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Global Cognition

7 ways to improve your motivation to study (backed by science).

by Winston Sieck updated September 18, 2021

Just about everyone who has ever been in school knows what it feels like to sit in front of the computer, staring at a blank screen. Hoping their term paper would write itself.

Or tried reading a textbook only to find that they have read the same paragraph ten times and still don’t know what they read.

Or decided they would rather clean the clutter out from under their bed than study in the first place.

Bottom line, studying can be kind of a drag. When you have a hundred other things you would rather do and an overwhelming amount of work to do, it is hard to get started and even harder to finish.

Fortunately, there are some simple, scientifically proven ways you can find your motivation and keep it.

What is Motivation to Study?

Motivation comes from a Latin word that literally means “to move.” But what causes someone to be motivated to study has been a hot topic in the world of science.

Researchers believe that your motivation to study can either come from inside you or outside of you. You can be motivated by an internal drive to learn as much possible. Or, you might be motivated to study by an external reward like a good grade, or a great job, or someone promising you a car.

Recently, researchers have discovered that your motivation to study is rooted in lots of factors, many of which we have control over. Rory Lazowski of James Madison University and Chris Hulleman of the University of Virginia analyzed more than 70 studies into what motivates students in schools. They published their paper , “Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review, in the journal Review of Educational Research .

Lazowski and Hulleman found that a number of ways to improve motivation consistently yield positive results. Here, I describe seven of the techniques that you can most readily use on your own to power through your own study barriers, and move your learning forward.

1. Set Clear Goals

You may think to yourself, “My goal is to graduate and get a good job and be rich.” While that’s a fine ambition, by itself it probably won’t help you in school day-to-day.

In order to improve your motivation to study, your goals have to be a little closer to home. In fact, setting clear academic goals has been scientifically linked to higher grade point averages than students who set vague goals, like, “I’ll just do the best I can.”

Set a goal to earn an “A” on a particular test in a particular subject. Or, decide to learn everything you can about a concept because it will help you in the real world. Set a deadline for homework that will force you to finish a task before it is due so you can review it before handing it in. Whatever the goal is, be sure it is specific, relevant, and timely.

2. Don’t Just Shoot For Performance, Go For Mastery

There is nothing more frustrating than studying hard for a test only to get a grade that is less than what you were expecting. At that point, lots of students throw their hands in the air and say, “If this is what happens when I study, why study?”

Resist that urge.

The grades you receive on a test are examples of performance goals. If you set a goal to get an “A”, and stop there, you may only study the things that you think will be on the test, but not necessarily the things that will give you mastery of the concept.

Students who consistently strive for mastery , really learning what they are studying, almost always see their grades improve as a result.

Mastery goals also help with your motivation to study. If you want to learn everything there is to know, you are less likely to put off starting that process.

3. Take Responsibility for Your Learning

It’s tempting to blame your grades on other people. The teacher doesn’t like you. They never taught what you were tested on. Your homework assignment doesn’t apply. When you blame others for your performance, you are more likely to do poorly on tests, assignments and projects.

Taking responsibility for your own learning can make a world of difference when it comes to getting yourself motivated to study. Recognizing that you are in charge of what you learn can help you start studying, but it can also keep you going when other distractions threaten to take your attention away.

Next time you are tempted to stop in the middle of an assignment and do something else, pause. Take a breath. Then, say out loud, “No one is going to learn this for me.” You might be surprised at how hearing those words affect your focus.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Some people still believe that you’re either born smart (or not). And there’s not much you can do about it. However, research has shown that successful people tend to believe that intelligence is something you build up over your life. These folks have a growth mindset.

When your intelligence is challenged by hard assignments or difficult concepts, people with a growth mindset tend to think, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

Researchers found that believing your brain can get stronger when you tackle hard things not only improves your mastery of what you are learning, it also improves your grades and increases your motivation to study.

