important difference.

With my classes now, I actually do the problems and stuff to "pass time" (because I have interest in it, with an internal motivation fueling me) more than actually doing it just because "I had to". That way I'm just cruising along. Slow, and lazy, still, but mastering it.

Hope I finish this time around. I think I will.

 

[A22]

Do you read and write with joy, can't wait to get the next assignment?

Only if it is chemistry.

Do you read the cover of the book and then head confidently to your exams?

Mistakenly.

Do you feel energized or drained throughout the day?

Yeah but that's probably because I don't have a good night of sleep.

What do you like about being at school (college, uni whatever)?

Learning chemistry.

Do you skip classes if possible?

Rarely. If I notice that by going to school that day I won't learn anything I don't go.

Do you ever worry that you just aren't clever or smart enough to make it in school. That with such an apathetic attitude, school just isn't for you?

No.

 

[Dormouse]

I hate school! Wait, no, I don't. Maybe occasionally. Most of the time? These things are so difficult to pin down.

Most assignments manage to interest me on at least a theoretical level, and I tend to enjoy the brainstorming and research processes. After that procrastination kicks in, because real actual work is DULL and BORING.

I make up for all the time I waste by foregoing sleep. This means most of the work I do manage to complete is the product of thinly veiled delirium. I think my last essay on the cardiovascular system became a cascading rant about the vertical layout of the school's main building. (Lots of stairs.)

Team projects and oral reports are the most stressful things I experience daily besides the muggings and tiger attacks. Though I generally enjoy the latter quite a bit, once the anxiety is conquered.

Exams are great excuses to consume dangerously large doses of caffeine and wear nothing but hoodies.

I'm not a very motivated person, but I have high standards so I put in enough effort to ward off insecurity and the depression that results from it.

 

[Hammo]

I'm pretty much the same as the trend suggested at here.
It seems the basic problem (for me at least, can't say for other INTPs) is a requirement for extension beyond the standard curriculum which is unchallenging or unstimulating. But for this to be fulfilled it would need to be communicated, and if there's one thing that's hard, it's communication.
SO ANYWAY. For me the following definately seems more my style, how about the rest of you? Virtual education: your entire curricullum tested and taught on computers; you can go at your own pace, put your energy into study and not having to cope with everyone else's illogical antics, you skim over the bits that don't interest you and best of all, it's all done efficiently and logically.

 

[HDINTP]

Usually i find classes boring. Studied just once because i was interested if i can make it 100%. Skip classes sometimes. Like trying my serve during the lunch break when most of students are out. Never worried i am not smart or clever enough. Exams are fine in my case. One teacher makes classes somewhat funny so i occasionally do really well on his tests just to let him think he can explain material well. In general school really tires me. I feel worn out but it is mostly because of students, boring classes and also because it lasts too long. When i will be at University i think that i will be able to ace subjects just because i will be interested and usually when i am interested i remember almost everything so i hope it will be fine. If i like writing during lessons? - no i do not want to do anything during that. When i come home usually end in my bad. I don´t feel stressed at all.

 

[HDINTP]

Maybe better to say feel bad and that is why i end in my bed.