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Buddhism, College & Laziness?
ravkes
Veteran
I'm an undergraduate in college who doesn't "enjoy" school. I understand that I need to get a degree so I can get a job so I can eat and live and give, but even with this motivation I find myself struggling to do any work for my classes because of my disinterest with the "conditioned" world and rigid structure. I was just wondering what Buddhism has to say about laziness and how to deal with it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
0
Comments
As a Philosophy major I should know.
I am an undergrad as well and had similar difficulties. It wasn't that I didn't enjoi college.. it was more of a "I want to learn and read so many other things NOT required in ANY of my classes" lol. I was so interested subjects outside the classroom that I began struggling. Balance of positive and negative (very buddhist, eh ?) helped me.. What I mean by this is that every time I had to go to class or study, I would counter it with an activity (before or after) that satisfied my needs. For an example, reading a special book, working out, listening to music, meditating, etc. I realized that ignoring my studies was cutting myself short and that ultimately made me have a negative feeling. Perhaps, like Inji-gyo, find a major that you feel is beneficial or fascinating to you.
I sometimes ramble.. i.e. above ha. Hope anything I said was helpful (:
If you are having a problem with modavation, take some time off. Move to another part of the country and get started in one of these businesses. Become a plumbers assistant, or an electrician's assistant, see if you like it. If you enjoy working with your hands, do it. If after a year in the job market, if you think you want to go back to school, do it.
Most people enter college too early. I know I did. I got a college degree without really wanting one, but did it because everyone said I should. I spent the next year as a lifeguard/bartender. After a year, I decided I liked college more than I thought I did, so I went to grad school. It's funny how things like that work out. When you get older, your interests change.
This partly comes from my choice of subjects (economics and leadership, gah) and next year i hope the lack of motivation goes away with new subjects such as media and communication and marketing.
Oh, and i also contemplated getting a degree in mechanics as i have worked as a car mechanic part time, which was really satisfying and interesting work.
I couldn't disagree more. I don't know why else you would go to college unless you thought you could get a higher paying job. Just curious; what exactly do you plan on doing with a philosophy major?
I certainly wouldn't ever consider getting into $100,000 in debt to become a "better thinker." If you want to be a better thinker, go to the library, read some books, pay attention to the world, and be skeptical. You don't need overpaid tenured professors who have spent their lives in classrooms to teach you how to think about the world.
@ ravkes,
My advice to you is that if you don't feel motivated to be in college, then you shouldn't be in. If you're not really committed to finishing school, there's no reason to continue wasting money (or wasting your parents money depending on your situation). It's no judgment against you at all, but I just don't think everyone is meant to go to college. There's nothing dishonorable about a trade or a blue collar job.
I'm an undergrad myself specializing in Arabic mostly. I also work as a house painting manager during the summers. Working has taught me infinitely more and made me a "better thinker" than any meaningless, fluffy diversity or English class. I've learned valuable lessons about dealing with people, managing logistics and supplies, customer satisfaction, and lots of practical, mechanical skills. So I miss the job greatly when I'm stuck in school listening to professors babble on about their politics.
Just the other day, I was talking to a girl who routinely switches majors and who will be upwards of $80,000 in debt by the end of four years. Not much in the way of hope in finding a job afterwords. I'd be morbidly depressed if that were me. But then again, I'm a tightwad. I was raised by parents who grew up in poverty, and so I grew up with a Depression-era mentality. The very thought of owing money to anyone is a terrifying thought.
Anyway, my point is that if you go through all those years of school without ever having a practical, blue collar grunt job, then I think you do yourself a great disservice. It definitely cured me of residual laziness in high school.
No escape:p.
One valuable lesson I learned is that to graduate college you need to put in lot of hard work and dedication towards your goal. It is the same with Buddhism, martial arts, or becoming a master plumber. FYI, getting bored and learning how to do your work inspite of your boredom is an essential skill in order to just survive in the business world.
lol you get what i mean, like the everyday bull we all have to go through haha. That's why buddhism is great because it's so practical.
education maybe?
Perhaps take a year off? Many universities allow you to take a year off and return to complete your degree with no penalties.
The experience and opportunity of higher education should not be missed and we are very fortunate to have such opportunities.
My university studies certainly fall into a niche that doesnt really have much financial growth connected to it but i am reminded every day of the value of my education.
here is an interview that talks about the lifestyle and practice commitments of Ngakpa's.
http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N76_1.html
Ngakpa's live in the world but hold serious Buddhist commitments etc.
