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When feeling discouraged, how do you find a way to motivate and inspire yourself?

I am a high school junior and a college sophomore. I have spent many hours looking at how I can transfer my college credits to other colleges and find scholarships to help pay for college. After looking at many scholarships, emailing schools, trying to find references, I feel I might not complete as many goals as I want to. In addition, I'm looking for ways to help build a strong portfolio to submit it with college applications.
I'm finding it difficult to motivate and inspire myself to complete my goals.
#art #graphic-design #college #college-advice #multimedia #artist-portfolio #scholarships

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Subject: Career question for you

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Ken’s Answer

Do not despair! You are not lost or alone! One of the problems which we face today is that we depend too much on electronic media and messaging and emailing, when we would be better off with such communication means as phone conversations and face to face meetings, which allow for real interpersonal sharing and dialogue. Relying on electronic means is a disjointed means of communication which places us in an isolated state waiting for something to happen. Participating in a two way means of communication allows us to share our goals, strengths, and interests with others and receive the input of others regarding the application of our talents and gifts and studies. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting and Setting Up and Running a program to help laid off workers return to work, I have developed the following tips, which when applied in a two way communication mode, will help you to achieve your goals.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Rachel’s Answer

Do the things that allow you to maintain a healthy perspective on life. If you like to run, try to jog regularly to stay healthy. Volunteering can often help to get students out of their study bubble and show them that others have much greater problems than the score on their next test. Many people are heavily involved in church groups and community outreach.
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Ellen’s Answer

Hi Tyler

I think you have already gotten some good advice for other CV volunteers. Sometimes when I am stuck, it takes a while for me to realize that something else is going on in my life that is the real reason for being stuck. For example, sometimes when I have bills due, I find it hard to concentrate on my artwork, because I'm thinking about money and bills and so on. Once I get my bills squared away, I find I can concentrate on my art better.


You might also want to examine your goals (transferring to another school, getting a scholarship, and putting together a portfolio--that is a lot!) in light of other things going on in your life. Do you have a faculty advisor or other adult with whom you could talk about your concerns? Also, if your school has a health center with a counseling department, you might want to speak to someone. He or she could help you sort out what is going on in your life, and why you can't seem to get inspired or motivated to take the next step. Sometimes what we think is "no big deal" about events in our personal lives, can have a big impact on other aspects of our lives. Just a thought.


Maybe staying and making the best of it at your current school might be the best way to go for now, until you can find a way to get your inspiration and motivation back.


Best wishes!



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Cuong’s Answer

Hey Tyler,


Once and a while, we all get discouraged. The way how I motivate and inspire myself is by looking at other work that peaks my interest when I was a child. For instance, when I was a child, I always wanted to try my hand towards to animation or character creation. And there is a tons of professions that are relating to graphics towards to animation and illustrations. Whenever I start to feel down and exhausted, I like going to Instagram to pages that shows motion graphics from people around the world. Upon viewing these contents, I feel inspired and said to myself, everyone is trying their best to show their style, I want to do the same.


What you're doing to applying your application to so many programs gives you an understanding how to work with the system slowly. It's tedious but keep at it till you land one, you're in the right mindset. But if you don't get into the school, do not be disappointed, there are many schools for you to attend to. The skills you learn on your own time matters the most.



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Roland’s Answer

Write down what you have accomplished and where you want to go. Look into people that are successful in the field that motivates you and see why it took them for success! Who will believe and motivate you better than yourself.

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Kim’s Answer

Take a break! Get some fresh air, exercise, clear the cobwebs! Take a walk, without music. Listen to the birds, the kids laughing, etc. Some of those ideas will float around in your subconscious mind. You might even get new ideas this way!


Take a fresh look at the goals you have spelled out for yourself. Are you trying to take on too much, too fast? Try setting mini-goals. Completing them will help give you a sense of accomplishment.


If you are just totally in a funk, try doing something for somebody else. I know when I do things for others, and appreciate how good I really have it compared to others, I feel much better about the entire world picture.


Hope some of this helps! Best of luck!!!

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Richard’s Answer

There were many times during college and medical school when I wanted to give up.

I take inspiration from the story of the failed Antarctic exploration by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew as told in the book “Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.” Understanding their abity to overcome the incredible hardshps and survive teaches me that humans can accomplish anything
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