How do you motivate yourself to work if you've got no specific career goal?

Right, I'm a first year at Imperial doing Mechanical Engineering. Needless to say the course is intense, prob around 25-30 hours contact time and ALOT of private study. But I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to sit down and do the private study, I'm doing this course because I was good at the component subjects, so I've not got a specific job (even ideas) in mind. But if you're not aiming for anything how can you motivate yourself??

Reply 1

halfoflessthan50p

12

Verlindenl

Right, I'm a first year at Imperial doing Mechanical Engineering. Needless to say the course is intense, prob around 25-30 hours contact time and ALOT of private study. But I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to sit down and do the private study, I'm doing this course because I was good at the component subjects, so I've not got a specific job (even ideas) in mind. But if you're not aiming for anything how can you motivate yourself??

Ive been in exactly the same position. Except I was studying physics not mechanical engineering.

I thought about dropping out seriously on at least two occasions but I managed to soldier through and did really well in the end. It was a very intense course and I know mech eng is just as bad. I guess the main thing that was keeping me going was the thought "if i can handle this - theres nothing that life can throw at me which i wont be able to handle. Just man up and prove yourself" Oh and the fact that it cost £28000 :s-smilie:

I didnt know what I wanted career wise until 6 months after I graduated. It did cross my mind "why am I doing this ridiculously hard degree when I dont even know what job I want". But looking back I think that was more of an excuse. Whatever you do a degree from a uni like Imperial is going to help. Plus doing something that stretches you and pushes you this much will definately force you to grow up a bit. It certainly did for me, which was a good thing.

Reply 2

M_E_X

14

Verlindenl

Right, I'm a first year at Imperial doing Mechanical Engineering. Needless to say the course is intense, prob around 25-30 hours contact time and ALOT of private study. But I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to sit down and do the private study, I'm doing this course because I was good at the component subjects, so I've not got a specific job (even ideas) in mind. But if you're not aiming for anything how can you motivate yourself??

Well whatever job you go for, a better degree will be an advantage. I don't have any problem motivating myself, and I don't really have a specific career in mind; I know that it's a tough world out there and I need the best degree I can get in order to stand the best chance getting a good job.

Reply 3

Playboy King

If you can't be motivated by a career, then think about what you look for a to career bring to your life...whether it be money, a lifestyle, satisfaction or contribution to society. Surely in the pursuit of whatever it is that you're trying to achieve through a career will be motivating?

Reply 4

beautifulbigmacs

19

I've been in this situation.

I looked at one of two options. Changing course (i didn't do this because not knowing what I want to do, this probably wouldnt help and could be costly)

I went with the option to stick at what I was doing and embrace it as an experience in its own right. Like if I don't know what I want to do, I could just as easily drop out of uni but that wouldn't open as many doors for me upon deciding what I might want to do.

If you have the time, it may be worth taking on some new hobbies or evening courses, purely to open your mind to things that you *might* enjoy and want to make into a career.

but hey for what it's worth, i'm studying an MA and I'm not sure what I want to do but as long as i'm happy and can support myself, I'm starting to wonder if forcing myself to have one career plan is that productive (?), especially seeing that lots of people have more than one job/career these days

How do you motivate yourself to work if you've got no specific career goal?

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