Lots of regrets regarding my study choices.

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

Ok... Here we go.

 

*Deep, calm breath.....

 

Here's the thing : My math and science, is just bad. I mean i epic failed those subjects, seriously. I already started to struggle with both math and science since middle school. So wait... how did you even manage to graduate from high school then? Well.... through some.... y'know... underhanded ways* ( guess that i don't need to tell you guys the meaning of that, but it's pretty common in my country ) + lots of help.

 

And now, i trapped myself inside even bigger regret and troubles, and i guess i can blame my passion of computer, android, and the internet for that. So... somehow, i managed to get myself enrolled into a private university.... with INFORMATICS ENGINEERING ( or maybe you guys know it more as COMPUTER SCIENCE ) as my major.

 

Yeah, my luck was off the roof back then, tbh. Now i know that i can't just quit. Tests for entering state universities are pretty cruel, and i can't let my mom and my whole family down ( my dad died like long time ago ), and if i'm starting to get invested in one thing, i'll forgot everything else until i accidentally remembered something in a sec and must be done immidiately before i'll forget it again.

 

So guys and gals, i need some advices :

- How to make myself enjoy science and math again, because just by looking their question and boom, my brain will alienize those questions within seconds.

- How to at least enjoy my life for now, because 1. I'm an introvert, 2. I'm no good at any sport at all 3. I'm having a hard time making friends irl due to first reason + idk any good topics outside tech geek and history stuffs to talk about.

 

Well, that's all i can share right now. And thanks for reading this thread.

 

- Overlord of Death, and currently the [ inactive ] owner of Pokemon Reborn Breeding Club, Ainz Ooal Gown.

 

Quote

* For this, i'm prepared to be roasted hard :")

 

[Candy]

Hmm well TBH I didn't know anyone who would try study something that they both don't like or aren't good at. That is, if it were one or the other, there's something to be done: if you like the subjects but aren't good at them, you can use your love for the field as a propel to study extra hard, and if you are good at it but don't like it... well you can finish the studies first and wonder about pursuing it as a career later.

My best advice probably is considered ill advice by many. I would change fields of study to something I can actually comprehend and do. It's not ideal, since you or your parents prolly had to spend a good amount of cash for your studies in private uni (I only hope it's not $60k per year like in the US :blobsweat:) but you'd be losing extra money staying in your current position. University is an investment in your future- the point is to make more money with that degree than was paid to the uni. Even if you managed to pass those science and math classes (maybe with underhanded methods? :blobsweat:), if you didn't actually "get" them, that's like you might not be able to work well in a job. I don't know much about computer science, but I know my field (life science) does need understanding of science (duh) for a research job.

My other advice, which again I'll leave to your best judgement, is to have a conversation with your mother and maybe advisor at uni. They might be able to guide you better than I could, since they have more info about you and also are more experienced with these cases

Whatever you decide, best of luck fam~

[JoStarNight]

When it comes to studies, I don't believe changing to a completely different degree or field of study is an ideal method as that would demand more time and money. I assume you are very far into your course, so changing degrees isn't viable. I'm also studying a degree that deals with computers and while there were aspects of it I didn't enjoy to begin with, I managed to find enjoyment in one of the programming languages along the way and managed to become comfortable with it. From my experience, my advise would be to first see the parts of the degree you find easy or are comfortable with and start from there; finding the part of the degree you are comfortable with will give you direction to move forward.

 

In regards to trying something new, a nice change of pace would be going out for a walk for about 30 minutes to an hour while listening to music on your phone/Ipod; it should help detox your mind from stress and could give you inspiration or motivation to try something new. Not only would it be healthy, but it will also give you a daily routine to abide by.

 

I wish you the best of luck in finding something you like in your degree or something new to enjoy.

Edited August 29, 2018 by JoStarNight

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

10 hours ago, Candy said:

Hmm well TBH I didn't know anyone who would try study something that they both don't like or aren't good at. That is, if it were one or the other, there's something to be done: if you like the subjects but aren't good at them, you can use your love for the field as a propel to study extra hard, and if you are good at it but don't like it... well you can finish the studies first and wonder about pursuing it as a career later.

