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[Hazzy]

The other day a friend of a friend of an old friend was tagged in someone's photo album on Facebook, and that meant for some reason it appeared on my wall. I clicked through a few names that I used to know, that were in my year at school.

My old closest friend (who I actually hated, but that's another story) who did Film Studies with me and then went to do Film at uni, so basically the same as I did, is now working as a film editor in some London production company. Her employment status was "doing something I love!!" or something. I clicked onto someone else's profile cause he was looking a little fat, and in his employment status it had a link to his website. I went there and he'd always animated Flash films and made little Flash games etc., so it was fun seeing how he'd developed and playing some of the games. Then I go onto the page where all his games are listed, and beside one of them is "IGN Interview". I click on this link and his game has won "online game of the week" and he's been interviewed and rated and reviewed by them. He's currently working on a game project for iPad and posting on his progress.

So anyway, this obviously made me feel like crap, because I have done nothing since I left uni. Well, I've started one script (1 page), planned another for a few hours, and have just thought of an idea for another in the last few days but haven't done anything with it. I just can't for whatever reason bring myself to do it. And this is what I want to do. At least I thought it was. But then I see people like my old friends - she loved film and is now a film editor and loving it, he loved animating and is now animating and is a professional at it (and ridiculously good at drawing).

So are you where you wanted to be now? Do you feel like you want to be doing something else but just can't get the motivation? Or are you doing what you want to do and what motivates you?

[The Headliner]

The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to others in that way. There will always be people who've done it bigger, better, faster than you, so judging yourself by their standards is bound to be despiriting. There are a lot of people whose lives have turned out a whole lot worse than yours too, but they don't brag about it on Facebook.

You can still achieve success but its got to be on your own scale and on your own terms. The more time you spend watching the guy in front or looking over your shoulder at the guy behind, the less focus and energy you're putting into your own potential.

As for me, I'm nowhere near where I want to be either, and there are things I'd rather be doing, but I haven't given up on making those goals a reality one day. I'm just... pacing myself. Yeah. Life's a marathon, not a sprint, unless you get hit by a bus tomorrow and spend those last fleeting moments wondering why you wasted your youth - but that kind of thinking ain't helping either of us...

[El Jackal]

I don't even know where I thought I'd be, I used to have motivation in my youth.. and some would say I'm still quite young at 23, but I already feel like I've lost any motivation or drive towards my career. Which can only get worse from here? It's to the point where I don't like Uni, I don't like the thought of where I'll be when Uni's done and I'm only attempting to get through Uni so that my money's not wasted.

Maybe I'm just in a bit of a slump lately, but it's got worse since my girlfriend dumped me last week.. I just can't be bothered with anything at all. I was already wondering whether Uni was worth it all, and I've just got more depressed about it all. I've got work due in and I'm really not putting any effort in because I'm so lethargic. I know I shouldn't let things like relationships ruin my career but it's just stopping me from getting my head around any work I attempt.

Once this passes, I doubt my motivation will increase or my drive.. but at least I'll be able to get my head around my work and actually get something done. As for what happens after Uni.. I don't even know, I don't really have any aspirations anymore.

[The Gopher]

I am nowhere near where I thought I would be by this point of my life.

I'm 23, I'm just NOW getting my degree. I was such a motivated student in high school and when I first came to college I was a double major... then I met a girl, and learned that I can get by doing the minimum amount of work, and my motivation's sucked ever since then.

I work a shitty job, which actually is about to end once I graduate and I'm likely going to end up working a job that's nowhere near related to my degree. 

[Advocate]

I am feeling good with things.  Have a good jobs and life.  Right now, applying for my PHD.  That is what I want to do. 

[gungrave17]

no, and probably because of moving to another country

[The Headliner]

Best JBL impression I've seen all year, Advocate.

[Hazzy]

Lets all beat up Advocate. See how happy he is when he's walking round on crutches. And then we can make an unmotivated club. We can all get together once a week and - ahh forget it, can't be bothered.

And Jackal, it might not just be the girl. Me and Illy both felt that way about uni. I only stuck with it and went because it meant I would get the money. I didn't learn anything substantial, found it boring and unmotivating / soul-taking, and was glad when it was over. The only exception was the practical projects which I found hard but fun and satisfying or interesting. And I actually did well with them. You'd think I'd leave uni and set out to carrying that on straight away, making a film or writing or whatever. But nope.

I make excuses for myself all the time. Like right now it just feels like I'm in limbo because I'm still living with Illy's family and can't afford a flat yet. Even though we have the house to ourselves during the day while everyone works, so I could easily set up shop downstairs and just write all day (one Monday a few weeks ago that was my plan, and to be fair I worked for a couple of hours and structured a whole film, which I've now gone off developing). But I keep telling myself I'll have a clearer head and will be more settled after we've moved out of here so I might as well just wait until then. When really I'm probably just scared about starting a massive project which could take weeks, months, years to develop only to be left with something that wasn't worth my time and effort. It's intimidating, the blank page.

