[thoughtFrame]

  > Sometimes I wonder whether "burnout" or "occupational burnout" describes something I have experienced in college. It was not a spectacular or intense thing, just losing interest in my subject completely and avoiding getting started with exercises, even though I was decently good at my subject and loved the hours and hours I spent studying.

I think this is my experience right now. I love CS and almost all my classes were great, but now it's like I can't study, I can't will myself to work on a class' project, etc. I have an exam that I have been avoiding for months and it's blocking my other classes that require this exam to take their exams

The fact that you use the past tense means you got past it? If so, I'd appreciate any advice

[Metus]

> The fact that you use the past tense means you got past it? If so, I'd appreciate any advice

I'd love to give you advice so much, however I forced myself through it and started to work in a different carreer.

[thoughtFrame]

Thanks anyway. I'm learning a lot from this subthread.

[robocat]

I felt the same with Electronic Engineering in my final year - because I had realised that what I was learning was so academically focused that it was almost useless in the real world. I forced myself to finish that last year, but I think that effort destroyed my love for electronic design work (fortunately, I fell into a software job instead, in part because I got my degree).

Perhaps if you can get out in the real world then you will find real problems and those will likely motivate you (if you are anything like me, anyway). The most motivated students I recall were already working, and they picked and chose relevant academic focus that could help them with their design work (i.e. they could get some value from the academic system). Even though work is often depressing in itself (varies on a huge number of factors).

Ideally, try and discover what really motivates you. I like this idea, although I haven’t tried it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29912252

Edit: perhaps relevant: I was depressed due to a relationship. She ended the relationship with me, and the next day I was long-term happy. Turns out situational depression is a thing, and that it is entirely different from clinical depression (which doesn’t fix itself in a day - exception fast bipolar?). If you feel unhappy, sometimes you have the ability to fix the situation that is making you unhappy!

Good luck.