What inspires you?

For those of your who are persuing college degrees, etc...what keeps you moving forward in your studies? What's your driving force? What motivates you? What inspires you?

 

School is much more fun than work?

 

It's a hell of a lot better (more enjoyable, less stress) than going to some brain-numbing 8-5 office job...
Really, there is nothing I have found that I enjoy and that I can make a living at that doesn't require a PhD.
And, no matter what I do, I don't want to wind up like either of my parents, barely getting by, working crap jobs, because they didn't get that little piece of paper from a college.

 

because they won't let me use my experiance to help others in a professional capacity untill I get a degree and liscence. (I'm going for a social work degree).

 

I guess I should answer this, too...

My answer is a little bit of all your answers smashed together.I've met a lot of cool people, and learned some pretty interesting stuff...so that's great, I guess. But my true motivational factor is being able to help people when I get done (I want to be a nurse, or as some people call male nurses, a murse. )

 

I want to learn everything I can and just absorb everything. School is fun for me so I'm spending at least 8 years getting my degrees. Not to mention all the new people I get to meet, the study abroad opportunities I have, etc etc.

Without getting several college degrees, I'd never be able to obtain the career I want so that of course is a big consideration as well.

 

Several college degress? What do you want to be when you grow up?

 

First I want to work for the CIA or State Department- preferably in an embassy. Then I want to be a college professor at somewhere like UMiami where I could do lots of research as well as teach.

 

Groovy...so, to do this, what degrees do you have to get?

 

what keeps me going is the fact that once i am done with my program i will have a job, and that for as long as i do it t he better i will get. its something that i can see and physically touch.

 

What will your job be?

 

To be a prof at a research university, you generally need a PhD. So the first step is to get your BA or BS degree (4-year undergrad degree). Then apply to grad school -- depending on where you go, some places have a straight-thru PhD program, but I think most places in the US make you get a Masters degree before becoming a candidate for the Doctorate.

 

What would you like to teach at University?

 

The teachers in my Honours class inspire me, the readings, the books, discussions in class... but mostly... the social aspect of the university. Here I can be myself... I have hundreds of friends, things to do, people to see... I love this place.
Plus, I shalt graduate with a Writing and a Spanish degrees, both of which can prove beneficial.

 

my job will be violin making (lutherie!!!!)

 

the gratifyingly different inspires me. nature's diversity inspires me. the kind of world i would rather be living in inspires me.

the usual things people claim to be inspired by do not.
(i also do NOT equate inspiration with 'productive motivation', other then to illustrate my 'dreams' themselves)

=^^=
.../\...

 

Damn, that expensive paper is very important.

 

If all it's going to be to you is a piece of paper, then yes, it is very expensive.

But I look at it as expanding myself to my utter limits. Sure you can learn on your own, but then you would only have your opinion and not constantly have it challenged. You also wouldn't be in a place where that opinion is constantly tested in an orderly, academic way with your peers.

There are obviously some things that you can't learn in college or university, but there are many life skills that you can't learn without it.

 

college will prepare me for the endeavors i will pursue in the future. what motivates me is my passion for knowledge for service (after college, i plan to enter politics, be a social worker or somwhow be an agent of change) and for life itself. i am inspired when i see the fruit of my hard labor and how happy my mom gets when she sees my grades.

 

What keeps me moving forward? The knowledge that I haven't yet gained... All the stuff I can still learn! Also, having time to expand my mind - university isn't the most time-consuming thing in the world (at least, not yet!) - hence me being able to post on HipForums.

Also, just getting interested in what I'm doing. I think I'm going to major in religious studies, so I'm pretty excited about it. Just following wherever my interests and heart leads me.