It can be difficult to stay motivated in college. Studying can be stressful, confusing, difficult, or just not interesting. Of course, if you lose motivation and procrastinate, things can get even harder and more stressful. Even when you finally do sit down to study, you may have difficulty staying focused and making your best effort. But give yourself credit: if you’re reading this paragraph, you’re probably motivated to make a change. That’s good – change happens one step at a time, and you’re taking the first step already. Read on to think about your next steps.
STUDY YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS MENU
Mindsets
Mindsets — beliefs about yourself and your world — impact the choices you make. As a student, it helps to cultivate a Growth Mindset, a belief that learning will always happen when you make and effort and have the right support. It also helps to avoid having a Fixed Mindset –believing that your learning abilities can’t change, no matter the effort. While Growth Mindset beliefs reflect the truth about how people learn, students often struggle with fixed mindset beliefs. Challenging them is a key to motivating yourself.
Follow the links below to learn more about how to cultivate a growth mindset about your work.
Building Motivation
Are you struggling to feel motivated? A key to building motivation is to stop thinking you have to change all at once. Instead take small steps at first, and celebrate each one as a succcess. Feeling successful releases dopamine — a hormone that reinforces good feeling in your brain and creates a desire to repeat the behavior that got it. Repeat the cycle a few times, and the desire will grow.
Follow the links below to learn more about motivation strategies that might make sense for you to try.
Avoiding Procrastination
All students procrastinate at least a little. For many, it can become a major problem. Procrastination happens for many reasons, so it helps to first think about how and why you procrastinate. It could be a result of poor planning — you forget things that weren’t written down, or you planned but didn’t leave enough time to do a good job. Sometimes, procrastination is caused by anxiety — like over things that feel confusing, overwhelming, or risky. You may also procrastinate if the reward for doing well doesn’t feel worth the effort. Regardless of the reason, remember: procrastination is something that you can learn to control. Considering why you do it will help you focus on how to address it.
Follow the links below to learn more about strategies to minimize procrastination.
Focus and Distraction
Have you ever sat down to study, but couldn’t focus on the work for more than a few minutes? You try to refocus, only to find yourself on another website, or checking messages within minutes. Like procrastination, staying focused is a very common problem. People, sounds, or notifications may pull your attention away. Reading things that are difficult or confusing can cause your mind to wander. So can anxiety, tiredness, or executive function challenges like ADHD. Minimizing distraction is possible, however, with some planning and practice. Consider what your sources of distraction may be, and follow some of these strategies.
Follow the links below to learn more about how to focus and avoid distractions when you are trying to study.