The easiest way to stay focused is often to seek more challenging work. If your most difficult class is "history of The Beatles"[1] then you are likely to be bo

The easiest way to stay focused is often to seek more challenging work. If your most difficult class is "history of The Beatles"[1] then you are likely to be board and look for other entertainment. If you are doing well on classes towards your major consider some other classes to experiment with. I was a mechanical engineering major and I regret not taking more computer classes in college. Think of this as a time to learn and experiment. There is a good chance you will appreciate more breadth in a few years. Even smart college students don't always know what they will really end up doing in life. Another option at a bigger school is to look into undergraduate research work in one of the labs on campus. We regularly host engineering or physics students and they tend to enjoy it, get some valuable experience, get paid, and earn a good recommendation for their next phase in life. There is also nothing wrong with working on side projects. Just spend a little time thinking about how you can use them as a piece of your resume when you graduate. [1] my sister had similar problems feeling unmotivated in college, and I found out she was on this schedule. Adding other classes helped a lot in her case.