The next time you are faced by a blank screen or hard textbook chapter remember, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

5. Find the Relevance

If you ever want to annoy your math teacher, tell them algebra has no relevance in the real world. Alternatively, try to figure out how what you are studying relates to your life. Studies have shown that high school students who were asked to write down how their subject matter related to their everyday life saw a significant jump in their GPA.

Before you start studying, try jotting down a few ways this information will come in handy in the future. Making this connection will help you see value in what you are doing and get you started on an assignment or topic.

Sometimes, the connection between what you are learning and how it applies to your life is not easy to see. Try searching the web for applications of your topic to help you see the real-life relevance of what you are learning.

6. Imagine Your Future Self

Imagine what your life will be like in 10 years. Are you successful? Do you have a great career that you love? Are you living in the best city in the world?

Now, imagine how you are going to get there.

Some people automatically connect the school work they are doing now with getting into a good college or training program that will lead to their desired future. Other students have difficulty making that connection.

Having the ability to imagine your future self is a skill that has been shown to improve motivation to study. It has also been linked to higher grades, lower cases of truancy and fewer discipline problems in school.

Next time you are faced with a particularly daunting assignment, close your eyes and picture what you want your life to be like. Then, recognize that in order to have the life you want, you have to do the assignment in front of you.

7. Reaffirm Your Personal Values

What do you value most? What are the two or three most important qualities you can possibly develop? Do you strive to be honest in everything you do? Do you value kindness? Is success the most important value in your life?

Taking a few minutes now and again to reaffirm your values by writing in a journal or meditating about them can help you focus your efforts in other areas of your life.

If you value family over everything, your ability to take care of your family will motivate you to study and do well in school. If you value honesty, you will never feel inclined to cheat on a test, but will work hard to study.

Ultimately, finding the motivation to study is less about going on a treasure hunt and more about changing the way you think about learning. Even implementing a few of these seven tips can help you stay focused and keep going.

Image Credit: PublicDomainPictures

Lazowski, R. A., & Hulleman, C. S. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational research , 86(2), 602-640. DOI: 10.3102/0034654315617832

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About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

October 2, 2018 at 4:59 pm

Thanks for sharing this post. I plan to share it with my students this week. We’re implementing some growth mindset and mindfulness practices this year. This will be a good reinforcement of some of those ideas and will provide some new insight as well. I think it will be well-received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how open they’ve been to these ideas so far. Thanks again.

October 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm

That’s great, Tony. Excellent to hear the success you’re having with these ideas in your class. Thanks for stopping by..

October 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Thanks for posting this . I felt it after reading it and I think that if I prepare it today tomarow will be good . From this I’ll stay motivated .

October 2, 2018 at 6:54 pm

Thank greatly for this post. I’m studying at college at 45yrs ,sometimes want to give up studying but you came along with this great post. Great assurance and encouragement for young and old students alike.

Will have to share with my students as well,

kind regards,

clotilda Claudia Harry Solomon islands.

October 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

Yep, we all need a little motivation boost at any age. Way to keep learning, Clotilda.

November 16, 2018 at 12:08 am

Thanks for providing a resource for our children to grow in knowledge. Seems that no matter what the age, we all struggle with these issues.

November 17, 2018 at 4:39 pm

No doubt, Michael! Managing motivation is a life-long skill we can teach our kids. Good to see you here – thanks for stopping by..

October 6, 2020 at 4:23 am

Thank you so much for motivating, the point you are mentioned such as set goal and go for mastery, be responsibility for learning, etc. all these points are really very helpful and they are very useful for study thank you so much for sharing

February 3, 2021 at 5:18 am

Thank you! Without following all of these steps, it’s hard to have any significant academic success, I think. It helps me not to lose motivation with step-by-step planning: I divide the global goal into several small short-term goals and achieving even minimal results makes me happy and motivates me to try harder. Of course, there are also bad periods, when I feel exhausted and overwhelmed. But a little rest allows me to get back on track.

