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How do I stay motivated at university?

Roli

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Excellent post, thanks! It does sound like a good idea to hang out with other students who are doing different things, basically all my friends also study computer science haha :happy: Might be a bit tricky with workload being so high currently but I will do my best.
I might sound a bit stupid asking this but any tips how to actually do it? It's pretty difficult for me to just go up to someone and start a conversation as I'm the introverted sort and I hate the parties and socials :arghh:

First of all, having friends who all study computer science, is better than having friends who all smoke dope while watching Rick n Morty reruns! I mean, I'm a fan, but there's more to life right?

No stupid questions on here, just stupid answers!

This is what I always tell people who say they're shy and introverted:

Like any skills, social skills take practice. Even people who you would consider outwardly confident have their own hangups, however they practice in dealing with them.

OK, so first things first, you need to get into a habit of talking to people. The best way to do that is to approach someone that you probably wouldn't normally choose as a friend and compliment them. Just anyone, random stranger, it doesn't matter.

Tell them they have nice shoes or a great haircut, or whatever. It will feel uncomfortable for all of 2 seconds, then they'll smile, and you'll both walk away feeling great.

Just don't make it a pretty member of the opposite sex. In fact make it someone much older than you that you are definitely not attracted to, this will take off the subconscious pressure you feel to make people like you (we all have that).

Next, start random conversations with people. The homeless are best to do this with. Next time you see some poor soul sitting in a doorway just trying to raise a few bucks, go over, give him a dollar or whatever you feel is right, and ask him his story. Show some empathy towards him and just listen to what he has to say.

Again, you won't feel the subconscious social pressure to impress him, and once more you will walk away having made someone visibly happier, simply from talking to them.

The more you do this, the more natural it will feel to you, until one day you are on campus and you see someone interesting and before you know it, you're gassing away.

People like talking about themselves, I do, you do, everyone does. Therefore by talking to random strangers, you are practising the skill of listening, the more you listen, the more you can feedback, the more it seems like the most normal thing in the world.

Big thing to remember is not to take anything personally. Maybe you see an elderly man at the bus stop and tell him you like his suit or something. He looks at you strangely because he's freaked a stranger is talking to him. That's fine, just smile broadly and get on with your day, no drama.

I have done this myself, and it is a rewarding feeling, and slightly addictive too. Before long you'll be actively seeking out people that you don't know, to talk to.

Just remember, opportunity and value, you are in the perfect position to find one, and provide the other.
 
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Roli

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but I live in the UK so unlikely I will do that.

For some reason I thought you lived in America, hence me using certain phrases and terms with you! Lolz.

If you don't mind me asking; which Uni are you at? I'm in London by the way.
 

nemenia

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For me, I motivated myself in university by surrounding myself with driven people. People who wanna succeed, people who are competitive, people who wanna study well, people who have a dream. Having a good support group really does wonders. Join organizations and befriend the smarties.
 

Singularity73

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First of all, having friends who all study computer science, is better than having friends who all smoke dope while watching Rick n Morty reruns! I mean, I'm a fan, but there's more to life right?

No stupid questions on here, just stupid answers!

This is what I always tell people who say they're shy and introverted:

Like any skills, social skills take practice. Even people who you would consider outwardly confident have their own hangups, however they practice in dealing with them.

OK, so first things first, you need to get into a habit of talking to people. The best way to do that is to approach someone that you probably wouldn't normally choose as a friend and compliment them. Just anyone, random stranger, it doesn't matter.

Tell them they have nice shoes or a great haircut, or whatever. It will feel uncomfortable for all of 2 seconds, then they'll smile, and you'll both walk away feeling great.

Just don't make it a pretty member of the opposite sex. In fact make it someone much older than you that you are definitely not attracted to, this will take off the subconscious pressure you feel to make people like you (we all have that).

