Motivation to Study, Tips and Tricks
Motivation is one’s general willingness to do something; it is the set of psychological forces that compel one to take action. It gives the reason for one’s actions, desires, and needs. Motivation can also be defined as one’s direction to behaviour or what causes a person to want to repeat a behaviour and vice versa. A motive is what prompts the person to act in a certain way, or at least develop an inclination for specific behaviour. Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It’s a crucial element in setting and attaining goals. One can influence one’s own levels of motivation to study and self-control. One has to figure out what one wants, power through the pain period, and start being one wants to be.
Here your objective is to study and your actions should be such that they create an environment that motivates towards that objective that motive you have to work in stages as under:
Prepare Your Study Space
1. Find a quiet space where you won’t be distracted—This could be a library, a cafe, a room in your house, or anywhere else that is free from excessive noise and interruptions. Avoid places where you’re likely to run into your friends.
2. Stock up on study supplies—Make sure you have all the pens, pencils, paper, highlighters, and Post-Its you need. You don’t want to interrupt your study time to get more.
3. Keep a small stash of water and snacks by your side—People are more productive when they’re hydrated and taking steady sips of water will help stave off thirst. Small snacks like peanuts, granola bars or fruit will help keep you energized.
Remove Your Distractions
1. Wear comfortable clothing—Little things like having to pull up your trousers can eat away your concentration. Wear clothes that are familiar, fit loosely, and don’t constrict you.
2. Put your cell phone on silent—You do not want to be taking calls from friends and family members when you’re trying to study. Let them know in advance that you need time to study, if you think they’ll be concerned. Better yet, just place it on silent and keep it somewhere out of view so you won’t be tempted to keep taking a sneak peek.
3. If possible, turn off your computer—Unless you absolutely need it for studying, turn the computer off. Likewise, stay away from public computers. It’s a minefield of potential distractions
Set Study Goals
1. Set concrete goals for your study session—Think in specific, achievable goals instead of vague generalities. Instead of telling yourself, “I have to get good at math,” think of a specific goal such as, “I will learn how to graph a quadratic equation.” Achieving this goal will make you feel accomplished at the end of your study session.
2. Reward yourself when you complete your goal—Think of a small way to reward yourself when you’ve met your goal. If you’re in the middle of a study session, you can take a quick walk, eat something light, or listen to a favourite song. If you’ve finished your study session, then feel free to have some fun by playing games, talking to friends, or watching a video.
3. Think of what you will achieve by studying—In order to keep up a positive attitude, try to visualize the good things that will come to you by studying. Imagine getting a good score on a test, receiving praise from your teacher, or the good college you might be planning to attend. Although studying is sometimes boring and hard, thinking of the end result will keep you pushing ahead.
Prepare Yourself
1. Make a study schedule—Set aside a specific block of time for studying for each day that you need it rather than telling yourself vaguely, “I’ll have to study sometime this week.” Planning it out will make it easier to stick to your resolution.
2. Do not procrastinate—Don’t wait until the last minute to study for a big exam or read a 90-page chapter. If it is assigned Monday and due Friday, start on Monday and finish early in the week so you don’t have to worry about it at the last minute.
Get Started
Just get started! Sometimes that can be the hardest part. If your study schedule looks too daunting, set a smaller goal. Consider reading half of the chapter today and half tomorrow. Just do one or two problems from the workbook. Remember that it is always better to do a little now than end up doing nothing at all.