Interest is the most commonly experienced positive emotion. It is an extremely important type of motivation in the development of knowledge, skills, and intelligence.

Interest is the only motivation that can keep daily work going in a normal way. It is essential for creativity. Interest can be stimulated by imagination and memory in the absence of external stimulation. A common cause of the emotion of interest is the imaginary images generated by the individual associated with the achievement of the goals that the individual sets for himself.

From the point of view of external manifestations, interest is difficult to determine precisely, since facial expressions with interest are not as definite as with many other emotions. Instinctive in this case may be a slight raising or lowering of the eyebrows, a slight expansion or narrowing of the eyelids, a slight tilt of the head to the shoulder. In general, an interested person looks like he is looking or listening. A person shows signs of curiosity and capture, with intense interest, a person tends to be inspired and animated. It is this revival that ensures the connection of interest with cognitive and motor activity.

There are several ways to define interest.

The first direction can be called axeological. It is connected with the etymology of the word "interest". I am interested in something, I am interested in it, I need it, it is important - this is its broad understanding, which corresponds to the literal translation of the word "interest" from Latin - it matters, important.

There is an opinion that cognitive interest is disinterested, but there is another point of view. So, S.P. Manukyan is convinced that the concept of "interest" in the meaning of "benefit", "good", "benefit" should exist in the conceptual apparatus of pedagogy. He believes that at present all pedagogical literature recognizes the existence of only cognitive interest, the word "interest" in it means only attention, orientation, desire, and most researchers leave no room in the general concept of teaching motivation for the student's interest as a benefit. Therefore, in this concept, there is almost no theoretical provision on interesting learning, and in scientific pedagogical treatment there is no concept of "interest" in the sense of "benefit". With this S.P. Manukyan cannot agree and proposes to reconsider the current situation in pedagogical science, based on the fact that the idea of ​​personal interest combined with public interests is now widely spread.

This interpretation of interest is close by definition to value orientations, since values ​​are subjective reflections in the mind of an individual of some properties of objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality in terms of their ability to satisfy human needs.

The second direction of determining interest can be called attitude (English attitude - attitude), since some researchers consider interest as a relationship. A.A. Lyublinskaya believes that this is a person’s cognitive attitude to the world around him, which is based on an orienting-research reflex. According to N.G. Morozova, the emotional-cognitive relationship between the subject and the object is called interest, and V.I. Kovalev emphasizes that this is a stable positive emotional attitude. G.I. Schukin, claims that this is a special selective attitude to the world around. It is assumed that this interpretation of interest is close to the definition of a social attitude, or rather, its derivative - a semantic attitude, which expresses the attitude of the individual to objects that have personal meaning.

The third direction is vector, since the definition of interest as a direction is one of the most common. Some authors speak of orientation as a quality of personality, that is, personal education. So, S.L. Rubinstein understood the specific orientation of the personality as interest, and in the dictionary of K.K. Platonov's interest is considered as one of the forms of personality orientation, V.B. Bondarevsky clarifies that this is a specific cognitive orientation of the individual. As a complex personal formation, interest is a unity of objective (content of activity) and subjective (selectivity of activity) principles.

Other scholars speak of interest as an orientation, but in connection with mental processes. G.I. Shchukina calls it "the selective focus of mental processes on objects and phenomena of the surrounding world", at the same time arguing that this is "a special selective attitude towards the surrounding world". A.K.Markova, A.B. Orlov, L.M. Fridman and T.A. Mathis believe that this is the direction of activity, and E.F. Zeer believes that this is a positively emotionally colored focus of attention on phenomena, objects, the realm of reality.

It is possible to determine the essence of the concept of "interest" by comparing with the concepts of "need" and "motive", since the same authors in their works call interest either a need or a motive. Sometimes researchers of the nature of interest try to combine the concepts of "need" and "motive". For example, V. Simonov believes that interest is a need deployed outward, into social reality, which is realized by the subject in the form of a motive.