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Motivation Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on motivation.

Everyone suggests other than the person lack motivation, or directly suggests the person remain motivated. But, no one ever tells what is the motivation of how one can stay motivated. Motivation means to face the obstacle and find an inspiration that helps you to go through tough times. In addition, it helps you to move further in life.

Meaning of Motivation

Motivation is something that cannot be understood with words but with practice. It means to be moved by something so strongly that it becomes an inspiration for you. Furthermore, it is a discipline that helps you to achieve your life goals and also helps to be successful in life .

Besides, it the most common practice that everyone does whether it is your boss in office or a school teacher or a university professor everyone motivates others in a way or other.

Role of Motivation

It is a strong tool that helps to get ahead in life. For being motivated we need a driving tool or goal that keeps us motivated and moves forward. Also, it helps in being progressive both physically and mentally.

Moreover, your goal does not be to big and long term they can be small and empowering. Furthermore, you need the right mindset to be motivated.

Besides, you need to push your self towards your goal no one other than you can push your limit. Also, you should be willing to leave your comfort zone because your true potential is going to revel when you leave your comfort zone.

Types of Motivation

Although there are various types of motivation according to me there are generally two types of motivation that are self- motivation and motivation by others.

Self-motivation- It refers to the power of someone to stay motivated without the influence of other situations and people. Furthermore, self-motivated people always find a way to reason and strength to complete a task. Also, they do not need other people to encourage them to perform a challenging task.

Motivation by others- This motivation requires help from others as the person is not able to maintain a self-motivated state. In this, a person requires encouragement from others. Also, he needs to listen to motivational speeches, a strong goal and most importantly and inspiration.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Motivation

Motivation is very important for the overall development of the personality and mind of the people. It also puts a person in action and in a competitive state. Furthermore, it improves efficiency and desire to achieve the goal. It leads to stability and improvement in work.

Above all, it satisfies a person’s needs and to achieve his/her goal. It helps the person to fight his negative attitude. The person also tries to come out of his/her comfort zone so that she/ he can achieve the goal.

To conclude, motivation is one of the key elements that help a person to be successful. A motivated person tries to push his limits and always tries to improve his performance day by day. Also, the person always gives her/his best no matter what the task is. Besides, the person always tries to remain progressive and dedicated to her/his goals.

FAQs about Motivation Essay

Q.1 Define what is motivation fit. A.1 This refers to a psychological phenomenon in which a person assumes or expects something from the job or life but gets different results other than his expectations. In a profession, it is a primary criterion for determining if the person will stay or leave the job.

Q.2 List some best motivators. A.2 some of the best motivators are:

• Inspiration
• Fear of failure
• Power of Rejection
• Don’t pity your self
• Be assertive
• Stay among positive and motivated people
• Be calm and visionary

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• How to Study When You’ve Lost Motivation: 8 Sharp Tips to Get Back on Track

We asked a former Oxford Royale student ( Oxford Summer Courses alumni) about their approach to managing motivation:

In my opinion, two evils conspire to make revision-time miserable: the first is the stress of approaching exams, and the sense that there is an overwhelming amount of information to learn in an ever-dwindling period of time. Even spending time with friends, intended for relaxation, can just be a reminder of the exams you’ll be sitting together and the work you ought to be doing. The second is the boredom; the feeling of oppression that comes with the knowledge that the next week, or month, or six weeks, will be consumed entirely with the business of studying.

Of course, there will be days when revision is actually quite enjoyable – when you feel like you’re achieving a lot every day, piecing the different parts of your subjects together, and finally understanding things that have eluded you for months. But equally, the majority of us have just as many bad days, when we’re studying a particularly difficult topic, progress is slow or we just can’t focus. And on those days, the classic study tips seem totally redundant: personally, being ‘helpfully’ advised to make flash-cards or take regular breaks while struggling to understand the very first thing about differentiation has in the past made me feel positively murderous.

