[LewsTherin]

As the clock read 11:30 AM, I stared down at my English homework yet again. The thought that paralyzes me for but a moment in time had come before, many times, during my struggle to work on previous assignments. Yet each time that this thought hits me, it seems to be hitting me for the first time. Each time, this thought fills my head, engulfs my mind. It holds me in place until a torrent of emotions followed by tears consumes me.

Ten pages of worthless, wasted ink. Ten pages of grammar. Ten pages that I will not read, and will not complete. Ten pages that screw with me. Ten pages that put this simple yet torturous thought into my head.

Why care?

Why care about any of this blasted education system? Why try to maintain my first semesters 4.0? Why care about pen marks? Why care about the whole bloody thing?

When I was younger and much more naive I thought that school was a place to explore, grow, and learn. Now, I find it to simply be a machine, and another brick in a wall that is slowly building.

I waste the next hour listening to selections from The Wall (music is one of my few ways to escape), and stumble over to my laptop to try venting my anger to strangers on an online forum.

Temporary alleviation. That's all my life is, temporary alleviation from this mess.

Why care?

[Travelinglady]

Well, I think caring is important because a lot of tedium and frustration is involved in reaching most of life's important goals. Looking at the big picture might help. I don't know where you are in your college program, but I enjoyed school more when I could start taking most of my classes in my major and not in general education requirements.

I didn't find all of school fun, but I hung in there and kept my grades up. As a result, I got in a great grad school and accomplished my ultimate goal.

What do you want to accomplish in this life? Oh, there's so much out there to be excited about, despite the difficulties life throws at us. I encourage you to look at the glass as half full.

[Tiger_Lily]

Why care is a good question. Why are you taking the course? I am writing my papers because I want to pass the course. I want to pass the course because I want my degree. I want my degree because I want the career that degree affords me. I can look at why I don't want to write papers, and sometime I don't but I remind myself why I am. CBT is an effective method. I would recommend the feeling good handbook (as well as feeling good itself) by David Burns as a way to learn methods. I use them and often they work.