My best advice probably is considered ill advice by many. I would change fields of study to something I can actually comprehend and do. It's not ideal, since you or your parents prolly had to spend a good amount of cash for your studies in private uni (I only hope it's not $60k per year like in the US :blobsweat:) but you'd be losing extra money staying in your current position. University is an investment in your future- the point is to make more money with that degree than was paid to the uni. Even if you managed to pass those science and math classes (maybe with underhanded methods? :blobsweat:), if you didn't actually "get" them, that's like you might not be able to work well in a job. I don't know much about computer science, but I know my field (life science) does need understanding of science (duh) for a research job.

My other advice, which again I'll leave to your best judgement, is to have a conversation with your mother and maybe advisor at uni. They might be able to guide you better than I could, since they have more info about you and also are more experienced with these cases

Whatever you decide, best of luck fam~

But there's one problem if i want to change major. Re-test ( basically i have to wait a year before i can re-test ). Plus, me and my mom already invested to my computer science studies too much ( Heck, she even bought me a newer and much more powerful laptop for me just for this ). So, i have only one option for this, if i have tbh : Grind my brain to dust with math and science. I guess i just have to make myself love math and science again. But since i struggled with those since middle school and it seems that you're good at science, how did you make yourself good at it? When the questions started to look hard to you, how did you solve it? That might gonna help re-motivate myself.

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

7 hours ago, JoStarNight said:

When it comes to studies, I don't believe changing to a completely different degree or field of study is an ideal method as that would demand more time and money. I assume you are very far into your course, so changing degrees isn't viable. I'm also studying a degree that deals with computers and while there were aspects of it I didn't enjoy to begin with, I managed to find enjoyment in one of the programming languages along the way and managed to become comfortable with it. From my experience, my advise would be to first see the parts of the degree you find easy or are comfortable with and start from there; finding the part of the degree you are comfortable with will give you direction to move forward.

 

In regards to trying something new, a nice change of pace would be going out for a walk for about 30 minutes to an hour while listening to music on your phone/Ipod; it should help detox your mind from stress and could give you inspiration or motivation to try something new. Not only would it be healthy, but it will also give you a daily routine to abide by.

 

I wish you the best of luck in finding something you like in your degree or something new to enjoy.

Good idea actually. But i think the problem will arise when one of those parts gonna need a good amount of math/science knowledge.

About new stuffs, that's actually what i do almost everyday.

 

But i do live in a... you can say, a city famed for it's culture and tourism. I guess i can relax myself with some sightseeing.

[Alaris]

I think that you should finish your degree, and then maybe take a Master's on something you like better.

 

I have always sucked at maths (and physics, chemistry, etc. --number thingies). Since it was not mandatory at my school, I even skipped those subjects in my last year of high school. Then I took a science degree with a great deal of maths and chemistry, especially in the first year. Many days I went home crying after a maths class, since nothing seemed to sink in. However, there was a classmate who was a genious at those subjects, and we decided to stay every afternoon at the library working on the problems, helping me when I didn't understand something (and it served as training for him).

 

The exams arrived eventually and, although my marks were far from brilliant, I passed without much trouble. I still don't like maths or chemistry, but at least I understood those concepts and I can now use them in my job.

 

Tl;dr: 4x effort and you'll be good

[Candy]

4 hours ago, Ainz Ooal Gown said:

But since i struggled with those since middle school and it seems that you're good at science, how did you make yourself good at it? When the questions started to look hard to you, how did you solve it? That might gonna help re-motivate myself.

Hmm I liked science as far as I could remember, because it was a way to explore the world without leaving my doorstep. In a sense I love physics too, for being a science... I'm assuming you guys computer engineers need to learn more physics than either chemistry or biology, so I'm guessing that's the science you're talking about.