So, here are some quirky study tips, new ideas to boost your concentration and motivation as a last resort, when everything seems impossible and you’re dangerously close to just giving up and watching old episodes of Breaking Bad all afternoon. Of course, they won’t all work for you, but trying new things never hurts, especially when everything seems lost.

Remember, sometimes it can be helpful to have some group of peers to study with. I was fortunate enough to develop my group while at a UK summer school rather than studying everything on your own.

Concentrating and remembering

An old teacher of mine swore by a very particular (and in my opinion, totally mad) study habit. She said that if you read something through three times, then at the end of the third time, you would know all of the information it contains perfectly. For her, it worked – she could sit quietly reading a chapter of a textbook, and then after the third time through, answer pretty much any question about it. For me, this is the worst possible way to revise. My concentration span is that of a particularly dim goldfish. I can sit for hours, re-reading the same piece of text up to five, six, or seven times, without ever once taking in what it says. Sure, my eyes will be drifting over the words, but my mind will be elsewhere entirely – thinking about what I’m going to have for lunch, what happened on last night’s Made in Chelsea, what I’m going to revise next, or even how terrified I am about the exam. And even if I do manage to remember the general gist of the passage, by the next day any specific details have totally disappeared. If I’m going to have any chance of taking something in and remembering it for longer than ten minutes, I have to make learning an active process. Here are some ideas to do this:

Set yourself questions

In subjects like History, English, Religious Studies, Psychology, or Biology, where you’ve got to read and learn long swathes of text, make learning active by turning information into questions. Break a text down into chunks of one page, or roughly 500 words each, and for each part, write out five questions that you would ask if you were an examiner testing students on that part. Next, write out the answers. Take your time over this process – your questions should be careful and well thought-out, isolating the most important elements of a topic. You could even put your questions on flash cards, and use them to revise from in the future.

Teach each other

In groups of two, three, or four, break a subject (or some of a subject) down into parts, each go off and learn a part thoroughly, and then come back together and teach each other what you’ve learned. The ‘teacher’ could prepare a slide-show and a handout, explain how to answer past paper questions, and ask the other members of the group to work through some questions together. This method of revision works brilliantly for a few reasons: first, it’s active, forcing you to confront problems rather than skipping over them, and transform information into a form someone else will understand; second, it’s fun, and social, giving you a break from the solitary confines of your spot in the library. It can be adjusted to suit pretty much any subject: in Economics or History, you could each take an essay question, prepare a model answer and discuss it with the group; in a literature exam, you could provide readings and summaries of books or poems; in Maths or a science, teach a whole topic.

Ditch the books altogether

Some students do exceedingly well in exams without ever making revision notes or even reading through their books – instead, revision for them is a process of going through every past paper in existence, and answering all the questions there. Next, get hold of a mark scheme, read through the exemplary answers contained there, and work out how you’ve scored and where you’ve gone wrong. I used to use this method in subjects like Maths and Chemistry. My first efforts were always a total disaster, with scores in the forties and fifties – but I found it astonishing how many questions were repeated in slightly altered form from paper to paper, and how much I improved each time. What’s more, each time I would read through the answers on the mark scheme, I was learning information in the same way as I would from a text book, building confidence and becoming familiar with the particular demands of the paper – but it was easier to concentrate than if I’d used notes, because I was always comparing the answers there to my own efforts. What’s more, in my experience, if you puzzle over something and get it wrong, you’re likely to remember how to do it properly. Of course, with this system of revision it’s crucial to be alert to changes in the syllabus, and there is always a risk of missing out something important – but it’s a great way of livening up revision and can always be combined with other methods to make it more thorough. N.B. When practising, remember to keep to the amount of time you’ll have in an exam.