Its a very profound path if done correctly.
also, like glow said, you can take time off. i would also say check out rolf pott's vagabonding: an uncommon guide to long-term travel. great book that encourages independence independent of the general status quo of things and establishment.
Well and good. But no one I know intentionally goes to school, gets an education, all in the hopes of working minimum wage at McDonalds. I see nothing wrong with people wanting to get an education. I just don't think they should blow exorbitant amounts of money. Fortunately, the OP gets grants, but too many people pay ghastly amounts to go to undergraduate school. I say go to community colleges.
Community college is a good place to start. In my opinion there is no substitute for the instruction that is available in many universities.
I dont think anyone is "blowing" money by seeking out a college education.
In my opinion you cant put a price tag on an education.
He is an executive but I like to make fun of him about it.
Anyways, school helps one grow, a degree shows employers you can make a goal and finish it more than anything else, but a degree is not crucial to make a lot of money or have a successful career or life. However, on average it helps one make more money and be more marketable. The important point is to use your college education to learn and grow whatever you choose as a major. I was one who couldn't choose just one so I double majored and got two minors. I am kind of a nerd though.
It really depends what you go for. I think most degrees are a waste. Hard sciences are good along with accounting, medicine, and law. But English? Any kind of fraudulent "Insert Ethnic Group Studies?" Marketing? These to me are wastes. Not to say you can't find a job somewhere with them, but I wouldn't count on it with the current state of affairs. I think the education you receive at a community college can be just as good as these pretty universities.
This issue is a particular soar point for me. My sister is going to start applying to colleges next year, and all the schools she wants to go are ridiculously priced. (She doesn't share my thrift) If she somehow cons my parents into paying the piper for one of these Ivory Towers, she'll set them back a decade as far as finances are concerned. I'm opposed on moral grounds as well as simply common sense grounds. I'm just flabbergasted at how parents are so easily duped by "necessity" of going to universities.
Getting through this rough patch ... with a different mind-set would be an option too as suggested here elsewhere.
Lastly, I think it's all about motivation in college, "you got to find your carrot" if you know what I mean
Best of Luck!
And when you graduate, you may realise that you don't! LOL
KOB-
I don't plan on doing anything with my degree. But I know whatever comes my way I'll be ready for it.
To ravkes-
Buddhism doesn't prescribe a magic bullet to end laziness. Laziness is the opposite of diligence. Diligence is a skill, like any skill you must practice.
I'm lazy at school mostly because I hate to hear the same s**t every-day, and to be conditioned. And although I'm the lazy-a** of my classroom, I get the highest grades at tests.
Well, as for the buddhism, lazyness and the education thing, I suggest that you should be lazy when you want to (you suffer if you do what you don't want to do...Am I right ??
however, an impression gained is you are using buddhist teachings to justify your mind's discursiveness
a practising buddhist can actually function in the conditioned world rather than become disfunctional
the buddha praised education highly
if one struggles to finish a university degree then one will struggle with buddhist practise
kind regards
dd
There's also on line stuff and a place called the California Institute of Integral Studies. In Portland, Oregon there's the Maitripa Institute associated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Teachings that's on the road to full accreditation and and Bastyr U. up around Bellingham, Washington.
If the State U. does't work for you, you can always transfer.
I agree with your post that college is not for everyone, but I would disagree that civil service jobs and pilot jobs do not require college. Most do. And most don't pay beans, at least not in the USA. Most entry level professional airline pilots (who start out with the regional airlines) make less than $15,000 per year. That's poverty wages (literally). Most civil servants don't make much money either, and in today's climate, they're not getting raises.
Mtns
True DD. Thank you. I try to "be the watcher" constantly, it seems to help while studying as well. Do you have any mindfulness techniques?
My experience at school has made me very cynical about academia in general.
My view of the educational and economic system is that it is driven primarily by fear. In buddhism, we learn the importance of not investing too much into our sense of self and ego. But for the rest of the world, especially western society, that seems to be the main thing motivating the system. Sure, we may be afraid of death and loss. But shhh.. don't tell anybody that no amount of money, fame, or power is going to prevent that from occuring.
I had the choice this year to apply to graduate school or not. I chose not to because I would like to learn what its like to live with nothing, before I attempt to discover what it is like to live with something. Here's to hoping the true thing of value remains the same: to live at all.
Try not to think of "college" as "getting a job" in the future.
College is your job.
With metta.