A.A. Rean and Ya.L. Kolominsky write that interest can act as a motive, which is the internal motivation of the individual to be active, and the motivation is associated with the satisfaction of a need.

But there are also unambiguous definitions. For example, interest is a form of manifestation of a cognitive need that ensures the direction of the individual.

Scientists attach special importance to cognitive interest.

According to G.I. Shchukina, it grows out of the need to know, that is, it is born from the general global human need for knowledge. E.P. Ilyin made an attempt to analyze the diversity of views on interest as a psychological phenomenon. He came to the conclusion that different definitions of interest have two common circumstances: the presence of a need in an interest and the positive experience of this need. Interest is associated with need, this is obvious to most researchers, but, as E.P. Ilyin, it would be wrong to equate interest and need. He is convinced that the difference here is very subtle, many scientists feel it intuitively, but find it difficult to explain. According to S.L. Rubinshtein, it is impossible to put an equal sign between interest and need, since the need causes the desire to possess the subject, and the interest to get acquainted with it. On this basis, he defined interest as a specific motive for cognitive activity and revealed the presence of two points in it: emotional attractiveness and conscious significance.

On the other hand, there is an opinion that an interest in the dynamics of its development can turn into an inclination, a need. So, in the dictionary edited by V.P. Zinchenko and B.G. Meshcheryakov, it is indicated that in a number of need relations, interest occupies an intermediate position, arises on the basis of cognitive attraction (desire) and can develop into a stable need. V.N. Maksimova deduces the following sequence of interest development: cognitive interest as a motive for activity contributes to the emergence of a cognitive need, and on the basis of a cognitive need, in turn, cognitive interest is born as a motive for action.

The point of view on interest as a motive is as common as the statement that interest is a conscious need. In the dictionary edited by V.P. Zinchenko and B.G. Meshcheryakov's interest is presented as a motive or a motivational state. A.V. Petrovsky calls interest a motive, which is a constant incentive mechanism for cognition. D.K. Gilev believes that of all the motives, the strongest motive is the one based on cognitive interest. M.V. Matyukhin and G.I. Shchukin also consider cognitive interest as a motive for learning activities. According to N.G. Morozova, interest is not a kind of motive at all.

For various reasons, interests are classified: into individual (personal), social (interests of a group or community) and public - according to their carrier (subject, which, by the way, in our opinion is not the same thing); by spheres of public life - into economic, social, political and spiritual; according to the degree of generality - into private and general; by duration - into long-term and short-term; according to the forms of consciousness - into ideological (associated with worldview), political, moral, aesthetic; by type of activity - professional, socio-political, educational and cognitive; according to the degree of stability - into weakly, medium-, strongly-resistant; according to the adequacy of reflection - into imaginary and real, conscious and unconscious.

One of the most important grounds for distinguishing interests is their awareness or unconsciousness. This characteristic feature of interest is noted by almost every researcher: “... it is impossible not to take into account that interests are recognized and thereby acquire relative independence and subjective-real certainty”, “awareness of objective interest can create an opinion that interest is a subjective factor, especially when when he is aware.

Mindfulness is a content part, not an external side or relation to interest. If there is no awareness, there is no interest, and behind it there is no action. Objective reality, potentially capable of becoming an interest, leaves the subject indifferent and inactive. It remains only an objective reality, not chosen, not evaluated, insignificant, uninteresting for the subject.

Often, awareness of interest is understood as an objective state of affairs, reflected in consciousness. But in the case of interest, we are not dealing with any objective reality and not with any reflection. They are loaded with content, and only with certain characteristics are included in the structure of interest.

Awareness relates to objective reality not as a cast, an image of reality, not a mirror reflection of all and any reality, but as an active-selective, subjective-active relation that creates in the mind an image of some new, modified situation in which the original situation takes on a very distant form. in its structure and functions from the original.