Next, start random conversations with people. The homeless are best to do this with. Next time you see some poor soul sitting in a doorway just trying to raise a few bucks, go over, give him a dollar or whatever you feel is right, and ask him his story. Show some empathy towards him and just listen to what he has to say.

Again, you won't feel the subconscious social pressure to impress him, and once more you will walk away having made someone visibly happier, simply from talking to them.

The more you do this, the more natural it will feel to you, until one day you are on campus and you see someone interesting and before you know it, you're gassing away.

People like talking about themselves, I do, you do, everyone does. Therefore by talking to random strangers, you are practising the skill of listening, the more you listen, the more you can feedback, the more it seems like the most normal thing in the world.

Big thing to remember is not to take anything personally. Maybe you see an elderly man at the bus stop and tell him you like his suit or something. He looks at you strangely because he's freaked a stranger is talking to him. That's fine, just smile broadly and get on with your day, no drama.

I have done this myself, and it is a rewarding feeling, and slightly addictive too. Before long you'll be actively seeking out people that you don't know, to talk to.

Just remember, opportunity and value, you are in the perfect position to find one, and provide the other.
Wow, this is amazing advice thanks!
 
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Singularity73

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For some reason I thought you lived in America, hence me using certain phrases and terms with you! Lolz.

If you don't mind me asking; which Uni are you at? I'm in London by the way.
Haha I'm at Nottingham university :)
 

ChrisV

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I don’t know if college is the best route for a programmer. You’re probably better off just doing a code camp and building a portfolio on Github.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Singularity73

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I don’t know if college is the best route for a programmer. You’re probably better off just doing a code camp and building a portfolio on Github.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree, however there's no way I'm dropping out now..
 
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ChrisV

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I agree, however there's no way I'm dropping out now..
Oh if you’re more than halfway through then yea, definitely finish. How far in are you? Also, to keep you motivated I suggested Jordan Peterson’s Future Authoring program. Best 30 bucks I ever spent. In studies it reduced dropouts by 25.1%, and boosted GPAs by a similar margin. But it’s applicable to any goals you have... not just scholastic.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoGdMpdZXzs


I’d suggest the full Self Authoring Suite:

Self Authoring - What is Self Authoring?

Setting, Elaborating, and Reflecting on Personal Goals Improves Academic Performance, Journal of Applied Psychology: Link

After a 4-month period, students who completed the goal-setting intervention displayed significant improvements in academic performance compared with the control group. The goal-setting program thus appears to be a quick, effective, and inexpensive intervention for undergraduate students.

More research: Self Authoring - Research
 

Singularity73

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How far in are you?
I'm at the start of my second year, out of 4. For my third year I'm doing an optional year in industry where I go on a paid 9-12 month placement in a company. Not 100% sure about this anymore though, as I kind of want to graduate as soon as possible. I can also imagine really not wanting to go back to uni once the placement is over and I'd be a year behind everyone I know who aren't doing a placement. What do you think? I'd get experience sure, but I can also get this when I graduate.
The reason I say I'm not going to drop out is mainly because of all the hassle it would cause to be honest. I'd have to find a replacement tenant for the joint-tenancy contract and my friends would not be happy haha. I also don't want to deal with everyone saying that I should stay as I know it would be a huge battle and maybe not worth it.

Also, to keep you motivated I suggested Jordan Peterson’s Future Authoring program. Best 30 bucks I ever spent. In studies it reduced dropouts by 25.1%, and boosted GPAs by a similar margin. But it’s applicable to any goals you have... not just scholastic.
Thanks for the recommendation, this does look interesting I may get it :D
 

ChrisV

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I'm at the start of my second year, out of 4
There’s no way you can just do an associates? I generally recommend formal education but for programming you don’t really need the credentials. You just need to show what you’re capable of in a portfolio.