 I'm also not fond of physics, because it's difficult for my brain to grasp it. There's a lot of equations, but if you don't 100% know where those equations fit and what variable relationships they represent, the course can go downhill... and quickly. I scored well (A- both semesters, but this was elementary physics) by going through the textbook and getting help online or in office hours (if your school offer them, I advice you to go, because even if you don't have questions, more often than not you'll learn from the questions other students ask- test your knowledge by trying to answer your classmates' questions). Physics literally was the one class I went to office hours at least once a week for xD yah sorry I can't be of much help to motivate you to study physics rip

When it comes to maths, I went hate it -> like it -> meh boring. I received Japanese education up until middle school, which meant doing calculations every day pretty much while in elementary (the one day there wasn't math class was my favorite day of the week lol), and lots of super hard questions in middle school. They were literally difficult questions- not stuff you could solve by just being Asian, as my friends would confirm hehe. I loved math in middle school because I struggled to solve the questions, but when I did, it felt as though I'd just received a novel prize xD I felt super smaht (with an "h" mind you). And maths exams were my fave- I usually scored 1st 2nd or 3rd in the class, which I guess gave me the rep of "nerd" but I felt real smaht nevertheless. When I got 100% right in those exams (happened twice in the two years)... well let's just say I was in a good mood for the rest of the week haha I guess I lost interest in maths when I moved to another country which used the American system. Too easy. I literally doodled or slept the whole class through, and managed to score top of the class every time. Then there was the strong need to have a good GPA. That meant I needed to take the easiest classes, and so when the time came where I could've chosen to take high-level math (IB) in high school, I decided against it because it was unnecessary for my future undergraduate studies. I took standard-level math, got straight As, and finished high school. It was a shame, now that I think about it. But anyway, I think in your case you could potentially like maths because it's challenging for you right now. Try to spend like hours solving the problems (writing down what info is given and drawing diagrams with info you jotted down is Always helpful). When you finally do solve them, congratulate yourself- that means you're smahter today then you were yesterday! Eventually, you'll learn to think like a maths person, and when you do, you'll see that many questions are similar. If you can solve one, you can solve the other 3 that are similar.

Hope that even helped a tiny bit owo

[AenaonDusky]

Hello, first of all there's plenty of good advice here. Proper breaks, a routine, starting with the easier ones, a more focused effort, the relation between what you know learn and what knowledge you'll eventually utilize. Since you've already invested in your current studies programm, it'd be better to stick with it as well.
 

You say your brain "alienates questions". Maybe you've trained yourself to dislike and/or avoid these subjects, and it's the thought of dealing with them that's perhaps a bigger obstacle to studying successfully, rather than these subjects per se?
 

Depending on where you're studying, supplementary classes or a support programm (support regarding both these subjects and general education/emotional support) would really help you. It's neither a shame nor a waste of time. Education is a process where both failure and success, ignorance and knowledge, difficulties and familiarization with weird concepts are involved. The majority of people face obstacles of a similar nature.
 

Aside from these "official" ways of reaching for help, talking with someone who is relatively good at these subjects and asking them for their assistance is a good idea. Besides, that's a way to make friends, right? I know it sounds generic, but please don't be afraid/shy to ask for help. Studying with others or under their guidance may help alleviate both your loneliness and your studying problems. Understandably, some people may be unwilling to offer such help. That shouldn't discourage you from seeking it.
 

Depending on whether you are in immediate need for income or not, at first I'd advise you to find a job, since it helps in a lot of areas, from "clearer thinking" to confidence. However, what you probably need to do right know is to exclusively focus on your studies. This already is a job, in a sense. Since it will be a part of your future, treating it as a job will help you adjust to your professional career path easier - it will also train you to utilize what you've learned. Underhanded ways are common everywhere, the point is to not adopt this approach in every situation. Have you ever thought, that, in case you hadn't used such tactics before, you'd probably have passed these subjects, eventually, and as a result have less difficulty in facing them right now?
 

Although science and math are "chained" disciplines, that is, previous knowledge is usually a sort of requirement to advance further, don't let this keep you from doing your best to study them. Actually learning all the different equations, theorems, methods etc. is not as important as understanding their underlying concept. Sure, you can learn by heart what you need to apply in X situation. And learning that stuff simply takes a set amount of time. When it comes to applying them, however, and actually thinking where, how and why you're applying them...that's where you need to place emphasis on. I would advise you to get in contact with your professors/lecturers/general academic staff and ask, as much as you need to, why exactly we're doing what we're doing in X situation. If you actually understand the way of thinking and the logic behind math, you'll just build upon this and eventually achieve your goal. Ask them until they cannot take it anymore :P It's their job!
 