Not only can the structural elements and parts that an objective situation possesses be far from being in full composition there, but those found in it can be supplemented by those that do not exist in actuality (desired, conjectured, demanded), and their connections and meanings can turn out to be changed. , sometimes to the opposite. And only in such a fragmentary and altered form will objective objects, processes, relations constitute the objective-subjective content of interest. Interest owes all these metamorphoses to that internal sieve, the prism, which also forms part of its content, and consists of a bundle of value-significance. And the subject will act not in the whole and not with the entire set of interrelated objective factors, but only with that part of it and in the form as it is presented to him in his interest. Therefore, when they talk about the awareness or unconsciousness of the interest of a particular subject, then, apparently, they mean the assessment of the transforming influence (distortion coefficient) of this “prism” on the adequacy of the resulting image of the corresponding objective situation.

The reflected reality itself, in general, does not carry a significant social content, it can be both natural and social reality with their objects, relationships, changes. This may determine specific manifestations of meaningfully different interests, but does not affect its essence. But for all the other parts that make up the content of interest, sociality is not a possible, but an integral feature. The image that arises in the mind of the subject will have a form and content that will determine its significance and value. Society will enter the subjective world in the form of a system of values, but it will “settle down” there, transform and acquire an actual existence in its mental accents, experiences and sensations in the form of its own system of values, dictated by the significance of certain values ​​for him. And these two systems are not identical to each other, but under certain conditions they can be separated by a "colossal distance".

The deepest and most meaningfully revealing classification of interests is the classification according to the subject or carrier of interest. It is no coincidence that it is the most well-established and generally accepted. But its substantive characteristics require special analysis. Therefore, here we will limit the analysis of the existing classifications and move on to another, independent and very important problem - the problem of interaction and combination of interests.

In the most general approach to this issue, it can be noted that in existing studies, two approaches to the problem of interaction of interests are seen.

The first one considers the hierarchy and dynamics of various interests within the framework of their belonging to one subject, which makes it possible to "determine their specific orientation ... and more specifically distinguish the reasons for certain actions" .

The second approach - we would call it sociological - considers the hierarchy and interaction of interests belonging to different subjects: "In many questions ... it is not enough to know whose interest, and what it is." The tasks of realizing interests arise ... "speaking of the practical, actual interaction of interests, special attention should be paid to just those that turn out to be specifically interrelated interests of the participating parties" . Without knowledge of the content of various interests and possible ways of their interaction, it is impossible either to understand the essence of social processes or to build a purposeful and effective social practice.

Despite the many approaches to determining interest, the opinions of researchers converge when highlighting its parameters and characteristics. They note that, first of all, it is characterized by a positively colored and selective appeal of the student to different aspects of the teaching. In other words, it is found in an emotional tone, in attention to the object of interest. In addition, interest is manifested in the desire to learn as much as possible, in the desire for an independent search for a new one, concentration of attention, that is, it has a pronounced volitional component. And, finally, interest is characterized by manifestations of mental activity, such as students' questions, active participation without requirements and instructions, addition and correction of answers, the desire to clarify the incomprehensible. Thus, interest is an “alloy”, a unity of intellectual, emotional, volitional manifestations of a personality, the core of which is thought processes. In addition, the main properties of interest are determined - objectivity and awareness.

Interest is a complex and heterogeneous concept. And this is confirmed by many of its interpretations and definitions. It is assumed that interests arise in connection with the needs of the relationship of a person with the world around him. Interest is a conscious, objective need, expressed in a certain focus on activity.

Interest is a need deployed outward, into social reality, which is realized by the subject in the form of a motive. Therefore, from the point of view of the subject of activity, it is procedural. It has levels. We distinguish two levels, each of which determines the form of orientation of the subject (in this context, the student) to the educational process. The problem is how to make a student, acting as an object of the educational process, the subject of this process.

There are two levels of interest:

1) the level of immediate interest;

2) the level of fundamental interest.

