I think we all got to the point where we just wanted to get the degree and be done with it.


I know I did!

I've been where you are now, and on my way to grad school.

I think it might just be a slump, I dropped to B-'s for a semester and was mortified at myself for slipping, thought I was losing it, or losing my passion for classes and research. You'll swing back into it.

I'm spazzing to get back to university this summer, had to take a semester off because I moved, so new school and new state.

It just really bothers me because I used to LOVE school.... I had so much passion for my studies... now, it feels like work.
I think it really doesn't help that most of what I am learning at this point is completely redundant. It's hard to get myself to study and work hard when everything I'm learning is old news... stuff I already learned in first and second year... problem is, even though the general concepts are solidified in my head, I still need to study to get the details.. ya know?
I was mortified when a couple weeks ago I received the worst grade I've gotten on anything since starting university...

I think it's just hard when you can't see an ending, or that studying is all that you can and will do, it's hard sometimes to remember the "why" when all you are doing seems like the same old same thing.

You've done well so far, honestly even Bs are good grades so you must be good at it.

Just looking at the bit that pops up on your picture, you are studying political science? Is there anything postive you could do to help that, to reinspire you or give you a sense of what you are working towards? Maybe volunteering (I know time is hard... but even (and I don't know what your political views are so forgive the suggestions) but volunteering with political groups at university, or campaigning organisations like Amnesty?)

If you really feel you are letting things slide or that it isn't working for you, is it possible to take a small break between terms or even a year out, I totally understand academic burnout and did so much better with my masters degree from taking a few years out (determined I would never fix another photocopier)

I don't know, depression is just a stupid illness that makes motivation hard to achieve, concentration and commitment as well... I hope you can reignite your passions and enjoy the studying, it is a great experience and that year will fly by (great in the sense, you are with people who also care, who also have learnt things and you have an access to loads of knowledge etc)

Could you maybe find time to do something that wasn't studying to clear your head for a bit, to fill the time when you don't need to be in class.

Anyway, in answer to your question - yes, I got totally burnout at studying at university... with hindsight I missed opportunities, but I wouldn't have changed it. I wish you all the best with your studies and life in general!

Yes, it is definitely normal to stop caring by this point. Some people stop caring earlier, and some people last just a little longer. My last year of undergrad, I just wanted to get out of there!

People with a personality like yours (maybe "ours"?) and very critical of themselves. That is OK--it pushes us to succeed and make something of our lives--but we have to use it to our advantage.

If you are feeling bored with school, is there a way that you could take a year off to do an internship or something related to your career or something? I don't know anything about political science programs, but maybe you could work for a local politician or travel or do general volunteer work?

If I didn't take time off between university and graduate school, I might never have had a real social life. It was worth it though--otherwise, I would never have had the energy and support system to go back to school now.

yee i think it is normal. i get it alot.

hugs.x

It's not feasible at this time for me to take a break from school, because doing so would require me to start paying back my gov't student loans and without my degree in hand I really can't hold hope of obtaining employment with high enough pay to cover those payments above on top of my rent, bills, and trying to save for my final year's tuition.

I wish my parents didn't live in a rural area.. otherwise taking a year off would totally be an option, because I could move back home so I could afford my loan payments.. but there is no hope in hell of obtaining decent paying work in their area. All I could get there would be minimum wage jobs like tim hortons, waitressing, or menial farm labour which is not good pay and is backbreaking labour - not good for someone with the types of back problems I have. I could do it as a pre-teen and teen, but not anymore..

Was planning to go to grad school right away, but at this point I've decided to scrap that idea. Not only do I need a break from school for my own well being .. I just can't face the thought of adding even more to my debt load without first paying some off...

I'm not sure how your laws work in Canada, but here in the United States I had a couple of months before I had to start paying things back. Maybe that's all your need? Or maybe your program will have a Research or Independent Study course that you could nominally be taking, so that you can use that time for real-world stuff? Just throwing out ideas . . .

I know what you are going through, with parents living in rural areas with no decent jobs. In the end, it does make you a stronger person though.

Yes you don't have to start paying back until after 6 months, but the summer is 4 months and the semester is 4 months.. therefore 8 months :S
I know that technically it woud only be 2 months I would have to make payments, but I've already had so many issues with the student loan service from my province I am not going to risk being screwed over again. When I transfered universities they for some fucked up reason decided to put me on repayment and started automatically taking payments out of my account, and there was nothign I could do about it. It took almost 6 months to resolve the issue and that whole time they were taking money out of my account! Not only that but adding to the problem was the fact that my current year's loan had not yet come in, so I had absolutely nothing to live off of and pay my tuition with... I had to spend a whole semester working full time on top of my schooling just to get by and it still wasn't enough to cover both my payments and my rent/bills.. I had to borrow over 2 grand from my parents just so I could eat.
Sorry to whine like this and all but that's how the system works here... they bend you over and fuck you as hard as they can and as often as they can so it's up to me to do everything I can to avoid giving them the oppourtunity to screw me like that again...

I just have to suck it up and get through this last year... some how ... some way.

I really really hope that something pans out this summer in terms of degree relevant employment.. maybe that will help relight my fire...

Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry that things aren't working out for you. School is rough as it is. If it's any consolation at all, they try to screw you over everywhere. My thoughts are with you, when they are not on my own schoolwork.

As I like to say....

"I don't need sex.. the government fucks me enough already!"

you shouldn't be so hard on yourself! b's are still good! i failed all my classes and that was at GCSE level! just try and think back to what motivated you in your first couple of years x

What motivated me the first couples years... hhhmmm...

Well.. I genuinely enjoyed school. I still enjoy my classes.. and I do enjoy it for the most part.. but I find my focus just isn't there anymore. I dunno.

I think a big part of it was that when I started school I was still young and idealistic.. I still had my head in the clouds.. I believed I could be the Prime Minister some day.. ya know? Now... I've been around long enough to have seen more than enough people with BA's working as assistants instead of having assistants.. I see so many people who opted to go the college route instead of the university route who are now well on track with their careers while I'm still sitting here trying to get my degree.. I see so many of my friends who have already graduated and they're holding good jobs... and they took practical majors like accounting and social work where it's pretty much guaranteed to get you where you want to go. I dunno .. I guess what I am getting at is that the more I look around me the more I feel like I'm wasting my time here... but I'm in so deep that I can't start over again.. I can't just change my mind and do the more practical college thing.. I'll have pissed away 4 years of my life and almost $50,000 on nothing if I were to just start over... so now, I'm finishing just for the sake of finishing.. just so that I won't have wasted my time and resources on nothing.