Try something new

There are radio shows and podcasts on basically everything these days. I revised for my Shakespeare exam at university by listening to a really useful podcast on iTunes – and a quick search confirms there are hundreds more geared towards IB, A-level, and GCSE exams. Don’t feel confined to those specifically for your course, though – you can learn new and interesting information that might boost your grade and give your exam an edge simply by searching for a topic you’re interested in. Downloading and listening to these will give you a fresh perspective, or a new way of understanding a topic – and in addition, is a more low-key method of revising – something you can do while you’re walking to school, sitting on the tube or relaxing in the evening.

Make something

I know a student who put everything she needed to know about Photosynthesis for IB Biology into a brilliant (but incredibly geeky) rap. And another student who made extravagant and actually quite beautiful posters, writing all the information she wanted to remember about World War Two on different parts of a map of Europe. If you’re especially creative, or learn well from seeing, speaking or doing, you can adapt this to suit how you learn – making acronyms, rhymes or posters – or even acting things out to remember them better.

Staying focused and motivated

Try working at a totally new time.

This is one for really desperate times, not to be used all year round: as you will see when you read on, if overused its natural conclusion is a descent into madness. When I’m having an essay crisis, or an exam is looming and I don’t feel prepared, I totally change my routine, and wake up at 3.30am to work or revise. I have real problems focusing in the evening – I find working after 6pm miserable and oppressive, and know that I work very slowly and inefficiently at that time. However, if I go to bed really early (say, 9pm), when I wake up in the small hours of the morning (and once I’ve had a very strong coffee) my brain is refreshed, and I can get loads done before the day has even properly started. What’s more, there are no possible distractions at that time of day – nothing to do, no one to meet for coffees, and Facebook slows to the merest of trickles. Plus, the feeling of intense smugness that being up and working while the rest of the world sleeps will only make you more productive. If you’re not a morning person, this one might not work for you – instead, try giving yourself a lie in, and then staying up a few hours later at night. And of course, make up the time you’ve missed in bed elsewhere.

Break it down

Now, many of you will undoubtedly be sick to death of being told to plan your revision. I personally don’t hold much love for study timetables: in my experience, they inevitably end up sitting over your desk, evilly mocking your ineptitude with each day that you get further and further behind the targets you set three weeks ago. On the other hand, though, without a sense of when everything will get learned, it’s easy to feel totally at sea with revision, with a creeping sense that you might not be learning things quickly or well enough, or that you may have missed something out. Unfortunately, then, they can be something of a necessary evil. However, one tip will make sure you keep pace with your timetable, and realise if you’ve set unrealistic goals, while also increasing your motivation and helping you stay in the library for that crucial extra few hours. Each day, break your revision down into chunks- say, at least ten. Once you’ve completed one chunk, give yourself a little reward: I have a friend who will buy a bag of Maltesers, and eat two after each chunk; another who watches one video on YouTube; a third who checks his Facebook for five minutes and a fourth who spends a few minutes punching a punch-bag! Make it a rule that before you leave the library at the end of the day, you’ve got to have completed the ten small tasks you have set yourself.

Plan daily exercise in groups

Annoyingly, for those of us who prefer an afternoon on the sofa with a movie to a walk or a game of tennis, it’s been proven a hundred times over: regular exercise boosts concentration. What’s more, whole days, weeks or even months spent in the library, working towards a single goal, with no distractions or social interaction are very bad for morale, efficiency and concentration. A great way to break revision up, see some human faces and get moving is to plan to do something active and fun once a day with friends. When I was revising for my IB, a group of us used to go swimming for an hour every day before dinner. This was a great social event (and a good chance to moan about all the work we were doing!), which gave us all something to plan our days around, and a chance to get outside and generally stay sane.

Have you got any unusual study tips that have helped you through desperate times?

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How to Motivate Yourself and Get in the Mood for Studying

Last Updated: June 5, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jai Flicker and by wikiHow staff writer, Annabelle Reyes . Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego. There are 22 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,613,836 times.