The difference between them can be identified, for example, in the aspect of temporal relations: the first proceeds from the value of a given moment in random circumstances of being imposed on the subject, in fact, representing his (being) adaptive moment; the second is focused on the future, which determines the present in the form of circumstances connected by the subject himself, which are in relation to the subject.

Knowing the conditions and patterns of organization of a particular type of activity, it is possible to establish the process of managing this activity through interest.

It is important to understand the fact that for the subject the situation should be subordinate (managed), where he can be active and conscious in setting and implementing goals, i.e. consciously determine the meaning of activity, act in the direction of realizing the fundamental interest.

If this condition is met, in the system "man - environment", the latter, being the circumstances created by the human subject, acts as a means for free self-expression of the individuality of the subject. The subject feels himself to be a person whose interest is presented as a process of realizing his needs in a subordinate environment.

Interesting -- the most important complex category , covering almost all cultural phenomena . Among the evaluative epithets used in our time to works of literature and art, science and philosophy, “interesting” is perhaps the most frequent and stable. If in previous eras such qualities of a work as truth and beauty, usefulness and instructiveness, social significance and progressiveness were valued, then in the 20th century, and especially towards its end, it is the assessment of a work as “interesting” that serves as an almost ritual introduction to all its further assessments. , including the critical one. If the work is not of interest, then its analysis is devoid of motivation. Even before we embark on an analysis of a work from any special point of view, we say that this work is of particular interest and thus prompts us to analyze. Moreover, the notion of "interesting" not only serves as an introduction to a discussion about a subject, but often acts as a conclusion and culmination of the discussion. “Despite the noted shortcomings, this article is interesting because ...” “The indicated merits of the work allow us to explain the interest that it aroused among readers.” "Interesting" is the original, intuitively comprehended quality of the work and at the same time the final synthesis of all its rational definitions.

A study of the conceptual provisions of many authors shows that interests may differ in accordance with the following indicators:

depending on the qualitative psychological characteristics - stable, unstable, effective, ineffective, direct, indirect, deep, superficial, weak, strong, passive, active;

the volume of interests, the number of objects (objects, phenomena, activities) indicating the versatility of personality development.

However, from the multitude of interests, the central interest that most captivates the individual, or the leading interests in certain types of his activity: labor, scientific, social and entertainment (leisure), or cognitive, should be singled out. From here, as it were, a special kind of interest emerges, requiring its own detailed study - cognitive interest. And before proceeding to its direct study, we consider it necessary to dwell in more detail on one more aspect of interest - its direction.

Cognitive interest is a cognitive form of focus on objects that encourages a person to various activities and activates it. Theoretical and methodological study of the problem of cognitive interest in learning from the standpoint of domestic and foreign teachers and psychologists makes it possible to clarify the essence, content and structure of cognitive interest.

M.V. Matyukhina correlates cognitive interest with the integral manifestation of the motivational sphere. A.N.Leontiev explores cognitive interest mainly in the field of activity. G.I. Shchukina compares cognitive interest with the most significant property of a person to know the world around him, its diversity, to reflect its essential aspects in the mind.

The author believes that cognitive interest in the most general definition can be called the selective orientation of a person to the knowledge of objects, phenomena, events of the surrounding world, activating mental processes, human activity, his cognitive abilities.

V.B. Bondarevskiy considers the source of the formation of cognitive interest: the content of the educational material that schoolchildren master, the diverse and comprehensive process of educational activity and communication between participants in the educational process. In accordance with this approach, cognitive interest is a process that constantly functions in the activity of a student and interacts with motives, stable ways of behavior, which "becomes more and more fixed, eventually becoming a stable trait of a person's character, his personality" .

S. Simonov, having considered the intellectual, emotional, volitional processes included in the psychological structure of interest, investigated its internal nature, expressed in the totality of intellectual, emotional and volitional processes.