Learning all this stuff...
It might seem really, really cumbersome and difficult at first.
It probably feels like a huge pile of nonsense at this moment, like an attempt at deciphering alien paintings. You might be getting ideas such as "I'm never gonna be able to solve these! I don't understand anything!" A lot of people are facing such predicaments. It might seem as if your brain gets foggy from all that - many people think that putting off studying for another day will relieve them from the stress. That's a tactic that will never work, unfortunately! What you need to do is discipline: a strict daily program/routine/schedule where you'll be devoting most of your time into overcoming this. Studying smart and hard produces the best results. You'll need to put not only a lot, but consistent effort into realizing your goals. Don't rely on "feeling well" or in a "studying mood" to do this. It will never help.
 

At first, it will seem as if these concepts you're learning do not make any sense until they finally sink in (and even if they don't you might still be able to pass). Remember that examinations are a way for you to show to the examiners what you've learned, what you know, and how to use it. It's not a torture procedure. Think of approaching this as a general problem, and squeeze your brain hard to find a solution to it.
 

Sometimes you need to invest a lot of time into something in order to develop actual interest for it. Interest is not a magic firefly that just exists. It's a spark that you have to create. So don't be appalled by the seemingly difficult and obscure nature of math and science.
 

All the underlying principles and concepts of scientific thinking and methodology are similar. If you're able to work on math, science will be easier. If you become familiar with science, math will make more sense. Again, it's understanding the underlying concepts, even at their most basic level, that will propel you forward. Think of it as opening a door. You might be training all day and night to open that door, but you don't have the tools to do so yet. Eventually you bust it open using brute strength. It works in the end, but will take much more time than actually grabbing the tools, and learning how to lockpick it. It's a matter of familiarizing yourself with the tools.
 

Aside from educational purposes (and only educational purposes) try reducing the amount of time you spend online. Many people have problems concentrating with all the dopamine-exciting novelty the internet has to offer these days. It can also reaaaalllyy mess up your sense of time. "Just one more match in CS:GO". Then, more than 3 hours have passed. Even if you think you don't belong to this category, limiting your internet usage might be very helpful.
 

Also, there's a sport for everyone. After going to a doctor, (just to ensure there are no health complications when you begin working out) you can try running/jogging for a set amount of time each day. Cycling (careful with all the cars out there), Badminton (uh..is that right?) don't have any kind of "entry" fitness fee. Even if you're totally inexperienced in exercising, you shouldn't be avoiding it. Heck, even chess is a form of (mental) exercise. So if there's any sport club/society you should definitely join. Everyone is an amateur at one point. Also, exercising does wonders in regards to general health, mental health, sleeping, concentration, fast decision making, reflexes...
 

Finally, due to the complexity of modern times, people underestimate the positive effects of social interaction. The majority of people crave social interaction, even if they are unaware of that. It's not just having someone to talk to, it's what can give you motivation, aspirations, support, open doors, opportunities, relief...It's who and what we are. Even if you've a natural inclination towards introversion, you're missing out on a lot of stuff. Sure, for some this might not feel that rewarding. But, hey, being interested in and liking stuff is a habit as well. Just go through the motions and it'll come. Always consider specialist help, even if you don't think you need it. (In fact I'd say that it will prove really helpful and might get you in the right track from the beginning) There's a huge infrastructure for these things nowadays. Universities/Colleges usually provide such services. It hasn't always been like this, let me tell you! Also, not  finding a common interest or hobby when in a social circle is not an excuse.  Don't expect others to share your interest, but make yourself interested in the interest of others. It has to start somewhere - besides, you might discover exciting new things/hobbies that way!
 

Remember that your commitment right now and your focus is on the long-term. Even if some days are "worse" than others, keep it up and you'll eventually develop both an interest and, thanks to a "disciplined" schedule, momentum and the right tools to overcome this.
 

Effort, persistence, consistency, support, understanding and eventually winning. Make it happen.
I wish you all the best!