Motivation

An Attempt to update my blog:
_________________________

"Self direction is essential for social success." This quote of my own (how pompous) describes how the importance of having a sense of movement and flow one's life. As a student, this means preparing for college or finding work after high school. As an athlete, this usually means predicting difficulties in future competitions and conditioning to overcome them. No matter what state of existence you are in, having a strong sense of direction gives you an outline for future action. This is inherently good.

Problems occur when your sense of direction negatively influences your motivation.
For example, a person so immersed in getting good grades for college may only motivate themselves to get those grades by thinking of college. They lose sight of the larger idea that should encourage their studying: a life-long pursuit of learning and intellectual development. This goal contains far more long-term advantages than simply getting that coveted "A".

The situation that I described is the current rut I find myself in. The AP tests are coming up in a
weeks and I still have content to learn and master. In this studying process, I've become more selective about the knowledge that I intake. "Do I need to know the Heisenberg Uncertainty principles to answering the multiple choice questions about quantum mechanics? No? Well, why bother reading about it?" While getting a good grade on the AP exam has real financial benefits, it now towers over a genuine interest in learning. My self-direction has taken a detour towards this AP studying and testing period, replacing my motivation to learn with a motivation to get a 5.

To many, AP testing is not just a detour. Grade-point average and class rank continue to motivate students, instead of the notion of intellectual and personal development. Unfortunately, students begin to question their own intelligence and ability when they see that they have not achieved the almighty "A". It sickens me how society can be this effective in transforming the attitudes of so many students.