College is a great and rewarding time, but there's also no doubt about how much of a struggle it can be. To make matters worse, you want to be productive and get your work done, but sometimes it feels like your body just refuses to comply. What is the most frustrating is when you remember times of your life when this issue did not affect you at all.
Though all stages of schooling consist of its own ups and downs, I would call my elementary school, middle school, and my early high school years my peak performance times when it came to getting my homework done at a reasonable hour. I distinctly remember making my way home from school and setting a timer for a half hour on the oven clock. For that amount of time, I was free to do whatever I pleased to rest before I did homework.
As I got older and became more involved in extracurriculars, I would find ways to work on things here and there throughout the school day before I even made it home; in some cases, I would be able to come home and not have anything else I needed to do for the night, so why can't I do this now?
Don't get me wrong, I always turn in my assignments on time. My only problem is that I tend to do them last minute as a result of this lack of motivation. I think the best way to explain this feeling is that you may be wide awake, but the thought of moving your body to sit up and actually focus on your work is exhausting. Then, when I only get a few hours of sleep as a result of staying up late to finish said homework, I wonder why the process continues when it's time to sit down and get things done again.
I'm not asking for pity here and I'm not blind to the fact that my actions are often a direct result of some college struggles. All I want to do here is spill the metaphorical tea on myself and let others know they're not alone.
In trying to overcome this bad habit, I've found not working on my bed, working in a public setting like the library or the student union, and keeping my phone out of reach are some of the best ways to help focus on the task at hand.
If you find yourself relating to this article, I also highly recommend being open and talking things through with others. A lack of motivation can sometimes be part of an underlying problem, so make sure you stay on top of it and get help if you need it. Finally, just remember that you can do anything you set your mind to and all the sleepless nights will be worth it when you have your degree in hand.