For the sake of knowledge in itself, to get a better job, to find meaning in your life, to give yourself a bridge to independent life, to find like-minded peers with similar interests... Hang on and don't give up!PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Good question.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
I've certainly thought about this a good number of times. Really these days I just think of that sorta stuff as an act of pushing and growing yourself. Even if you don't get that A (hopefully you do!) because you didn't stay up all night grinding for that one exam, you will have likely learned a lot about yourself from just taking the course and interacting with others. After doing this a repeated number of times, you will have likely shaped and changed yourself around the pushing school's constantly been doing to you.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Lol.TheChiScientist wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 8:10 pmGood question.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Thanks! And absolutely, the pursuit of knowledge is such a beautiful thing.SilverBreeze wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 8:08 pmFor the sake of knowledge in itself, to get a better job, to find meaning in your life, to give yourself a bridge to independent life, to find like-minded peers with similar interests... Hang on and don't give up!PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
I fully agree with everything you said here. (especially the whole thing about comfort zones. It is undoubtedly true that so many of my favorite memories have come from outside my comfort zone and I don't envy those who don't ever leave that bubble).pepperonipi wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 11:14 pmI've certainly thought about this a good number of times. Really these days I just think of that sorta stuff as an act of pushing and growing yourself. Even if you don't get that A (hopefully you do!) because you didn't stay up all night grinding for that one exam, you will have likely learned a lot about yourself from just taking the course and interacting with others. After doing this a repeated number of times, you will have likely shaped and changed yourself around the pushing school's constantly been doing to you.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Additionally: If life was comfortable, it'd be realllllyyyy boring and pointless. Appreciate the uncomfortability and the time spent out of your comfort zone. Moments out of your comfort zone can be some of the best moments in your life, and some of them might change you forever - you just never know. So maybe there's another reason to enjoy pushing yourself.
Also, remember that you are still much better off than most of the world (and even the US, to some extent) and that you are very lucky to be in the position you are able to be in. I'm not one to really say "oh, others want to be where you are, so appreciate it," but just remember that no matter what happens to you, you are already in a very good place. Getting a B, C, or really even D in a course you at least tried in is much more of a testament to your character than simply opting out of college because it seems too hard. You at least tried.
Also, remember that it's totally normal to ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing to yourself or why any of this matters. But remember that once you are finished with whatever project you are working on, you will likely be able to look back and go, wow, so there's the journey. In the face of long to-do lists, long nights, and lots of studying it can certainly seem hard to see the big picture. But keep going. Hopefully one day, you will be able to look back and admire at all of the work you did to get in the position you will be in. This happened to me when I was really trying to get exalted/become a wikimod, especially towards the fall of 2019. There were many days when I simply didn't want to edit the wiki or said "I don't really see the point in doing this anymore." However, I stuck with it, knowing that one day, my work would be recognized with a special rank on this site. And today, I'm very thankful that I stuck with the work I was doing because of the position it has granted me today. Now, I can enjoy special permissions I've always wanted on the wiki, getting a special rank of recognition on the site, and getting to meet some of the other staff and hang out with them in the staff group chat.
So, yeah, those are my 2AM thoughts. Just try to stick with it. It will pay off.
Because we want stuff even if it hurts us or others around us.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Medals in science olympiad.........JoeyC wrote: ↑February 25th, 2020, 9:35 amBecause we want stuff even if it hurts us or others around us.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
>_>BennyTheJett wrote: ↑February 25th, 2020, 9:38 amMedals in science olympiad.........JoeyC wrote: ↑February 25th, 2020, 9:35 amBecause we want stuff even if it hurts us or others around us.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Yeah, this sounds like basically it. I really do like how you said that it's not like it will pay off some time in the future, but it's paying off now. I never really thought of life like that and thought of a lot of things as "meh, it'll pay off one day" without thinking of all of the growth that that experience has caused me and the growth it has unleashed within me. I really hope I can start to think of more things like this. Seriously, thanks PM!PM2017 wrote: ↑February 25th, 2020, 12:05 amI fully agree with everything you said here. (especially the whole thing about comfort zones. It is undoubtedly true that so many of my favorite memories have come from outside my comfort zone and I don't envy those who don't ever leave that bubble).pepperonipi wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 11:14 pmI've certainly thought about this a good number of times. Really these days I just think of that sorta stuff as an act of pushing and growing yourself. Even if you don't get that A (hopefully you do!) because you didn't stay up all night grinding for that one exam, you will have likely learned a lot about yourself from just taking the course and interacting with others. After doing this a repeated number of times, you will have likely shaped and changed yourself around the pushing school's constantly been doing to you.PM2017 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2020, 7:21 pm Ugh we love when a class that normally doesn't give more than 1 assignment a week gives 3 due the same day. Especially when that day happens to be the day before you have two back-to-back midterms. Can someone remind me again why we humans do this to ourselves?
Additionally: If life was comfortable, it'd be realllllyyyy boring and pointless. Appreciate the uncomfortability and the time spent out of your comfort zone. Moments out of your comfort zone can be some of the best moments in your life, and some of them might change you forever - you just never know. So maybe there's another reason to enjoy pushing yourself.
Also, remember that you are still much better off than most of the world (and even the US, to some extent) and that you are very lucky to be in the position you are able to be in. I'm not one to really say "oh, others want to be where you are, so appreciate it," but just remember that no matter what happens to you, you are already in a very good place. Getting a B, C, or really even D in a course you at least tried in is much more of a testament to your character than simply opting out of college because it seems too hard. You at least tried.
Also, remember that it's totally normal to ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing to yourself or why any of this matters. But remember that once you are finished with whatever project you are working on, you will likely be able to look back and go, wow, so there's the journey. In the face of long to-do lists, long nights, and lots of studying it can certainly seem hard to see the big picture. But keep going. Hopefully one day, you will be able to look back and admire at all of the work you did to get in the position you will be in. This happened to me when I was really trying to get exalted/become a wikimod, especially towards the fall of 2019. There were many days when I simply didn't want to edit the wiki or said "I don't really see the point in doing this anymore." However, I stuck with it, knowing that one day, my work would be recognized with a special rank on this site. And today, I'm very thankful that I stuck with the work I was doing because of the position it has granted me today. Now, I can enjoy special permissions I've always wanted on the wiki, getting a special rank of recognition on the site, and getting to meet some of the other staff and hang out with them in the staff group chat.
So, yeah, those are my 2AM thoughts. Just try to stick with it. It will pay off.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful, if I did. (I don't think that is what you're implying here in any case). I think it was really just an off-hand comment that was supposed to be mildly funny.
I think it's also worth saying that while I am often quite stressed, and I absolutely loving my time here and getting the chance to learn from such amazing professors, meet the incredibly smart peers I have at Cal, and just generally spending time on this phenomenal campus.
I don't think it will pay off. I think every bit of effort we put in to anything is payment in and of itself. Sounds cliche, but while it doesn't seem like it, it's not about the end goal, it's about the journey.
Also, to answer my own question, we do it because it hard. We do it for the challenge. We do it for the growth. We do it because we want to.
Forever onwards! (fist pump)