G.I. Shchukina considers interest as a special quality, as an integral education that provides the spiritual wealth of the individual, helping her to select personally significant and valuable from the surrounding reality.

An analysis of the psychological and pedagogical literature on the problem under discussion made it possible to establish that the formation of cognitive interest should be considered from two positions: its external and internal manifestations. From the position of studying the internal manifestations of cognitive interest, A.N.Leontiev, A.K.Markova, G.I. in a relationship with him.

In the context of the study, it should be noted that cognitive interest, as a means of learning, is associated with the problem of entertainment, considered in a number of works on psychology and pedagogy. The following direction in the study of cognitive interest should be singled out. Cognitive interest is considered as a means of learning, a stimulus for learning, in the works of O.S. Vasilyeva, O.V. Prozorova, A.K. Markova.

Cognitive interest in accordance with the works of V.B. Bondarevsky, G.I. Shchukina is an external stimulus for these processes, a means of activating the cognitive activity of students and an effective tool for a teacher. Thanks to cognitive interest, the pedagogical process becomes attractive, causes involuntary attention of students to the tasks.

In this regard, it should be noted that the search for effective forms, methods and means of developing cognitive interest is associated with the development of personal qualities of students. An analysis of pedagogical works shows that scientists distinguish various pedagogical means. So, V.B. Bondarevsky, in order to form a deep interest in knowledge, considers such a form as a game, including the selection by the teacher of facts, interesting information, the preparation of creative tasks, the use of personal observations of students, their imagination, fantasies, reading popular science literature; training in the skills and abilities of working with various literature; organization of competitions, competitions.

Having reviewed the existing literature on the issue of interest, it became clear that there are concepts of "interest" and "interesting", which can, to one degree or another, determine the extent to which - stronger or weaker - to remember information, respectively, there are a large number of types of interests that determine the area in which a person will develop, for example, cognitive interest.

Many authors are inclined to believe that the main function that interests perform is cognitive, therefore, it can be concluded that in the process of teaching a student at a university, interest is one of the essential conditions that ensure the success of learning. In interaction with memory, interest shows its benefits in the learning process, affecting the amount of memorized information.

Every person has needs that he must constantly satisfy. They are the basis for the formation of interests. Therefore, in order to find out what a person's interests are, you need to understand how they are related to needs.

human needs

Every day, people are faced with the needs of their body, which they must constantly satisfy, as this supports their existence. The motives of a person's actions reflect his needs. They are divided into the following types:

Biological - the needs that provide life to our body (food, shelter, clothing, etc.).

Social - each person needs communication, recognition of his merits, social connections, etc.

Spiritual - a person must receive knowledge, develop, express his individuality through creativity, etc.

Of course, each of these needs is closely related to the others. The biological needs of man are gradually turning into social needs, which radically distinguishes him from animals. Although spiritual needs are very important, they are still secondary for most people. A person, satisfying them, strives to occupy a higher level in society, that is, to fulfill social needs. You also need to understand that not all needs are equally important and can be fully implemented. A person must reasonably realize his desires and needs, while not violating the established moral standards in society.

Features of interests

Interests are the process of purposeful knowledge by a person of a certain object from the area of ​​​​his needs. They have several features:

• The personality focuses on a small range of activities and knowledge (medicine, technology, history, music, etc.).
• The goals and methods of activity that are interesting for a person are more specific than in ordinary life.
• A person strives for greater knowledge and deepening in the area that interests him.
• The personality includes not only cognitive processes, as regards the area of ​​interest to him, but also creative efforts are made.

A person's interests always have an emotional connotation, which makes him continue to do this. He seeks to improve his knowledge and skills in the chosen direction, which leads to deepening in a specific area. Interests are not mere external amusement or curiosity. They necessarily contain knowledge, practical activities and emotional satisfaction received from classes in the area of ​​interest.

