If you find it difficult to find the motivation to study, welcome to the group! Almost every student stumbles into this issue. It is well known that good study habits depend on motivation. If you are driven because of your full-on motivation, then it will be simple for you to maintain your focus. But when you lack motivation, it will be tough for you to start a task in the first place.
The hardest part of starting something is usually getting started when you’re feeling unmotivated. Here are some strategies that you can do to keep yourself motivated to study and achieve the best result in your exam.
Table of Contents
Find a way to start
Though it seems so hard and tiring, do not run away. Find inside yourself to start and be focused to study. You can start with the first step: declutter your desk. Having a tidy and comfortable place is the first step to achieving an effective study process.
Avoid procrastinating
Try to become conscious of your procrastination habit and gently prod yourself to return to work as soon as possible. Schoolwork procrastination is a complicated issue with a wide range of potential causes. Here are some of the most common reasons why you procrastinate.
- You are convinced that your homework is beyond your abilities
- Thinking that you have more time and currently looking for the “perfect” time to start
- The task becomes so overwhelming and you don’t know where to start
The first step to becoming motivated is to realize why you procrastinate and do something to avoid it.
Visualize yourself successfully finish the task
If you’re having problems with a certain assignment, picture yourself effectively finishing it. The visualization uses the “theater of the mind” to simulate completing difficult tasks in the mind. If you visualize yourself doing it repeatedly, It will cause the brain’s neural pathways to be established, thus helping to make the task that you have to do simpler to carry out in reality. Therefore, take a few minutes each day to picture yourself finishing all of your study-related chores, especially if you find them intimidating.
Break the material down
If you have an enormous task at hand, you might feel like you don’t know where to start –thus becoming the major contributor to procrastination. To avoid this, you must “chunk down” what you need to do or study, and divide each task into manageable halves. Set a daily goal for how many portions you will complete, and the daunting process has been broken down into a number of doable steps. An example of a chunk would be reading two pages of your textbook, answering five multiple-choice questions, or researching four online sources for your report.
Schedule your tasks
Rather than “Can I finish all the tasks?”, focus on “How much can I accomplish in the next two hours?”. By doing this you won’t be overwhelmed by the amount of studying you must complete on each day.
Reward yourself
Give yourself a brief period of rest after finishing one or two pieces. It could be five minutes playing your mobile game, a quick stroll in the garden, or five minutes of guitar playing. A crucial component of the “chunking down” strategy is rewarding yourself with brief yet delightful breaks.
Set your intentions
Being very clear about why you want to obtain good grades in the first place is one of the finest methods to get motivated to study. Make a list of your motivations for excelling in school, such as:
- I want to advance my education and grow as a person.
- I want to enroll in a reputable program or school
- I want to have a fulfilling career
- I want to be able to support my parents and family in the future.
Put this list on your desk, and read the list when you’re lacking motivation.
Exercise your brain
You need to reprogram your brain to get motivated to study. Consider your brain as a muscle. Even when you’re not studying, keep your mind active. You can accomplish this through reading, reflecting on difficult global topics, solving crossword puzzles, or journaling. Your brain will become more resilient and robust as you increase the diversity of methods you train.
Similar to physical exercise, rest and recovery are important components of brain training. Therefore, be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night (students are even advised to have 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night). Another crucial component of brain training is nutrition. Certain fatty acids are necessary for the brain to function at its best. These fatty acids can be obtained by eating salmon, avocados, and almonds.
Focus on the process, not the result
It might be challenging to see the results of your labor when you are studying, especially in the beginning. You should therefore put more emphasis on the procedure than the outcome.
Did you finish most of the things you had planned to do today? Congratulations to you.
Did you generally keep to your study schedule today?
Keep in mind that you are attempting to create a new habit, the outcomes will come as long as the technique is done correctly.
Get rid of distractions
Make a list of all the typical interruptions you have when studying. Do your utmost to get rid of each and every one of them. For example, you could:
- Turn off your Internet
- Put your phone on flight mode
- Use earplugs
Having a proper schedule, as well as learning how to use your brain properly, are crucial to staying motivated to study. Follow the advice above whenever you are lacking in motivation to study.
