Studying, doing homework, writing papers and lab reports, participating in discussion posts — college students are expected to do some (if not all) of these things for three to five classes a semester. 

This means being a college student is a full-time job. 

You should expect to be doing 40 hours of schoolwork per week to not only pass your classes, but also learn and apply fundamental principles that will be part of your job for the rest of your life.

When students come to college many are unprepared for the amount of work and studying expected of them in the course of their degrees. 

Many think they can just do their work only when they are motivated and end up leaving it until the last minute. This procrastination makes for more rushed work and worse comprehension of the content covered.

Let’s be clear: we are at college to learn things that will aid us in our future careers. 

We aren’t here to party. 

We aren’t here to eat Cheetos in our underwear, drink mountain dew and sit on the couch all day playing Call of Duty. 

We are here to learn. 

One of the big issues I see with lot college students is them saying they simply aren’t motivated to do their schoolwork. 

Maybe it’s too boring. Maybe it’ll take too long and they have something better to do. 

The biggest thing I have learned in four years of undergraduate and one-and-a-half years of graduate school is not to count on motivation. 

Force yourself to start working. 

Of course you would rather go to a rave, but the assignments piling up on your desk need to get done. 

Once you get rolling on something you will likely finish it, and when you get all of your stuff done you are free to go off to do anything your heart desires.

College is a time to discover yourself. 

To find out what kind of friends you will have. To find new and exciting ways to have fun and express yourself. 

But most importantly, it’s a time to learn new things and get a perspective on life and work that not all people get a chance to see. 

Now is the time to learn to force yourself to work. 

Now is the time to take the word motivation out of your vocabulary.

Alex Boger is an agriculture & biosystems engineering graduate student at SDSU and can be reached at [email protected].