I've always been gopher-like in my attitude to school too. Kind of anyway. I went to a Grammar School and the more I learn about the 'real world' the more I realise how privileged I was to have a secure and comfortable environment to learn in, with 80% great teachers. But anyway, my attitude was do the least I could to get the marks, and I was good at that. And in a way I suppose that meant I wrote clear, succinct essays. I lived by the PEE chain - every paragraph you make a Point, give an Example, and then Explain how the example explains the point. And it worked. I'd write an essay in a night before it was due, which would infuriate the girl in my first post that is now a film editor, who would start planning for an essay a week/weeks in advance, and still get a lower mark than me.

So maybe that's what I'm doing here. She's working her way up slowly, struggling through the system, whereas I'll write a script the day before it's due and be an overnight success. Right?

[The Gopher]

I was watching Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday and they brought up a really good point that both made me think and pissed me off: There were some 39,000 graduates last year in computer science, and some ridiculous number of like 300,000 graduates with degrees in things related to film and television... Bill Maher went on a big rant about how this is what's wrong with education - that we're not focusing in the right areas (coming from a TV man, ironically enough). I am graduating with a telecommunications degree with an emphasis in film studies, which is going to be useless to me more than likely. Maher was blaming the college kids, though, and I don't think that's the issue.

There's a fundamental flaw with our education system, and I think it relates to the mentality that anyone can be whatever they want to be, if they really want to be it. That's why we're all entering these fields were the talent pool is much deeper than the spots available, and it all goes back to us being brought up to believe that we could make something with it... then we realize as we grow up and become more jaded that yeah, I'm probably not going to be a television writer...

So now what the fuck do we do?

Eh. Sorry, that's been bothering me since Friday.

[Hazzy]

I think that attitude is wrong though. The attitude that school is there to produce good workers, and that we should all have done something we have more chance of doing when we leave school and start working. Maybe I should have done a cleaners degree at uni. I did film and went to uni because I enjoy film. The reason I didn't enjoy it entirely isn't because I'm disillusioned now that I've left and don't have a 6 figure salary, it's because it wasn't that interesting and too many of the lecturers were uninspiring.

I'm not frustrated because I'm not making it as a successful writer, I'm frustrated because I just can't bring myself to write for whatever reason, even though it's something I enjoy when I'm doing it. I can't even bring myself to bother with what I'm passionate about, so what hope do I have at having an enjoyable life?

[Illusion]

Uni would have been fine if I did something different but I did Film, TV and Radio.  First year was ok, I went through some of the same stuff I already did but there was a lot of practical (although there's limited equipment so I mostly ended up doing stuff I wasn't interested in), then second year it was even more stuff I already did and even more paper work.  I think we had to do one film by January, and another for last half of the year, then the following year it's the same where you have to work on an even bigger essay.

I decided that's not what I should be doing and now that I've seen the books they've recommended and have a lot of them I can do it myself anyway.  Except I haven't been and I'm a cleaner and I live with my mum and share a room with 2 other guys and can't stay up late because of that and get woken up early every morning and have my food eaten and I can't leave socks anywhere because the dog is obsessed...

We used to lie to ourselves like "how many people are age can say they have their own business?"  but we made like £7 in total in the month or whatever it was we were down in the market so we were just costing my mum money too.

[Advocate]

I do not think high school teachers and  counsellors should discourage students from studying degrees like film and philosophy.  But I think they should do a better job preparing them for what they have to do to be successful at them.

For instance, last night, I was teaching my sales class.  I made it very clear to students that it may take a couple of years of making horrible wages in sales before you can make decent ones.  When it is commission based, it is tough for the first few years.  Most quit.  Those who develop do very well financially.

That honesty not only helps them make the right choice, but it also tells them what they have to do to become successful.

I am sick of hearing kids whine that the school did not get them a job, when they only did a three year psychology degree.  Why the hell would I hire that student when instead I could hire a business student?

[Hazzy]

Don't you contradict yourself in your first and last paragraph? You don't think subjects like Philosophy or Film should be discouraged, but why would you hire someone with a Psychology degree over a Business student?

[The Gopher]

I am not saying it's the fault of the teachers - no one is promising these kids with film degrees that they're going to get a job in their field, but at least here in America there's this mentality that each kid has a equal shot at being the best, and that's simply not true. So the kids go to college for something that they're never going to be good, rack up massive debt, and then get an unrelated job. It's a waste of time and money. School's expensive here, and these kids aren't getting the six-figure jobs they dream about, and most of them never will.

[Advocate]

Don't you contradict yourself in your first and last paragraph? You don't think subjects like Philosophy or Film should be discouraged, but why would you hire someone with a Psychology degree over a Business student?

No

I said individuals with Philosophy and Film degrees need to be educated on the career opportunities and what needs to happen to get those opportunities.  If you are only taking Philosophy, pretty much the only job you can get is teaching Philosophy.  What has to be communicated to the student is that it will take you an undergrad degree, plus a masters degree, plus a PHD to do so.  That is pretty much 10 years of post-secondary education.  Or, the student could get a Philosophy undergrad and then follow up with a MBA.  Still not as good as a Business undergrad, but will open up doors. 

If, at that point, the student understands what he or she needs to do and is willing to do it, then they can move forward with the decision.