University Burnout/Travelling

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by peter12

Totally. It's always something so small and insignificant, yet it occupies so much of your mind. I guess the solution is actually to do it way in advance.

Yup. It gets at you....even if like you said, its something so small...or something that you may have done already, etc. Ugh. Oh well, thats the way it is I guess, sadly!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

Yup. It gets at you....even if like you said, its something so small...or something that you may have done already, etc. Ugh. Oh well, thats the way it is I guess, sadly!

How's the Lit Review coming?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

Yah. Do you find that even when you "have time off" - like I did on this weekend, we went on a small trip - that you still find yourself thinking about it? I.e. its always in the back of your mind....you can't finally get rid of it until you are actually completely done it....ugh.

Yup. I even used to mumble about my classes when I was drunk. One year after exams I passed out outside my friends house in -20 weather. When they tried to get me up, all I would say was stuff from my Art History text.

[habernac]

South America is beautiful, lived in Venezuela when I was a kid, I'll never forget it. Central America is nice in the winter, Mexico, Coast Rica, Belize.... lots of options there. Heck, I worked for 4 months in Virginia 3 years ago and got to see things I probably never would have. Washington DC is a very interesting place. So many choices....

One of my regrets in life is that I did little travelling in my youth. I'm 36 now and have a young son so it will be a little more difficult to get out there.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by peter12

How's the Lit Review coming?

Ha. Umm well not so much.

However, I have done a couple of e-mails re: my study....so I guess that's something....

[evman150]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have some important decisions to make.

And just to make things clear, if I were to go, there is no way I would not finish my degree. I could go straight for this year and next year and be done, but I don't think I could do well. The key to doing well at school for me is motivation. This same lackadaisical manner in which I operate is here today and it'll be here in a couple years, and I AM able to get my degree in this state. But I would like to be successful. I want to get more out of my schooling, and right now I don't feel like that's happening. But I have spent too much of my own money to see my half degree+ go up in flames.

Again, thanks for all your comments, they are much appreciated.

[Red Mile Style]

Dude, I wish I had your problem. I just finished school and got an internship right after... I miss school... it's the first time I haven't been in school since I was 4 and now that I am out, I want to go back (and probably will in January). Getting a job made me realize even more what I want to be ... a professional student!

My suggestion: get a crappy job, realize how good it was to be in school and how much you need school so you aren't stuck in a ****ty job, and that will probably motivate you. Since you got unmotivated after the Summer, coming back after travelling might have the same effect. But travelling can be such a growing experience, especially if you go by yourself, it really helps you find out who you are - and what your priorities are. It gives you time to clear your head.

I am going to suggest Amsterdam.

[Staypuft]

It's almost reassuring to know that a lot of people go through this.
I flunked out of the U of C in my second semester...(well did so bad that I decided it wasn't worth the money to continue). I wanted to be a broadcaster, but the U of C route has you taking a bunch of options that have nothing to do with it, with numerous labs and term papers etc. I took a year off and worked and slept in a lot and went out even more....then I went to Mount Royal and took a really hands-on, concentrated Broadcasting Program. There was no term papers, no real research...just hands on programs. Plus the class sizes were small, and you worked in groups a lot, which always motivates you not to suck hard. I was really re-energized by it, and enjoyed myself the whole time.

That was my solution, as I found Mount Royal was a much more "high school" environment, and that happened to be where I excelled. I never liked writing papers, especially about stuff I truly didn't care about...so my most obvious solution was to take a program that really didn't involve that at all. I suppose trying to get a BSc that's really not an option...but sometimes a change of scenery works.

[Flames in 07]

evman, why not take a year off and help people in Louisiana rebuild? If I wasn't working in a job where I cannot get away I would probably do that.

[CaramonLS]

Meh, after 3 years, knowing I had 2 more years to go, I couldn't take it anymore and ended up taking some time off (for depression and alike, and it turned out at least in part that forcing yourself through the grind was definately a factor).

I took a total of 2 years off and didn't do particularily much aside from work most of the time and deal with some of the issues I was having, but it was the best thing to happen to me.

I was a C student at best, ****-poor attendance - but now, I'm attending at least 90-95% of my lectures, if not all of them. It definately recharged me and is helping me finish school now. (I plan to graduate in the summer semester). It completely motivated me and I ended up getting straight As over the Summer/Spring semesters, which in itself is a big accomplishment for me.

My Advice: Make it through this semester and do something else, it doesn't really matter. Heck, if you can, drop out tommorrow, especially if you don't feel you can make it. Sit around at home for a while if you can afford it (try to limit yourself to maybe 6 months or so at most of doing nothing if you aren't under any financial bootstraps, but after that, you should force yourself to do something productive as complacency might set in). Travel for a little while too if that is what interests you, if you honestly don't know then take the time to think about it while sitting at home doing nothing.

Forcing yourself to constantly go through the motions isn't going to help you... or your GPA for that matter, especially if you wanted to go on to post-grad studies. Time off can be a very good thing.

[@theCBE]

Have you considered doing a semester/year Abroad? There are some fantastic schools in Europe and all over the world. It might be exactly what you need, you could take a lighter course load so that you still have time to travel around the area where you are studying. You won't have to worry about meeting people because you will in your classes and on your exchange program and whoever you live with. You won't feel like you are wasting time because at least you are contributing a bit towards your degree.

You also might be able to get a little bit of funding to do study abroad depending on your financial situation. I have never talked to anyone who did a semester abroad that has regretted it. Most study abroad programs will take care of all the messy stuff for you, like finding a place to live and registering with the school. I am studying outside of Canada right now and there are so many people here from North America and they are having a blast. They also plan weekend trips and activities for you, you would be able to travel to other places really easily as well especially if you go to a school in Europe.

I read through most of the posts above and I didn't see it mentioned.. forgive me if it was.

[REDVAN]

I am in my 4th year of university.

I have another year after this for a total of 5.

I have worked, summers and some part-time for the last I don't know how long, and last summer I didn't get a good job so I decided not to get any job. It worked out well, because I did whatever I wanted all summer and recharged my batteries. If you don't end up travelling, DO NOTHING for a summer, or a term. Try it out. I mean really nothing. You'll be refreshed.