<p>I am currently in a near-disastrous state of burnout. I’m a little over halfway through my undergraduate years and my lack of focus and motivation is leading to depression and drastically reduced academic performance. In other words, I’m basically in a rut and keep falling down while trying to get out. </p>
<p>My question is: how does one motivate ones self? I am fortunate enough to have a comfortable economic position where my family’s financial security is not riding on my back, and I feel I lack the equivalent amount of intellectual curiosity my classmates my possess. The appeal of getting good grades for the sake of money has long since faded away. I wish I could find something I was passionate about.</p>
<p>I’ve just noticed that ever since my summer internship this year (while an educational and enlightening experience, it took so much out of me and gave me little rest time in between that and the start of this semester), I have becoming increasingly unmotivated and exhausted. Contrary to what I had previously thought, having some, albeit limited, exposure to the real world really disillusioned me.</p>
<p>If one were to call me a lazy, unmotivated sloth, I would agree with them. Now how do I change back to the hard-working, motivated student I once was?</p>
<p>Consider the possibility that it is depression that is leading to lack of focus and motivation, rather than the other way around. A visit to a counselor at school – or perhaps a medical checkup – may be in order.</p>
<p>Also consider that junior year in college – which is where you seem to be – is a time when many students’ focus changes from the college experience to life after college. This can be a bit overwhelming and depressing in itself. There are so many choices (theoretically), but the poor economic situation right now may make few of them viable. A visit to your college’s career center to start working on after-college plans might also help with your motivation.</p>
<p>It is possible too, that a part of the problem is your course of study. Is there another course/major that might interest u more? I loved much about business courses, yet hated bookkeeping. There are many overlapping courses one takes for those 2 studies, but as one enters junior and sr yr, then they really separate. I’d have been a dead duck had I been locked into accounting. Yet others love it!</p>
<p>I had many of the same feelings as a young adult. Only at age 30 or so was I diagnosed with ADD. It’s amazing how similar ADD and depression can appear. I encourage you to discuss this with your doctor, whatever the final diagnosis. Please don’t feel that you have to suffer with these feelings.</p>
<p>And you WILL find your passion. It takes time and is unpredictable. Remain hopeful.</p>
<p>In some cases, it is not motivation, but a matter of habit. Some kids do not see themselves getting lower than “A”, just because they never had lower than “A”. When they study, the rest of their life circumstances simply do not exist. If they go to interview while under stress from some aspects of thier life (social or anything else), all they have to do is to flip the switch in their brain and their stress is removed temporarily. They can do it because they used to do it as a matter of habit. This is not a theory, but observation of my child.</p>