Student without a cause

The Academic Advising Center at IU offered a workshop last week titled "Increasing Your Self-Motivation to Learn." I applaud the Academic Advising Center for taking steps to address a phenomenon on college campuses: the student who attends college merely because of parental and societal pressures or simply a lack of a firm resolve to do anything else. \nAlthough a survey conducted by Texas Tech University found the number of students without a clear idea of why they're entering college is shrinking, research by other schools like California State University and University of Maryland insists it's still a problem. Specific numbers aside, there's always room for improvement. \nNot all IU students lack internal motivation. Many, if not most, IU students make their decision to attend college with a sincere desire to increase their awareness of the world or to complete coursework necessary to pursue an ideal career. This self-awareness is demonstrated by diligent efforts to not only complete coursework but work beyond it, completing extra assignments or working with professors on collaborative projects. \nThose who deserve and will achieve success in college are those who, when filling out college applications, are motivated by sincere desires college can help fulfill. Those who come to college without a clear motivation might not fail but, according to this columnist's observations, are less likely to invest themselves in schoolwork beyond course requirements.\nIncoming freshmen don't need to have a life plan on their bulletin boards the first day of school. Students attend college to find themselves, too. Some aren't sure what career path to pursue even after graduation; I might be in that terrified group myself. But students who want to be successful need to find some motivating passion for exploration early on, be it a passion for piano, fascination with products of Petri dishes or a sincere delight in books. The Academic Advising Center tried to guide soul-searching students to this internal source of motivation last week. \nThe struggle with internal motivation might be a product of early education policies or attitudes at home. Students are often browbeat by standardized scores, frustrated teachers and parents into prioritizing the results of studying -- grades -- over the process of learning itself. \nIn college, on the other hand, the subject of study should come first. In many IU classes, grade distribution is an afterthought to the learning process itself. The switch in priorities frustrates students taught to study for the test. But the switch serves up an effective tonic for students still stuck on grades. \nSome primary and secondary school systems might stunt the growth of internal motivation to learn, and a few students by their natures might dread academia like the plague. But it is the student's responsibility to evaluate his or her priorities upon arriving at IU and to nurture the internal motivation that will make college a fascinating experience rather than a round of torture. Academic workshops like the one offered Tuesday and Wednesday can help a student make up for lost time, so that when Joe College enters the classroom, he has a good idea why he has walked through the door.