Learning has changed greatly over the past few years, in terms of infrastructure (wide use of Virtual Learning Environments, electronic resources, new ideas around libraries), and for some in terms of the motivations to study. (From a voyage where the journey excites as much as the destination to a singular focus on the job market as the purpose of the journey).
Whilst obtaining, retaining and excelling at gainful employment is important, we must not lose sight of the spark of excitement that first led us to study the subject that we chose. The point of going into higher education is to develop the mind and your intellect through enquiring thought and considering the “why” of the world rather than the “how”.
Focussing on the why enables us to use the spark of discovery to find out more about the subjects we are reading for our degrees (Note the term reading for a degree!).
Motivations for study are key to understanding how your performance will pan out across your degree. Those who excel are those who invariably have a high intrinsic motivation to learn, founded upon their love of the subject.
What can be learnt from these individuals?
Remember why you initial chose your degree subject and determined that this is what you chose to study. The closer your motivations are to being intrinsic (driven from an internal desire than an external want) the better your learning experience.
Always remember that we read for our degrees and are taught at school. The core difference is that we choose whether we learn or not.