The “I need motivation to study” problem affects students all over the world. The problem with a lack of motivation is that it leads to procrastination and procrastination leads to poor results which then results in drop outs. Student’s all over the world associate their poor performance with their abilities – you will often hear them stating: “I’m just not cut out for this whole studying thing.” This article will clarify the perception that you don’t need to be an Albert Einstein to become a successful college student. All you need are the guidelines highlighted below.
Find the root cause to your “I need motivation to study” attitude
As with any problem you are trying to rectify; the first step is finding the root cause. You don’t want to find yourself fixing the symptoms of a problem; instead of delving deeper into the underlying reasons for you feeling a specific way. For e.g. dig deeper into the root cause of why you need motivation to study in the first place. If you are doing what you love i.e. your true purpose – you should inherently feel motivated to succeed. Therefore always choose what you love to do – put being intrinsically motivated above external rewards. You may find that something as simple as changing what your course of study is enough to fix your motivation problem. To help you find your true path; read:
How to decide what to study in college – choose wisely>>
Use creative visualization for achieving your true purpose>>
Mission statement vs Purpose: How are they related?>>
Beat procrastination
You may find that even after finding your true calling, you still find yourself wanting motivation. The reason for this is because college courses or subjects in school are often generalized and cover a broad range of topics. You may find yourself excelling and enjoying some modules while hating others. In this case; the lack of motivation can lead to procrastination. There are a variety of ways to avoid procrastination in college as written about previously – however the most important method is to get started. Mel Robbins calls it the 5 second rule. Essentially it simply means forcing your conscious mind to get started before your subconscious mind starts talking you out of it.
You may also find that by just telling yourself that you are going to work on something for 5 minutes – this will take away the extra burden of getting started. Then once you get into study mode and gain an understanding of the material; you will have encouragement to go further. It may also help to go for the quick wins – start easing into the stuff you are familiar with. This will encourage you to keep going. Going straight into the difficult stuff may possibly put you in a state of burnout and re-enforce procrastination because now your mind will keep associating the task with something that you hate doing.
Remind yourself of your reasons
Alot of the time, people lack motivation to study because they haven’t established their reason for studying. Sure you like biology but what can you do with this skill to help serve others. A career that is linked to something bigger than you is often reason enough to keep pushing to achieve your goals. For e.g. if you are studying medicine – remind yourself that you are doing it to serve others. This deeper purpose will ignite a fire in you whenever you feel like giving up. The most successful people are driven by some moment that made them want to pursue a certain path in life. Have you found your reason for changing the world?
Use Delayed gratification
When our bodies are loaded with dopamine we tend to get lazy. The overload of dopamine in our bodies makes it difficult to do the so called boring stuff; e.g. reading books because it is much more gratifying to binge watch your favorite television show. This means that you need to be able to regulate your dopamine levels by practicing a dopamine fast. Stop all high dopamine activities like playing with your phone or watching TV – and replace it with quiet time, learning or reading a book. Once your levels are regulated – it will become much more easier to do tasks that previously seemed to difficult to get started. Delayed gratification exercises is another way you could reward yourself for a good study session; e.g. for every two chapters you successfully complete – you could reward yourself with a 10 minute break.
Yes! A study life balance for students does exist. Don’t overwork yourself to the point of burnout. If you feel that you have done enough studying to warrant a longer break – don’t be afraid to spoil yourself. It’s all about balancing your studying requirements with the ability to live a more fuller college experience
Use Group studying
To add excitement to the process of studying; you could engage in study groups. If you are the type that dreads studying in a cubicle; then a good study group could be exactly what you need to get the motivation you need to study. Just be careful not to make it too much of a social gathering instead of a time for studying. Study groups can also be a great way to leverage the strengths of the different individuals in the group. Also read the following post to identify the best learning style that works for you:
The best studying techniques for college students>>
Study tips for visual learners – Great tips to harness your potential>>
To learn how to fully achieve success in all facets of your life; read: Applying A Growth Mindset To Achieve Success
