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Do people who go to uni really enjoy studying?

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I love studying. That's why I'm trying to pursue a career in academia. That way I can spend the rest of my life learning new things.

Some subjects are so boring they make me want to cry. Gladly, I don't have many of those anymore.
I definitely prefer learning something for pleasure rather than for academic purposes. Like, I would rather read a book to get personal enjoyment out of it rather than to learn something for an exam. It takes all the fun out of it.
So I try and engage with what I'm doing, and try to enjoy it on a personal level even though at the end of the day I'm doing it just to pass an exam.
It's a shame that you haven't found a subject that you're passionate about yet. I didn't find out how much I love philosophy until I started it in Year 12... and I was just like... 'wow this is so awesome!' xD
I do get a lot of satisfaction out of studying it, because it's directly related to me and the sorts of things that I have contemplated so many times before in the past in my own free time. It's more fun than work for me. I do feel dislike for it at times, because the IB course is so restrictive and I would rather just learn it at my own pace and in my own way, and not be forced to do things I don't want to. But I just have to get over it and embrace the subject as a whole. I am incredibly passionate about it, and that makes me lucky. But I am also doing it with the hope of improving career prospects. That is the main purpose of me going to university, but I chose the subject I chose because I love it.
Reply 62
Yes. But I dislike the prospect that I might not do as well in the exams as I intend to.
I enjoy it when I learn things properly and can "do stuff" that I couldn't do before. There is usually some time when I'm starting to learn something but it hasn't "clicked" yet where it's not enjoyable, because I'm trying trying trying to do it, and it doesn't work. When I finally crack it, that's when the satisfaction and enjoyment comes.

Some of my colleagues who don't apply themselves/engage properrly never "crack it", and spend all of their time (when they bother to turn up - usually just before the coursework is due in) in "struggle hell". They don't enjoy the learning, and don't really benefit from it. But I personally think that's their fault.
Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom
Haha, **** knows tbh :rolleyes:. Probably brainwashed into thinking that's the only way forward in life, like how many people think as well.


Oh I get it. But in reality not everyone is destined for university.
Reply 65
Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom
Yeah, that's what I feel like I should be doing too. For ages I have struggled with getting help for it though, but hopefully now I'm on my way to getting a bit better. It's just annoying cos my parents are pushing me to go to uni and making me feel awkward about not going, but I really don't feel like it right now. I also know there's a risk of feeling worse if uni turns out to be a bad experience for me anyway.


Talk to them about it if you can. That being said it's not easy and I remember when I talked to my parents about depression they made me feel a lot worse :tongue: If you haven't already, see if your college has a counselling service etc.
Original post by laura94
Talk to them about it if you can. That being said it's not easy and I remember when I talked to my parents about depression they made me feel a lot worse :tongue: If you haven't already, see if your college has a counselling service etc.


I'll try to, but it's just hard cos I find it a bit awkward talking to my parents about this. In fact, I find it hard talking to anyone in person about this, and even going to my doctor was hard. Yet I've always find it quite easy to talk about online, but I guess I've got to try and change that.

I'm not in college anymore; I'm currently unemployed. I have signed up for a counselling service in my borough though.
I do it for the subject, I couldn't give a toss about a job unless it's a research job, I live to learn and read and teach and share. I understand those who do it for the destination but for me, the journey is key.
Reply 68
Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom
I'll try to, but it's just hard cos I find it a bit awkward talking to my parents about this. In fact, I find it hard talking to anyone in person about this, and even going to my doctor was hard. Yet I've always find it quite easy to talk about online, but I guess I've got to try and change that.

I'm not in college anymore; I'm currently unemployed. I have signed up for a counselling service in my borough though.


Well if you ever do want to talk to someone who has been through it and come out the other side feel free to send me a message :smile: But yes definitely try to find someone you can talk to face to face. I was very lucky in that I found a friend who helped me an awful lot and I think it's mostly down to her that I'm no longer depressed! Try to do the same :smile: You may find it's not the person you speak to the most either.
Don't worry, it's normal to feel like that :smile: Its terrifying having to choose what you want to do for the rest of your life! That, paired with the idea of spending loads of money and doing piles of work is horrible. I'm currently in the situation where I don't really know if I've chosen the right course, so my first piece of advise would be HAVE A GOOD THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO! If you're not ready to choose yet..then don't! Take a year out, perhaps try to get some work experience in a field that interests you. If you enjoy it, you could choose a degree that relates to that.

