I don't know what to do with my situation in school

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I hope I posted this in the correct forum.

So where do i start? Well i'm studying for Computer Engineer on my 5th semester, by all means i'm not the super uber smart guy on my classes but i really have a passion for computers. Some subjects from my classes are really interesting and something i could apply on my future career. But i feel i dont do enough on my classes and that "passion" it's not enough.

I tend to think a lot of where i want to go when i graduate or what i should do or specialize. I really like mathematics, i feel good when i'm solving a problem and makes me more interested on what it's possible with all i learned. Also with programming, it's very interesting and a very powerful tool with a lot of possibilities. I'm not good at electronics but Digital Electronics are the most interesting to me.

But i feel that in programming for example i'm not doing my best and it makes me upset that some of my class are really good and i can't be on my highest level (i know i shouldn't compare me with others).

I'm a very distracted person and i feel like i can't concentrate enough when i'm studying in home. Yet i have the bad habit to say "i'm going to do x thing today" a lot and do nothing in the end :/. I feel like i need to change that as soon as possible.

With all of this sometime i have thoughts like "is this career for me or i'm enough for CE?" As i said i love computers, are some of the things i'm passionate about it, how it works, how the hardware communicates with the software, programming, maths, etc. But i just feel i don't do enough and that could affect in my future...

I would like to hear from any of you guys any advice or what i should do in a situation like this? I don't usually post things like this but lately i'm feeling this about my school situation.

Thanks for reading and sorry for any potential grammar mistakes.

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Did you finish your associates degree 4th semester?

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Well i'm from Mexico, right here you go to university when you already finished high school. And yes i finished high school (long time ago hehe). I think the university where i go doesn't have something like that, until 7th semester i start my professional practices (something like an internship).

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I know the problem of not finding focus to study well enough at home. I didn't manage to solve the problem back then, but I should definitely have taken the chances I had to do it elsewhere. Like staying at the school after the regular hours or team up with another student. The few times I did team up I found that even with someone who was doing more poorly, I did at least get my part done in the process.

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Not everything is awesome; there is always the good and the bad...with everything, and that is with school as well. You have to force yourself to be disciplined, work hard, and make that an effort on your part. Those you see excelling are those who have mastered being disciplined, though they would probably never admit that to you, which has to do with their own insecurity in how people perceive them as being intelligent or not.

Those who are highly disciplined tend to be highly industrious or have specific goals they want to achieve. I am of the former, whereas it seems you are of the latter. If that is the case, then you have to think about what you want to achieve....goals. Give that some serious thought, determine your goals, and discipline should come about as a natural consequence for you.

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Then by all means... do mathematics! Programming, at the end of the day, is merely applied mathematics (or rather, a part of applied mathematics). If you are good at math, then stick with it. The opportunities are endless when you are a good mathematician. Not everyone can do math, and do it well. It's a rare gift. And it's one that underpins everything else. Applications, or applied fields, change every few decades, and they change because some fundamental theoretical concept undergoes a paradigm shift. Whether it's understanding the representation and enumeration of formal/programming languages, revising the basic theories of computation (say, Landauer's principles of minimal computation), or the computational theory of mind, numbers and the principles of mathematics underlie the basics. If you are good at maths, you have half the battle won!

Remember... if you are a superb mathematician, you could learn programming in a short time. But if you are learning programming at the surface level, you'll probably never get to the mathematical underpinning of it.

Besides, if you are not the kind to rote over things for hours (as you say you have trouble staying with one thing for long), but you are good at math, then you are probably the kind of person that is good with analytical reasoning. I was the same way. Stick with math... it relies on universal principles, and not on mechanistic repetition. Sounds like it's a perfect match for you!

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how long have you been in your main studies of computer engineering?

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#DropOut

#McDonaldsIsHiring

#WhoNeedsSucccessWhenYouHaveGoodBeef

#Ad

#NotSponsoredByMcDonaldsButTotallyShouldBe

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can confirm.

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Dear thrasher,

I am so short on time. But when i saw your message ¨i dont know what to do with my situation in school´ i felt i could not ignore your message. Maybe your situation is not that serious so FIRST let me ACTUALLY read your message. Secondly i usually not ABLE to help ANYBODY. Hahahaha...

Let me read.

If you wonder if u need to study more i can only give you one answer: YES... why? FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR HAPPINESS. What to study? Your passion OF COURSE. Can you do it? I doubt myself what i can do all the time (i am 45) and i am always surprised that i am able to do more then i tough i could.

I so someone say ¨not everybody can do math´ that is true. But i teached math to quite some kids... and when they are correctly motivated most of them could do WONDERS. I remember one girl. She was insecure... her father was a client of mine (i was his system administrator in his company). When i saw this girl. She came to the office to talk to her dad. She told him she felt bad about the math test she had next week. I stepped in... i said ¨girl, if your dad not mind and if u would like to i am willing to sit down with you here and see if i can help you a bit¨. I am myself good in math. And now.. she is also quite good in it. She passed the test with ease and all it took was showing her some tricks.. how easy it can be. U have to trigger your logical thinking. Check youtube or google on math. I got link for you.. might not connect to your study/math but its a lovely channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile

See if it can trigger and help you. There are PLENTY more of such channels where they show many ways f thinking about ¨numbers¨.

Now i have to admin.. I AM NOT EVEN HALF WAY YOUR POST hahaha. sorry i continue read:

Darnit!!! So it is not your math but your grammar! KIDDING.

You say ¨But i just feel i don't do enough and that could affect in my future...¨

This is a difficult issue. I tend to say that your feeling is VERY important. BUT...

Here it comes trashes... BUT... you... WILL... never... FEEL.. you.. do... ENOUGH!!!!!!!!