My personal recommendation is to learn it on your own. You can literally take Harvards computer programming courses for like $50/class, and they’re not even the best classes IMO. They would just look good on your LinkedIn. There are even better classes at CodeAcademy, DataCamp (if you want to work in data/AI,) etc

What do you think @lowtek the OP wants to be a programmer, so he’s getting a Bachelors. I think it’s a lot of debt to take on for no reason. Are you going to a Private Uni or State? If it’s Private I suggest transferring to state ASAP.

Programming is like Graphic Design. Employers don’t care so much where you went, they just want to see samples of your work.

There are a lot of ways to gain experience too.

The reason I say I'm not going to drop out is mainly because of all the hassle it would cause to be honest. I'd have to find a replacement tenant for the joint-tenancy contract and my friends would not be happy haha. I also don't want to deal with everyone saying that I should stay as I know it would be a huge battle and maybe not worth it.


Thanks for the recommendation, this does look interesting I may get it :D

Hmm, well do you mind me asking how much your tuition is? Loan? Financial Aid? You don’t have to answer if you want.
 
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Singularity73

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There’s no way you can just do an associates?
I'm in the UK and I don't think we have these. Also btw a bachelors degree here is 3 years, rather than 4 in the US. I'm enrolled on a 4 year course though, because of the year in industry.

My personal recommendation is to learn it on your own. You can literally take Harvards computer programming courses for like $50/class, and they’re not even the best classes IMO. They would just look good on your LinkedIn. There are even better classes at CodeAcademy, DataCamp (if you want to work in data/AI,) etc
Yeah all the programming languages I know are self-taught from sites like CodeAcademy and Udemy, they're great! If I discovered Udemy earlier I would probably have not gone to uni.

Are you going to a Private Uni or State? If it’s Private I suggest transferring to state ASAP.
Again, I'm in the UK so this doesn't apply haha

Programming is like Graphic Design. Employers don’t care so much where you went, they just want to see samples of your work.

There are a lot of ways to gain experience too.
Agreed. I am trying to build a portfolio of my work when I have the time haha

Hmm, well do you mind me asking how much your tuition is? Loan? Financial Aid? You don’t have to answer if you want.
Tuition is £9250/year which I get from Student Finance England. There are also maintenance loans around £4000. Interest rate is currently at 6.1% :eek:
Yeah the debt sucks, I've heard it isn't quite as bad as it is in the US though. You pay it back based on how much you earn, currently you start repaying the loans once your income is above £25000.
But I'd still rather not have it I guess haha (I want to be financially free one day). I didn't have the same mindset when I applied to uni and I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into! I think nearly everyone at my sixth form went to uni so it was kind of expected.
 
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lowtek

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I'd do everything I could to reduce the debt while in university. If you can get some freelance gigs going and pay part of your tuition, that'd be great.

I don't know if I'd necessarily drop out, since a software degree is a solid slowlane (and I'm not anti slowlane) and a great fallback.

How close are you to finishing?
 

Singularity73

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I'd do everything I could to reduce the debt while in university. If you can get some freelance gigs going and pay part of your tuition, that'd be great.
Hmm I'm not sure if I could handle doing freelance at the same time as university to be honest haha there's already a pretty high workload and always at least one coursework deadline looming. I am working on a web application which I hope to turn profitable so that could potentially help if it works out.

I don't know if I'd necessarily drop out, since a software degree is a solid slowlane (and I'm not anti slowlane) and a great fallback.
Thing is, you don't necessarily need a degree to be a software developer. As long as you can demonstrate you can code. That being said, there are still many companies which require a degree so I guess the degree opens more opportunities.

How close are you to finishing?
I'm at the start of my second year doing a 4 year course, 3 years for the bachelors + a year in industry doing paid work, which is an optional thing. So I'd graduate in 2021.
 
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Singularity73

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De nada! I hope you use it and find some benefit...
I will! I've done a "comfort zone crusher" thing before where I lay down on the street for 30 seconds :happy: Thinking about it now it sounds crazy so I definitely need to do this kind of stuff again lol
 

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I come from a similar boat but what helped me was planning and execution of things away from university. I was always ahead in university as I did the work days before. I used to miss lectures (I'm not recommending anything) and just used to occasionally pop in to tutorials/practicals (as they're called) just to make sure I'm on track and nothing major has changed. Fair to say I'm still here and have been achieving a 1st class frequently, so I must be doing something right.