If you don't enjoy reading tonnes, then choose a degree that isn't so heavy. Try to talk to some people who are on the course and see how they feel about it.

Attend loads of open days and ask questions! Find out as much as you can about their support networks and how they can help you to find a way of studying that suites you.

If you really don't think uni is for you, then look for other pathways into training or further education. You don't have to go to uni to get a qualification in something!

If you still feel lost, talk to an academic advisor. They are very familiar with loads of problems so they should be able to give you some advise and guidance :smile:

Good luck x
Original post by veryfatpanda
Don't worry, it's normal to feel like that :smile: Its terrifying having to choose what you want to do for the rest of your life! That, paired with the idea of spending loads of money and doing piles of work is horrible. I'm currently in the situation where I don't really know if I've chosen the right course, so my first piece of advise would be HAVE A GOOD THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO! If you're not ready to choose yet..then don't! Take a year out, perhaps try to get some work experience in a field that interests you. If you enjoy it, you could choose a degree that relates to that.

If you don't enjoy reading tonnes, then choose a degree that isn't so heavy. Try to talk to some people who are on the course and see how they feel about it.

Attend loads of open days and ask questions! Find out as much as you can about their support networks and how they can help you to find a way of studying that suites you.

If you really don't think uni is for you, then look for other pathways into training or further education. You don't have to go to uni to get a qualification in something!

If you still feel lost, talk to an academic advisor. They are very familiar with loads of problems so they should be able to give you some advise and guidance :smile:

Good luck x


Hi, thanks for your helpful reply. I am already 2 years behind now :o:; I should have started uni in 2010 had my A Levels gone to plan, which they didn't, so that was the start of my problems. I'm not ready to apply to anything this year either. I've been getting work experience but still trying to figure out what's right for now.

But yeah, I'm gonna book an appointment to see a careers advisor soon :yep:
Reply 71
Some people say they enjoy studying but I hate studying even-though I am not in a university. Anyway there is not a university in my country and I cant afford to go to a university so even if i enjoy studying or not, it will be the same.
Original post by Luffy.
Some people say they enjoy studying but I hate studying even-though I am not in a university. Anyway there is not a university in my country and I cant afford to go to a university so even if i enjoy studying or not, it will be the same.


Is there no topic in the entire world that you enjoy learning about?
I absolutely love my course, my lecturers and everything. I rarely miss lectures on purpose, because I "can't" be bothered to get out of bed. I always tend to go to one of the lectures that are repeated during the week once or twice.

Only downside is that I absolutely hate programming with a passion. I can't stand it. I wish it didn't existed on a course, or that I could of chosen it but I had to do it. It's horrendous. I'm rubbish at it and to make it worse, I have 2 project on this crappy programming that makes me absolutely demotivated and I just don't even want to look at it to be honest.
Original post by Luffy.
Some people say they enjoy studying but I hate studying even-though I am not in a university. Anyway there is not a university in my country and I cant afford to go to a university so even if i enjoy studying or not, it will be the same.


OK. What do you do instead of going to uni?
Reply 75
both...........
Reply 76
Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom
OK. What do you do instead of going to uni?


Something I can do, if there isnt any university in my country and if I cant afford to study abroad than I have to find something that I can do.
Reply 77
Original post by MusicTechnologyStudent
Is there no topic in the entire world that you enjoy learning about?


Yeah .
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox
I enjoy learning about my subject, researching for assignments and such. However I don't like studying where the only purpose is to pass an exam. I think the two are different. It makes sense in my mind anyway.


If the exam is designed properly, then the knowledge you need for the exam should be the same as the knowledge you need to learn for the topic.

But even if the knowledge is the same, last minute cramming tends to acquire the knowledge only for the exam as it is in short term memory and gets forgotten.

The answer is of course continual revision so that you learn stuff, and you remember it. I've had exams where my "exam revision" was just a check that I hadn't forgotten anything, and it turning out that no, there wasn't anything that I didn't know. And the exam was easy peasy even though other students in my year thought it was extremely difficult.

I know people who know absolutely NOTHING that they learned in previous years. And they're going to do short term cramming for their exams this year too. And they'll then go out into the wide world having retained very little of what they supposedly "learned" at university.
Reply 79
I enjoy it a lot less than I thought I would, to be honest. A few bits and pieces are genuinely really interesting (and thankfully the interesting bits are getting more frequent) but a lot of it is just... effort. And I'm constantly surrounded by people who love their subject, so it's a little depressing, really!

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