How to Get Motivated Again to Study

You want to graduate, but you have no motivation to go to classes (even when they're online!), read textbooks, study for exams, write papers, or even attend group work sessions. How do you stay motivated to finish college – especially when the end is so close? These motivation tips are for students who really do want to finish school but just can't find the energy. I was inspired to write this by a college student who is trying to apply for grad school.

"Applying to graduate school has been very frustrating and confusing and at times I have even decided to quit this application all together," says Maria on Should You Go to Grad School for a Master's Degree?. "Sometimes I can barely stay motivated to finish my undergrad college classes! Would you have any words of wisdom from your experience going through this process? How do I find motivation to finish school and apply for another round of studies??"

My first tip is to stop trying to motivate yourself and start implementing simple habits and rituals. Keep it simple and straightforward. Seeking motivation is a waste of time and energy. Instead, create a routine and put your head down. Do it.

"Habits and rituals can be powerful tools that help us squeeze the most from the day and close the gap, but only if we consciously create them," writes Robert Pagliariani in The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth & Purpose. "When we Habitualize, we dump our negative and mediocre habits and replace them with positive habits and rituals that enrich our lives and bring us closer to our goals."

How to Find the Motivation You Need to Finish College

Need Motivation to Finish College?

In How to Decide if You Should Drop Out of College I describe how much I wanted to quit my Master of Social Work degree and be a full-time freelance writer and blogger. I finished school, though, and am so glad I found the motivation I needed to graduate.

That was five years ago; now I see that the reason I stayed motivated was because I kept looking toward the future. I practically lived in the future, in a world where I had my Master of Social Work degree. That vision was enough to hold my motivation all the way until I graduated from university.

Focusing on the future isn't a big motivational factor for me today, but it may help you stay motivated to finish college. So, I'm including a future-oriented focus in this list of tips. Here's another future-oriented way to look at it: my husband had a hard time in both high school and university, but he pushed himself. He graduated with a geology degree from the University of Alberta – and now he makes well over $100,000 a year as a geologist in Vancouver. Part of his motivation was focusing on his future career goals, which is the basis of my first tip for staying motivated to go to college or university.

1. Focus on the reasons you want your degree

Why are you in school? Maybe you can't get the job you want without a college degree, or you have academic goals that you've always wanted to achieve. Maybe you want to earn a few hundred thousand dollars a year, and you know the best way to do that is to get an MBA, law degree, or medical degree. Or, maybe you want to heal the sick or defend the vulnerable – so you need to go to college or university.

I stayed motivated to finish my degree because I wanted to counsel people with chronic illnesses. I have Psychology and Education degrees from the University of Alberta, but I really want to learn how to be a counselor. And, I want to work in hospitals or clinics, so I decided a Master of Social Work (MSW) would be ideal.

Why do you want your college degree? Use your hopes, dreams and plans for the future be the motivation you need to keep going to classes, studying, and completing the coursework you need to graduate.

Need encouragement?

2. Know that this, too, shall pass

College is hard. Life is hard. Careers, relationships, families, success – it's all hard! The sooner you get used to the idea that the best things are supposed to be hard, the easier it'll be to find the motivation you need to finish college.

You're going through a hard time right now, but this too shall pass. Part of the reason I was motivated to finish my MSW was my time in Africa. I lived in Kenya for three years, and thought my time there would never end. I was scared of everything: people, the future, getting sick, getting mugged, getting killed, getting too old to get married.

Now, I wish I could go back and do it all over again! It was one of the most exciting times of my life – probably the most exciting time. I was scared, confused, and an emotional wreck for most of the three years…but I was also more alive than ever before, because I was challenged to live beyond my comfort zone. The more things I do that require motivation, the easier it is to remember that this, too, shall pass.

3. Remember that the greatest efforts bring the greatest rewards

Whether you're applying to grad school or just trying to stay motivated to go to class today, remember that good things take time and effort. I truly believe there are numerous and meaningful rewards of being a college or university student, interacting with peers, learning how to counsel people (or whatever you want to specialize in), and even writing a thesis.

Plus, the experiences you have and the connections you make are priceless! The people you meet in college or university will change your life, and can even become lifelong friends. To stay motivated to go to school, remember that you are changing your life in important ways.

If you're distracted by financial stress, read 10 Highest Paying Jobs for College Students.

4. Get help when you need it (choosing classes, studying, applying to college, etc)

I'm currently working as a Mentoring Coordinator with Big Brothers in Vancouver – I'm filling a maternity leave until the end of August. One of the Big Brothers I recently matched with a Little Brother has his MBA (Master's of Business Administration). He said it was really hard. He found his undergrad degree easy, but his MBA was challenging. He said writing and defending his thesis was easier than he expected, but it was a lot of work to complete an MBA.

That Big Brother has no regrets, though, and said he's really glad he graduated from grad school. He now works with BC Hydro, and gets 3 weeks of vacation every year, plus 18 flex days a year. Not to mention his salary! (I don't know how much he makes, but I know MBAs make lots of money – so if you're motivated by money, you may want to consider going to university for your MBA).

5. Create simple habits

Today, if I needed to motivate myself to finish college (which includes attending online and in-person classes, studying for exams, reading textbook chapters, writing essays, preparing lab reports, finding internships or practicums, applying to graduate, etc), I wouldn't waste time or energy trying to find motivation. I wouldn't think about the future because I know how uncertain and unpredictable the future is!

Instead, I'd create simple habits and rituals that help me do what needs to be done. For example, I have created the habit of getting up at 4 am and spending time in God's presence every day. Another ritual is playing my flute from 6 to 6:30 am, then to work on my blogs from 7 to 11 am. Another habit is to make cilantro salsa on Sundays.

My habits and rituals free my time and energy. My habits and rituals decrease mental and emotional clutter to do what really matters.

What systems can you build into your life that help you do what needs to be done? Start there. If you don't know how to create habits that will get the studying done, learn by reading Atomic Habits or talking to one of your college advisors.

"All big things come from small beginnings," writes James Clear in Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. "The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time."

If you have a solid schedule and good habits but are too anxious to focus, read Too Stressed to Study? 7 Better Ways to Prepare for Exams.

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Source: https://www.theadventurouswriter.com/blog/how-to-stay-motivated-to-go-to-college-university-school/

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