Personally, I'd suggest you put your head down and get a move on. Catch up with work, talk to your lecturers and faculty staff and ensure you're doing everything right. Get some 1st classes (or whatever you think is personally achievable) and just take it smoothly from there.

Whilst you're doing that (which can seem so dead and boring at times), network and make some friends/associates/connections. Learn about other subjects just for the knowledge, talk to members of staff/students and see what they're working on. Attend different clubs/societies/groups and make a name for yourself. University is all about you and nobody else. So why miss out? I'm attending university and feel the same as you sometimes but everything else I do fills the void of "sh*t, this sucks". Keep at it and you'll be out in no time.
 

Singularity73

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I come from a similar boat but what helped me was planning and execution of things away from university. I was always ahead in university as I did the work days before. I used to miss lectures (I'm not recommending anything) and just used to occasionally pop in to tutorials/practicals (as they're called) just to make sure I'm on track and nothing major has changed. Fair to say I'm still here and have been achieving a 1st class frequently, so I must be doing something right.

Personally, I'd suggest you put your head down and get a move on. Catch up with work, talk to your lecturers and faculty staff and ensure you're doing everything right. Get some 1st classes (or whatever you think is personally achievable) and just take it smoothly from there.

Whilst you're doing that (which can seem so dead and boring at times), network and make some friends/associates/connections. Learn about other subjects just for the knowledge, talk to members of staff/students and see what they're working on. Attend different clubs/societies/groups and make a name for yourself. University is all about you and nobody else. So why miss out? I'm attending university and feel the same as you sometimes but everything else I do fills the void of "sh*t, this sucks". Keep at it and you'll be out in no time.
Thanks for the advice. What you're doing is pretty awesome. It is a really good idea to learn the content beforehand, but man, I just wanna work on my side projects! Last year I didn't have as much going on with projects and stuff so I was reviewing lectures as soon as I could afterwards. I haven't been doing this much at all this year though.
 
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Akeem

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Thanks for the advice. What you're doing is pretty awesome. It is a really good idea to learn the content beforehand, but man, I just wanna work on my side projects! Last year I didn't have as much going on with projects and stuff so I was reviewing lectures as soon as I could afterwards. I haven't been doing this much at all this year though.

Honestly, if you're not getting good results consistently, aren't enjoying the experience and aren't motivated whatsoever, then just go for barely passable and drift your way through. I wouldn't recommend this because it's easy. If you put your head into gear and actually focus, it's simple. I have personal projects too but I keep them separate and for good reasons too lol.
 

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I have an interesting perspective on this having been a self-taught programmer in middle school, went to a technical high school for information technology, want to college and got a business management and information technology degrees. This all occurred in the late 80s early 90s when people were nerds, not geeks. A degree was almost mandatory to work in the information technology field.

Things have radically changed. Here's a story...

I have employed PhD computer scientists with their heads enlarged with massive amounts of theory who when with working with them struggled to provide business value. We would have deep architectural discussions talking about the polymorphic object-oriented abstraction layers our platform should have to wit I would explain we' have a date that we have to hit to remain profitable (because of our burn rate). Not hearing me he would retort about how it's just the right way to design software, but I would have to literally explain to them if we do that we all go home.

Likewise, I have hired self-taught high school graduates who apologize at nausea about how they do not have a degree yet they managed to learn how to learn, acquired the need skills, focused on creating outcomes for our clients, and ultimately producing revenue for the organization. BOOM!

I am now homeschooling my children with an emphasis on character and integrity, and afterwords business management skills that can be applied towards professions they choose to pursue.