When learning, a person should be interested, because without this the effectiveness of this process will be very low. First of all, this applies to schoolchildren and students, because they are in a constant stream of information that needs to be mastered. Cognitive interest is a craving for knowledge, a focus on mastering them in different subject areas. Its primary manifestation may be curiosity. It is the child's reaction to something new, allowing him to orient himself and understand the nature of what is happening. The interest of schoolchildren appears only when they begin to consider this area or subject as important for themselves and others. Being carried away by it, the child tries to study in more depth each phenomenon associated with a certain area. If this does not happen, then the interest can quickly pass and the acquisition of knowledge will be superficial.

material interest

Everyone strives for comfort, for a good life. Material interests are the motives of an individual's actions aimed at satisfying any deficiency in his life and avoiding unpleasant emotions. Thanks to these aspirations, technical and material progress arose. After all, it is they who convey the desire for more comfortable housing, for the invention of devices, mechanisms and machines that make life easier. All of them increase the comfort and safety of a person. In order to realize this special interest, a person can go in two ways. The first is to become the creator of something new, giving the desired object. The second is to earn money and buy what is required. The process of receiving money for many turns into their material interest, and the activity component is excluded.

spiritual interest

In addition to the material sphere, a person is attracted by the spiritual, since it is more focused on his personality. Spiritual interests are the focus of an individual on activating his potential, enriching experience and developing inclinations. He strives to get vivid emotional experiences. A person tries to improve himself, to be more virtuoso in a certain area, to show his talent. In such an aspiration, a person learns the world around him and develops himself as an individual. Thus, there is a feeling of fullness of life. It is for everyone. For some, it is general knowledge about different areas of knowledge, while for others it is a deep study of one favorite area.

Direct and indirect interest

In relation to one or another object, interest can be direct or indirect. When a person has a direct interest, he is absorbed in the very process of activity. For example, a student tries to learn something new because he likes to learn. If the interest is indirect, then the person is attracted by the results of the work already done. For example, a student studies not because he is attracted to it, but because he wants to get a diploma and find a good job. But these two kinds of interest can move from one to the other.

Passive and active interests

When a person has an interest, he can act to realize it, or he can satisfy it without much effort. On this basis, two types of interest are distinguished:

1) Active - a person is trying to get the object of his interest, while making efforts and actively acting. The consequence is that his personality improves, he acquires new knowledge and skills, character is formed, abilities develop.

2) Passive - a person does not need to make an effort, he simply contemplates the object of interest and enjoys it, for example, listening to music, watching opera or ballet, visiting galleries. But at the same time, a person does not need to show any activity, engage in creativity and perceive the objects of interest to him more deeply.

Benefit and motivation

Performing any activity, a person seeks the benefit from it for himself. Self-interest consists in satisfying his needs, for example, to eat, earn more money, improve his social status, etc. When a person understands that he needs to receive a higher reward, he begins to perform the work entrusted to him much better. Profit is a powerful stimulus for activity. But there are things that are more important for a person. These are his values. If he loses what he cherishes most, then no self-interest will force him to act in this way. To motivate a person, you need to offer her more favorable conditions.

Economic interest

The motive that induces a person to economic activity is called economic interest. It reflects the economic needs of man. For example, an employee, in order to sell his labor power more expensively, needs to show how skilled he is. At this point, he is trying to satisfy his financial needs. Moreover, the more he earns, the higher his self-esteem and social status will be. Competing with other employees, he achieves great results, which positively affects both himself and the entire enterprise as a whole. Therefore, economic interests and needs cannot exist without each other.

Personality and its interests

Great interest always brings a person a sense of satisfaction. Therefore, he strives to develop more and more in this area. The interests of the individual are of great importance for his characterization. They can be strong and deep, completely capturing a person who will do everything necessary to achieve the desired results, overcoming all difficulties. Superficial and weak interests induce only a curious contemplation of the achievements of other people. A person can focus on one thing, or can switch to different activities. He is also able to limit himself to only one specific area or be interested in many branches of knowledge at the same time.

