Lack of Commitment

Going to university is, to a degree, an experiment: you are hoping to discover something that you like doing and are good at doing. People may find themselves mismatched with their courses for one reason or another, and may have a hard time convincing themselves that what they are doing is worthwhile. Beware, however: no matter what you take, you will likely have to do things that you find unpleasant, at one time or another.

Ideally, one would like to end up doing something that one likes doing and finds worthwhile, and also making a living from it. It is easier to survive times of little money and high interest than it is to survive times of little interest and abundant money. And to make it even more difficult, one person's meat is another's poison: no one knows what will be good for you, although lots of people with nothing to lose will give you lots of advice.

People who find something they like doing, and a way to make a living doing it, often arrive by a very circuitous route, not knowing where they are going, but getting closer with each decision they make. For example, David Palmer-Stone hadn't even heard of Learning Skills until he was 30. After high school, he took Visual Arts, Computer Programming, English, and Education: but Learning Skills turned out to be a central theme.

Be prepared to do some honest and diligent soul-searching. Keep a journal of your personal thoughts, feelings and ideas. Talk to people in your areas of interest. Create happenstance: chance meetings or decisions can change your life. If you are uncertain about your direction, or suspect that you may be following the wrong path in your education, see a career counsellor . Remember, even if you don't know exactly where you are going, if you work diligently, anything you learn, and any skills you may acquire, will contribute: and Learning Skills, which involve learning how to learn, are particularly important.

You may be interested in checking out our Motivation And Goal Setting Worksheet

The Learning Skills Program offers a number of resources in this area.

More on motivation.