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.
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Mindsets
Mindsets are beliefs that can impact your confidence and your willingness to challenge yourself. If you have a Growth Mindset, you believe that learning and improvement happen when you make an effort and use the right methods. By contrast, having a Fixed Mindset means that you believe that your abilities can’t change, no matter the effort. A belief like “I can’t do math,” reflects a Fixed Mindset. A belief like, “I can’t solve this problem yet, but I’ll learn if I try, reflects a growth mindset.” While Growth Mindset beliefs reflect the truth about how people learn, students often find themselves struggling with fixed mindset beliefs. Challenging your fixed mindset beliefs when you notice them is a major key to motivating yourself.
Follow the links below to learn more about how to cultivate a growth mindset about your work.
Building Motivation
Not feeling motivated to study? Start by thinking about why you don’t feel motivated. Is the work you are avoiding unclear, or confusing? Do you feel it’s too difficult, or hard to relate to? Maybe you’re not sure why you are studying something. It could be that you’re tired, or feeling stressed by something, or not feeling confident that you can succeed. The truth is, lots of things can challenge a person’s motivation. Thinking about your challenges can help you figure out what steps to take to get on track. Once you’ve thought a bit about what may be going on for you, start to think about what you can do to build motivation, step by step.
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.