Thus, the interests of an individual can change throughout her life. Self-knowledge helps a person decide what interests him more and what he would like to try his hand at. In doing what fascinates him, the individual can get great pleasure when he reaches the heights of his interest.

Weighted assessment of own interests, goals and opportunities is one of the keys to choosing a program and university, admission, successful study and career. But sometimes it happens that a person knows better what he is exactly doesn't want do, but it is difficult to determine your wishes. There are people who are equally easy to give all subjects, but none of them is of particular interest. It happens that a person knows exactly what he would like to do, but to devote his life to this type of activity seems impossible or impractical to him. And yet, without defining your wishes and opportunities for their implementation, you can hardly count on the fact that the right decision will come by itself.

Armed with paper and a pen, in a calm atmosphere, we propose to conduct a small internal audit and draw up an inventory of the life baggage at your disposal.

Your interests

To begin with, consider questions related to your interests - the answers to them become the starting point for the selection of your program and university, if you turn to the services of our counseling specialists:

• Do you like the chosen specialty and type of activity? Why?
• Do you have doubts about the chosen specialty? If so, which ones?
• Are you getting the most out of your existing experience and knowledge?
• Do you feel there are serious gaps in your own knowledge or experience?
• Do you feel the presence of obstacles formed by your inner beliefs: your ceiling, distrust of your abilities and results, etc.?
• What skills would you like to acquire or develop?
• Would you like to do something else, even if it seems impossible now? What exactly?
• What subjects were best given to you during your studies?
• Do you have any hobbies, serious hobbies? What would you be willing to do without even getting paid for it?

In answering some questions, use the Complete List of Subjects Taught in the UK as food for thought.

Your goals and priorities

• In which country would you like to live and work?
• Which career is closer to you: corporate, scientific, academic, own business or creativity?
• What are the characteristics of your ideal job (from the length of the working day to its emotional characteristics)?
• What are your ideas about sufficient income?
• What are your ideas about the desired social status?
• What are your ideas about the prestige of the work and the measure of its evaluation?

Don't hesitate to ask career counselors for help and take the time to complete career guidance tests. By registering on our website, you can learn more about the most useful and high-quality of them. This is not only a great opportunity to get a third-party assessment of your successes, achievements, intellectual and emotional resources, but one of the ways to better understand yourself, identify goals and internal obstacles to their implementation. Career guidance is a very common service in the UK and is offered in one way or another by almost all universities in the form of the Skills Portal on the Internet and consultations at the university's Career Services.

Your opportunities

In the next step, consider your options:

• natural abilities and inclinations;
• academic achievements: when applying for postgraduate programs, a face-to-face interview with foreign students is usually not carried out, therefore, in addition to confirmed qualifications, a diploma and grades, it is necessary to provide the results of research work, publications and recommendations;
• language options;
• professional achievements: for example, previous management experience is required for an MBA, and a portfolio is required for a number of creative specialties;
• transferable skills - skills acquired in the process of any activity throughout life (work, study, language learning, negotiation, research, sports, music, drawing, any hobby) that can be applied in other areas. They make a person more flexible, facilitate adaptation to new conditions, help to respond to new challenges, develop a non-standard view of problems. They are an important component of the creative and personal potential that a person has acquired throughout his life.

In the course of your audit, do not limit yourself to the proposed questions. The more criteria for evaluation will be selected, the wider the result will be a look at yourself and your biography. This will help you discover and find use for those personal opportunities that you might not have even thought about before.

If law itself is a socio-regulatory system, then it regulates, first of all and mainly, human behavior, how he acts, how he should act. That is why the theory of law traditionally addresses, first of all, the characterization of behavior, developing criteria that would make it possible to evaluate specific behavior. After all, it is behavior that is the result, the result of the realization of the right, and only these assessments can answer the question - whether the behavior complies with legal requirements or, on the contrary, deviates from these requirements, whether it is lawful or illegal ... Thus, the legal interest in behavior is also one of the important directions in the knowledge of law as an integral social institution. At the same time, the theory of law singles out and formulates only that which organically connects behavior with legal influence, with the regulatory nature of law.