That is life.. we humans will always doubt... we are scared,,, we worry... we dot know... we try.. we succeed.. we fail... but most failures i seen in my life is where i gave up.. not where i was not ABLE!

Still you might have a point.

But i wish i can force you to continue study. Your dad would kick my ass when he find out someone is pushing you. So i will not... what the heck... i can deal with ur dad (i poo my pants now) i going to FORCE YOU TO STAY IN SCHOOL.

The question is can you afford to keep study??? To study as a child or young person is GODLIKE. Study yourself at home anything u find u feel is interesting... work with computers... take em apart... hardware wise and software wise. Dont brake your last computer...

SERIOUSLY DO NOT STOP STUDY.

You need the papers... i wish i had more papers...i am not a dropout.. but i know i could have done MUCH MORE when i was young.

I am not sure... please read what we say here... and reply. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE yourself.. do NOT give up.

Change study after u graduate if you like... that is ok... but do not STOP STUDY because you worry! That would be nonsense and you will hate yourself later!

My 2 cents

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Yes mkk is right.

Change where you are.. stay in school and find correct partner who also likes to study more after hours.

Just make sure you not get distracted by some hot chick that also is good in math and decide to study in BED together ahahaha.

Try focus more... you will find time to sport or go out. Dont worry about that...

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Terrentius is right...

His most important word is DISCIPLINE.....

You have to condition yourself... force yourself to be more disciplined. Can you do that?

And if not... what are your other options???????

Please... come back here and tell us how you are doing. What is distracting you? Can u afford to keep going the way you go? DO NOT GIVE UP... just CHANGE is ok... but finish your current study 100%

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I've been studying CE for 3 years now (being on 5th semester).

Thanks to all for your feedback i really appreciate it! :)
I think that's i need to gain more, DISCIPLE! :O

@biolinguist I I think the reason i really like math is because of my Numerical Methods subject i learned how math equations can be represented on code (we used C for this) and also our teacher told us about where it can be applied like in fluid/particle simulations. And that really got me interested. I think i'm going for a math background for Computer Engenieering but i also have another interest like GPUs/a little bit CPUs and how it works on a low level area like their architecture and how they manage all the information between hw and sw, also i've been looking on something called GPGPU (programming in CUDA or OpenGL i think?).

All these things are really awesome to me but i don't know if there something i can relate with a math background or what i should look for? :s

@icq Thanks for your words i really appreciate it! I will stay in school and try to do my best and continue to learn more about the wonderful world of computers haha. As i said i need more discipline and focus more as your said. Btw i have a girlfriend so that wouldn't apply lol, but she helps me if i have any questions regarding to Java. :)

The thing i have with programming either on C or Java is that i know what i need to do or what i need to use on the code but in the moment i sit and start really making it i feel lost. I think i just have the idea of how to make it and i tend to look for codes i have that are similar of the exercise i'm doing, i can't start from 0. I think i need to learn more about the structure of how the language is conformed either on Java or C.

Any tips on how to gain more discipline or stay more focused on studies?

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I suggest looking at your situation from a more simplistic view.

Lets say for example you were a kid who loved rocks. So you grow up and have a goal of becoming a geologist. You go to school to follow the goal and eventually realize that you don't have the luxury of studying the way the earth was made, but instead your job program is to find the best spot to drill for natural gas in the mid-west. It's not a bad job prospect, but doesn't fulfill your love of rocks and how they came to be formed...

The point is that your situation is not unique, nor is it new. To be frankly brutal, if you're not as bright as the kids next to you, - grind through it and use your passion on the side until it blooms. Employers and investors still like degrees on a resume.

You have a wandering mind, I have a basement and attic full of every tool you can cram into 4000 square feet. I get it. The lack of focus will either win or kill your goals.

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Thanks @slappy_D0 for your words.

It's going to be a hard work but in the end it's going to be worth it. And i need to work on both my discipline and focus. Also to get better study habits.

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@thrasher1031 actually during my study i also had a girlfriend. She was study to become a lawyer. We helped each other a lot. So now she has a successful law firm and a happy family with 2 kids and no father. I had to brake up with her as she insisted in having children and i was really not up for that. She found another guy who ran off AFTER they got children.

Well.... for programming you do really have to register on GITHUB. Are you there already?

Staying focused and be more disciplined. Damn this guy has GOOD questions. Let me think....

For the focus. I always try to setup a space or environment where i feel comfortable. For example: i always went to a classroom which i knew was empty for a period. I went there every week for a few hours (back then we did not have laptops so i had to use school computer). These days you can go to a park or restaurant or hotel and just chill there. At first you need to order some drink or food and get a good relation with the personell. So they accept you in that place. Me myself have special places in town in Bangkok and Dubai and Netherlands where i always go back with my laptop to do some work. Often they bring me a coffee and i not even have to pay for it anymore.

Also in my room when i was young i made sure i had a desk and chair. So i sit up straight... i straight in front of the screen so i can make long hours.

I make a plan for myself how much time i will spend and that i do regular brakes. I allow myself to go for short walks. Call a friend or play a game... but not for too long.

Also i get snacks. Im a health freak.. so i put aside a bowl of carrots or sweet tomatos. I eat them as if they are a reward for me. Just like you train a dog to listen... everytime he do something good you give him a cookie... i do that to also condition myself. Sounds reallt strange but for me it works to focus and enjoy hat i am doing.

For the discipline part.... i look at my mom... she is the most disciplined person in the family... so i listen to her. I mean.. i told her always MOM I GO STUDY... then she said something U NOT WANT TO EAT? (sorry duty calling gotto work)

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Thank you so much for your tips seriously. I will look forward on it on working on my discipline :)
And i'm already on github btw

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