Chamber36 said:
So guys I'd like to see what you're all aspiring to do, and the dilemma's you're running into along the way.
Tell me what your goals are, and the trouble you guys are having deciding between long and short term gratification.
I'm a really outgoing guy, and I'm about to study Engineering in a University. I feel like a black sheep because everyone there is a total nerd.
Most outgoing people like me won't go to university, but instead chose to work, or move to Amsterdam and just party all they want. I'm getting a little scared at the start of my 3 year bachelors program, being surrounded by nerds.
How do you stay focussed on the long term?
I think you're making a generalization about engineers that is mostly true, but not always. I go out salsa dancing on Friday nights with a mechanical engineering Ph.D candidate who gets stoned drunk, knows how to party, and can dance like an animal. I know an electrical engineer who seriously has one of the most entertaining and warm personalities ever. He's a bit of a nerd, but not at all in the negative way you're describing. And my medical buddies.... we're in the thick of graduate level biochemistry, calculus based physics for engineering and higher level science students, and intense physiology based classes. Some of my peers are total geek nerd retards who will never enjoy their lives because they're too in their head. But some of them aren't like that. We go out dancing, go out to bars, party, drink, and even practice the Venusian arts together.
What you have is a limiting belief.
Now let me tell you about myself.
I am going to become a surgeon, probably a cardio-thoracic surgeon, but I've also thought about spinal surgery and orthopedic surgery. I am a strong believer in the Carrot-Stick philosophy of motivation, and I also believe strongly in NLP. When I graduated from high school, my dad made me get a job at an industrial roofing company to show me what type of work I would have for the remainder of my life if I chose not to become a professional. Prior to that, I had been in the fast food industry since I was young enough to legally work. Those 2 experiences were huge for me, because they showed me a great sense of clarity that I wanted to become a professional. I did not want to spent the rest of my life at all in an entry level job, in manual labor, or anything less than what I felt like I deserved and was capable of. I wouldn't have realized this with such clarity without those experiences.
The problems I run in to are that I'm ADHD (legit ADHD, diagnosed with a full fledged brain scan) and have to take medication (either amphetamines or ritalin) to get the required degree of focus I need. As a consequence of the medications, I need a tranquilizer to keep me from freaking out and having panic attacks. It took a while to get to a good medication point, but I think I'm there. I like to socialize, and sometimes I spend too much time socializing. I like to play music, and sometimes I spend too much time playing music. I like to read and pick up girls, and sometimes I spend too much time doing this things. As I said, I'm ADHD
But I try and live by the axiom, be a river, not a flood. The biggest impediment for me is keeping the drive to keep up with my courses and study.
The second part of the equation is the company that I keep. It's a little easier for me because my dad is a doctor and my mom is a BSRN, both professionals. I also have the privilege of being able to associate and be mentored by my dad's colleagues, who are doctors (what I want to become). I would suggest going out of your way to network with some engineers in the area and post graduate engineer students and cultivating some friendships/mentorships. That has been very important for me.
And finally, what you surround yourself with helps shape who you are. If you don't want to be like the geeky engineering kids you're talking about, don't run with them
Make some new friends, even if they're not engineers. I'm sure there are some engineering students with their heads screwed on straight wherever you are, but it may take some time to find them. Find some student organizations that cater to engineers, or really anything. Make some good quality friends, but make sure they're people with similar goals. Communication, education, and even political science (my first major) students just aren't going to get what hardcore science classes are like. If you can't find any decent engineering buddies, find someone in the biology, chemistry, physics, or math department. Look for professors that are interesting and network with them. Go to their office hours and ask them INTELLIGENT questions. Show them you're really interested in what's going on. Get involved in their research.
This is the stuff that's going to help you stay focused. Surround your life with things that keep pointing you in the direction you want to go. This is one of the biggest differences between people who "make it" and people who don't.
Finally, make sure it's what you want to do. If you aren't passionate about it, you shouldn't be doing it and it will be harder for you to care enough about it to succeed with your full fervor. And freaking take care of yourself. Exercise daily, eat a high quality diet, and work out any personal, spiritual, relational, or emotional issues you may have. Whatever they are. If you need help with any of this stuff, ASK! Information is so readily available, getting it isn't an issue. You just have to be willing to use it
Hopefully this helps bro
