With the school year ending it is only natural to lose some motivation. Our minds are focused on summer. We are thinking about things like concerts, hanging out with friends, and relaxing on the beach rather than the essays and exams we still have to do. At the start of every semester we college students tell ourselves things like, "I am going to do better than last semester" or "I am going to study more this semester." It is possible but as the semester goes on we lose our drive. Suddenly doing poorly on one exam is not the end of the world and it isn't. The problem comes in when that one exam leads to two more exams and those two exams lead to three and so on. There are plenty of ways to stay motivated and here is a few...
1. Music
Music is one of the best motivators out there. We use it more than we think we do whether it is for exercising, studying or just walking to class. It keeps us going and helps us stay focused. Sometimes a little background noise is all we need to clear our heads and focus on what is in front of us.
2. To-Do List
This one is not for everyone. Sometimes making a to-do list is more stressful. For others, seeing everything they have to accomplish and checking them off one by one is helpful. It shows them progress and how far they have come and still have to go. Plus, there really is no greater feeling than checking off the last item on your list!
3. Getting Ready
Don't get me wrong...athletic wear is great. I love my leggings, sports bras, colorful Nike shoes but sometimes they can lead to being lazier rather than more productive. Getting ready can be helpful when you need some motivation. I'm not saying you have to get all dolled up and wear your favorite dress and wedges but swapping out the running shorts for jeans shorts and putting on some mascara can make you feel a whole lot better. You've started your day and now you're off to accomplish the rest. No more getting back in bed after class!
4. Create a Morning Routine
Get up. Exercise. Grab your morning coffee. Tackle some homework. Go to class. Have fun the rest of the day. You do not have to get up at the crack of dawn to start your day but get into a rhythm and soon it will become like nature. Before you know it, if you miss a part of your daily morning routine you just might miss it.
5. Go to the Library/Study Room
Have a lot of studying to do? Utilize the study rooms that your campus provides. If your roommate has friends over you may find it hard to concentrate on whatever it is your doing. It is pretty much guaranteed to be quiet and there will be limited distractions. My sisters advice when I first got to college: find your spot in the library and go there whenever possible. We all get a lot of advice before we go off to college and this advice was actually useful.
6. Create Small Goals
Sometimes tackling a big project is just too intimidating. Maybe that ten-page essay seems like too much. Instead of looking at it like ten-page paper look at is ten one-page papers or even divide it up into paragraphs. It is the little accomplishments that can make us feel good and can keep us going.
7. Reward Yourself
This can be as simple as telling yourself you can't go out until whatever it is you're working on is done. Maybe it is grabbing frozen yogurt with your friends after you finish your homework. Find whatever it is you love and reward yourself after your work is done.
8. Get Help from Friends
Your friends are always cheering you on. Tell them you need help or some extra motivation. If they really care they will help you reach your goal.
9. Create a Vision Board
This is another one that may not be for everyone. If you are creative then maybe something that is visual can help you see the goals you are working on. It may be more common to see these when it comes to fitness goals, but who says you can't use them for academics too.
10. Delete/Hide Distracting Apps
Every time I open up my laptop I see the Netflix app just staring at me. It can be really hard to focus on school work when you are thinking about what happens in that next episode of Grey's Anatomy. Maybe don't delete the Netflix app but you can "hide" it so it is not tempting you.
11. Turn Off Notifications
The thing that truly ruins studying for us all.. our phones. Maybe your GroupMe is blowing up or your mother will not stop texting you and it is taking your concentration away from your homework. Maybe you just want to casually scroll through Facebook or Twitter because that is better than working on the essay you have to write. Put your phone away and get rid of the distractions.
We all have different methods for getting our work done but sometimes you have to try something new. By making a little change we can stay focused on the task at hand.