In this case, the problem of behavioral motives turns out to be in the first place: whether legal requirements are involved in the formation of these motives, or whether their nature knows other, perhaps deeper layers, causes. Of course, this field of knowledge is not only the theory of law. Here it thoroughly intersects with other sciences, and above all with psychology. The theory of law in this area largely uses modern developments of psychology, especially social psychology.

The modern scientific level of knowledge consistently connects the motives of behavior with interests, defining the latter as objective or subjective needs of the life of subjects of law. There are personal, public, state, national and other interests.

For individuals, interest always forms certain personal attitudes, predispositions, clichés, value orientations, goals, ways to achieve them, and other conscious and emotional aspects of behavior that are especially important to know and take into account in law enforcement.

These attitudes can form various stereotypes of personality behavior. For example, pragmatic ones, when all the behavior of the subject of law is evaluated, “passed through” through the prism of profitability or harmfulness “for oneself”. One of the psychological forms of such behavior is egoism and its extreme manifestations in the form of egocentrism. At the same time, selfishness can form the motives of entrepreneurship, efficiency, careerism (and not only careerism), which in general does not deserve a negative assessment.

In turn, other attitudes can form motives that determine behavior that is useful for the “neighbor”, for society, the so-called altruistic motives. Altruism, like egoism, has different levels and forms of manifestation and is also ultimately determined by conscious or "feeling" interests. One of the ancient altruistic forms is the setting for self-sacrifice to help those who need it in the name of social ideals and goals.

(A.B. Vengerov)

Explanation.

The correct answer must contain the following elements:

1) determination of interests: objective or subjective needs of the life of subjects of law;

(The definition can be given in other formulations that are close in meaning.)

2) types and examples of interests:

Personal (for example, a citizen wants to buy a summer house and is looking for a suitable option)

Public (for example, families with young children seek the construction of a playground in the yard of their house);

State (for example, increasing the combat capability of the armed forces of the state);

National (for example, the preservation of the national language and culture).

Other examples of interests can be given

Instruction

For a while, exclude from the usual sources of information. You must hear yourself, and for this you need to drown out extraneous voices. Do not use social networks, mail, do not read the usual books and newspapers, do not watch TV shows. If possible, temporarily do not communicate with previous acquaintances. Your mind will become free from outside interference.

Pick up a dictionary, and then open it to the first page that comes across. Read the word you have noticed. Think about how what you read can help you. Sometimes deviant thinking helps to find non-standard.

Many people hate theirs. As a rule, this is the result of a choice made under the pressure of circumstances or environment. In order to make a really right choice, a person should be guided only by his preferences and desires. The work can be hard, painstaking, and time consuming, but it will be almost invisible if it is loved.

Instruction

Be in constant search

Don't be afraid of change. Even if you entered the institute and realized that this specialty does not suit you, go to another one. It is better to lose a year or even several years than to finish your studies and become a specialist in a field that you do not like. If you work for a company and realize that this is not at all what you were looking for, leave your job and look for another one. Keep looking for so long until you find a job that you like. Only by trying, making mistakes, facing a job you don’t like, you can understand what really suits you.

However, in your search, you should not make too hasty decisions. Always remember: any work requires the expenditure of effort, labor, time, and the acquisition of knowledge. To begin with, you need to invest a lot in it in order to decide whether you get a return or not, whether you like this activity or it is better to look for something else. There is a small rule to decide: if after 3 months in a new place you experience disgust and discomfort from work, you need to change this activity. Some employees give a new job six months or even a year and then leave, but usually the three-month rule doesn't let the employee down.