How To Deal: Facing And Succeeding In A Class You Just Don’t Like

You’d really be kidding yourself if you think that you’ll like every class you take! We all just have to be realistic at times. So when you’re facing a class you don’t like, the first thing to figure out is why you don’t like it. Maybe it’s too difficult; maybe it’s too dull; or maybe it’s both. Either way, facing and dealing with classes that you just plain don’t like is part of college. Hopefully you like most of the classes in your major, but for those gen. ed. classes, you’re bound to struggle with at least a few.

If it’s a matter of difficulty, it’s understandable that that class won’t be very enjoyable. You can tell yourself you’ll just study harder or try harder, and that might help, but don’t be afraid to seek some extra help. You know what resources are right within reach: You can visit a professor or TA, ask a classmate, or simply search online for some extra explanation when your textbook proves confusing. To do well, you’ll have to actually read that textbook, a simple solution that’s often overlooked!

Still, you might loathe a class because you have no interest in the material. Fortunately we all have at least some subjects that we do find interesting, but on the other side, you probably have at least a couple class subjects in which you have no interest. For those classes, you can always look on the bright side: No matter how uninteresting a class might be, it will last only for one semester. In a couple months, that class will be a memory. If you need some motivation, think about what would happen if you perform poorly in the class. You could have to retake it! We’re sure you don’t want that.

Probably the biggest problem with facing classes you don’t like isn’t so much that you’re not interested in the material, it’s that because you’re not interested, you might find yourself not caring as much about the class. Your GPA doesn’t reflect how much you like your classes, and every grade counts. Since there’s no magic way to suddenly make you like a class, sometimes facing reality and realizing how important each and every class is to that GPA is all that’s needed to keep you motivated enough to give it what you’ve got.

Not liking a class, believe it or not, can be important to learning too. Hopefully you’ll be able to pursue a career path that you like, but you’re bound to come across a few tasks at work that you could do without. Whether in a college class or in the workplace, it takes discipline. Learning and making yourself do some of the less-enjoyable tasks and taking not-so-fun classes can be an exercise in discipline and balance. After all, if every class was your favorite class, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate as much the truly enjoyable classes out there!