My best advice to you is to learn how to learn, look at the market and determine what skills are needed (hint: cloud, serverless apps, AI, BI, and data science) learn those skills, bill your self out at the highest rate you can, bankroll your cash, operationalizing your service, find other individuals to execute your playbook, scale the business, get acquired, figure out what you want to do next.
 

Singularity73

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Honestly, if you're not getting good results consistently, aren't enjoying the experience and aren't motivated whatsoever, then just go for barely passable and drift your way through. I wouldn't recommend this because it's easy. If you put your head into gear and actually focus, it's simple. I have personal projects too but I keep them separate and for good reasons too lol.
Yeah you're right. I will just get on with it I guess!
 
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Singularity73

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I have an interesting perspective on this having been a self-taught programmer in middle school, went to a technical high school for information technology, want to college and got a business management and information technology degrees. This all occurred in the late 80s early 90s when people were nerds, not geeks. A degree was almost mandatory to work in the information technology field.

Things have radically changed. Here's a story...

I have employed PhD computer scientists with their heads enlarged with massive amounts of theory who when with working with them struggled to provide business value. We would have deep architectural discussions talking about the polymorphic object-oriented abstraction layers our platform should have to wit I would explain we' have a date that we have to hit to remain profitable (because of our burn rate). Not hearing me he would retort about how it's just the right way to design software, but I would have to literally explain to them if we do that we all go home.

Likewise, I have hired self-taught high school graduates who apologize at nausea about how they do not have a degree yet they managed to learn how to learn, acquired the need skills, focused on creating outcomes for our clients, and ultimately producing revenue for the organization. BOOM!

I am now homeschooling my children with an emphasis on character and integrity, and afterwords business management skills that can be applied towards professions they choose to pursue.

My best advice to you is to learn how to learn, look at the market and determine what skills are needed (hint: cloud, serverless apps, AI, BI, and data science) learn those skills, bill your self out at the highest rate you can, bankroll your cash, operationalizing your service, find other individuals to execute your playbook, scale the business, get acquired, figure out what you want to do next.

Wow that is interesting. Learning how to learn is super important, especially since technology changes so quickly! Luckily I love learning new things, BUT not the way you learn at university where there is less practicality and most of it is sitting in a lecture. I think learning by doing is definitely better than any other approach, I think all these different "learning styles" are a myth. Everyone learns best by doing.

I like your advice, I think I've been focusing too much on what I want to do (which is usually web application development) rather than exploring technologies that are high in demand.
 

Roli

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Wow that is interesting. Learning how to learn is super important, especially since technology changes so quickly! Luckily I love learning new things, BUT not the way you learn at university where there is less practicality and most of it is sitting in a lecture. I think learning by doing is definitely better than any other approach, I think all these different "learning styles" are a myth. Everyone learns best by doing.

I like your advice, I think I've been focusing too much on what I want to do (which is usually web application development) rather than exploring technologies that are high in demand.
Came across this again. It's been 4 years, did you finish/continue/graduate, how's it going?
 

Singularity73

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Came across this again. It's been 4 years, did you finish/continue/graduate, how's it going?
lol I did finish eventually, just took the long way round haha, I dropped out and went full time on my business for 2 years (planned on 1 year but then covid happened). I made some good progress but my business only just pays the bills, nothing crazy. During the latter course of that time I fell into a bit of a depression and not knowing what to do I went back to university to do my final year and finish it for real, it was only 9 months and I was in a rut so it made sense to me. So I just graduated this year! After uni, I tried the digital nomad thing and lived in Thailand for almost 2 months. Now I've just returned to the UK as I couldn't really focus on work well while travelling so decided it wasn't for me. Next steps, I'm planning to get a software development job, move to London where I think more opportunity is (more startups and meetups going on) and find a real need based business to start, make my current business a side project as I don't really have conviction in it being a big success. I read @Envision's thread where you live off the business and use job income to fund business ventures, I think that's a more solid plan than what I've currently been doing.
 
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