It’s that time of the school year where…
…Your academic gas tank is running empty, and you’re not motivated to ace your exams.
…You hate to get up in the morning to report to class, or hate to go to school after a long day of work.
…You study just enough to get a passing grade and you really don’t care.
…You find yourself waiting till the last minute to do assignments, study for exams, and write papers.
…You have a mental tattoo that reads “Complacency is Cool” and it shows daily.
If you are high school student, college student, adult student, online student, or “off for a while” student and the above sounds like you, you are most like dealing with APATHY. Today, I have a few suggestions for you.
Six Definitions That Indicate You Are Dealing with Apathy
- Apathy is when you lack EMOTION.
- Apathy is when you lack MOTIVATION.
- Apathy is when you lack ENTHUSIASM
- Apathy is the state of not CARING.
- Apathy is the state of not WANTING TO KNOW.
- Apathy is when you are satisfied with COMPLACENCY.
I Dealt With This In School Also, You Are Not Alone
While in graduate school at Lehigh University, pursuing my first Master’s degree in Polymer Science and Engineering, “Apathy” was the middle initial in my name “Kantis A. Simmons”
Attending a school in a slow paced city, like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania felt like the wilderness that Jesus was in. Even though Jesus was there for only 40 days, I was there for two years. It was so *wack* there, well at least before I over came the stress and depression caused by apathy.
I would watch hours of TV, when I should have been in the laboratory working on my thesis. When it was time to read books and scientific journals, I found myself reading sport magazines. This lead to a few weeks of poor results on test, headaches, and weeks of sluggishness. Now this was probably duplicated when I was in high school or even in undergraduate school, but I found a way to constantly pull myself out of the “rut”
Here Are 7.25 Actions I Did to Overcome Apathy as a Student, and YOU Can Too.
1 – Do Something. When you find yourself not wanting to do anything, do something. Pick up a book, take yourself out on the town, go hang with a good friend, color in a coloring book, or go have a super fun day,
2 – Sketch a Picture of Yourself. Whip out a piece of paper and sketch how you look, and in most cases the image on the piece a paper will be either how you want to look, funny and make u smile, or disgust you on how you presently look. The feelings generated from this picture will help you realize how you actually envision yourself. As a result it will paint for you an internal image of your mindset. “Before you can go forward in life, you must identify where you are.”
3 – Re-identify or Identify Your Academic Goals. Take sometime to assess why you are school, and what kind of G.P.A. you want to accomplish. Make sure your goals are written, present, personal, and positive. If you need help writing goals or want to know more about setting Academic Goals check this out.
4 – Craft a Clear Vision. When you don’t have a clear vision on something, life can be cloudy. Take some time to write a vision statement of your life purpose. It will help you stay on track. Here’s my vision:
I Kantis Simmons strive to be the leader in information publishing that changes the mindset, attitude, actions and life habits of students and professionals by developing and presenting resources (seeds) to help them understand their unique and customized purpose and be thoroughly equipped to carry it out in the earth – thus making their lives, their families and their call fruitful.
5 – Hang Out With New Friends. Look in your cell phone, look at your classmates, look at your text buddies, look at your close internet friends. Who’s Bringing You down? Who’s devaluing you? Find some new eagles, and fly with them. Friend Me on Facebook or Twitter, I’m an Eagle. I would love to become your friend, so connect with me or email me at kantis (at) playingyouragame.com
6 – Take Your Failures and Turn Them Into Successes. Think of a few failures you have had this school term thus far. How can you re-frame those into positive experiences? What did you learn from those experiences that can help you avoid further issues?
7 – Find Someone Who’s Less Fortunate Than You Are. There are many people who would love to be where you are right now. Look around and discover just how blessed you are. No matter what your situation, there is something good that you can be thankful for. Don’t have a “Pity Party” – have a “Praise Party”. Praise all those who have helped you get to where you are today. Send them an email or handwritten postcard to simply say thank you. This would make you feel so good.
7. 25 – Get Off Your Rear End. Like my high school baseball coach would say; “Get the Lead Out Your Butt Kantis” I’m not meaning to be offensive, I’m just telling you what he told me (and it worked). Realize that where you are right now is not your final destination, but it is a point on the path. Keep your left foot continuously moving in front of your right, and run towards your goals. You can do it my friend!
Apathy is nothing to hold on to. If not dealt with, it can lead to stress, depression, defeat, or even suicide. I hope this article was helpful for you, and I realize that we all have our down moments, so I would love to hear what YOU do to refuel and overcome lack of motivation.
Leave me your suggestions in the leave a reply section below, so that myself and others can be blessed by your ideas.
Apathy is not only experienced by students, but it is also experienced by teachers, parents, and professionals in the work place. So, don’t keep this article a secret, share with some deserving student or parent.
“There’s only one Game in life that Counts, and That’s Your “A” Game.” – Kantis Simmons
I share your appreciation for 7.25. It’s essential for finding and getting a good job too.
Hey Kantis. I am in the same place you were while in graduate school. I just finished my first quarter (in which my motivation was lacking) and I am nervous I will continue to feel like this. I was only in one class and there was no hw assigned, just two exams, so nothing forced me to keep on top of my work. I am from NYC but the school is in a very boring area and it is very difficult to meet people/make friends there. Sometimes I think about my life in terms of “when I graduate” (which could be awhile because it is a PhD program) and I don’t want it to be like this. In college I would go to the library and do my work but come home to friends and have something to look forward to on the weekend. I like what I am learning and believe I can do well academically (better than I did in college where I lacked motivation because it was really impossible to get an A), but I have a feeling I will become very depressed when I return and the next quarter begins.