When you have mountains of homework and studying ahead, getting started can seem like an impossible task. We’ll teach you how to get into the right frame of mind before you start studying and shake yourself out of a motivation slump. Read on to learn how to stop procrastinating, focus even when you're tired, and get into the mood for a great study session!

Start with your easiest task to get the ball rolling.

• Once you’ve decided what order to complete your tasks in, try writing them down somewhere. You can use an academic planner , or just jot them down on a spare piece of paper or sticky note.
• Having this to-do list will lower the effort of making decisions, and you’ll find it easier to shift from one task to the next.

Try the Pomodoro Technique.

• Each 25-minute block is called a Pomodoro. These study sessions go by quickly, and as you complete each one, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, which can motivate you to keep going.
• You’ll also feel like you’re getting a fresh start with each new session, and research suggests that this can help you overcome a lack of motivation. [3] X Research source
• For maximum effectiveness, do something productive during the 5-minute breaks between each Pomodoro, rather than scrolling on your phone or zoning out. Instead, try taking a walk, stretching, or making a nutritious snack. [4] X Research source

Break down your work into smaller pieces.

• Instead of trying to read a whole book for English class at once, set small daily goals. For instance, you could plan to read 1-2 chapters per day until you finish the book. [6] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
• When prepping for a test or final exam , start by reviewing your lecture notes from just the first week of the semester. Then, for your next study session, focus on your notes from the second week, and so on. This will help you dive into each specific topic without getting too overwhelmed.

Schedule your study sessions for the times you’re most productive

• Think back to past study sessions to assess which factors help and hinder your progress.
• For example, you might realize that your morning study sessions are always the most productive, while your evening study sessions are less fruitful because you’re groggier.
• The more specific and intentional you can be about scheduling out your study tasks, the more success you’ll have with your studies and improve your time management .

Tidy up your workspace.

• Consider making your home study space warm and inviting, so you look forward to spending time there.
• Decorate the walls with photos of you and your friends, place a cheerful house plant on your desk, and choose a comfy chair to sit in.

Silence or shut off your cell phone.

Reward yourself when you complete a task.

• If you decide to reward yourself with a quick break from studying, remember that you will eventually have to get back to work.
• Set a reasonable time limit for your break, and don't listen to the voice in your head pleading for "just a few more minutes."

Take a break to move around.

• These activities will give you a burst of energy and boost your mood. Plus, they’ll help get your brain into a receptive state, which will make your studying more effective. [13] X Research source

Stay hydrated and keep a snack on hand.

• Although it’s important to eat energizing snacks, avoid studying right after a big meal; you’ll just feel drowsy and will want to relax.
• Try to avoid overly sugary snacks—these foods will give you a short energy rush that quickly turns into sleepiness.

Look up podcasts or videos on the topics you're studying.

• For example, if you’re having a hard time with your math homework, try searching for an explanatory video on YouTube. You’ll likely be able to find several videos that break down example problems step-by-step.
• Or, say that you’re writing an essay about a historical period, and you want to take a deep dive into the era. There are likely a ton of podcasts on the topics you’re interested in—check them out for some fascinating info!

Crank up your favorite study tunes.

• If you find songs with lyrics to be a bit too distracting, try listening to classical music, instrumental movie scores, piano covers of your favorite songs, or music ina. foreign language.
• You can also try playing nature sounds or ambient noise if music is too distracting in general. [17] X Research source
• This livestream shows an animated girl working on something at her desk, and it plays ambient music in the background.

Work with your friends or a tutor.

• In a study group, each person can volunteer to tackle a different sub-topic, and then you can all share your study materials with each other. This saves everyone time and promotes teamwork! [19] X Research source
• You can also reserve a study room, bring snacks, or gamify your studying to make the work more enjoyable.
• If you’re hoping to find a tutor, try asking around at school or consulting a private tutoring agency.

Create visual aids for a fun, efficient study tool.

• For example, rather than re-reading vocab words from your textbook, try making a handwritten, color-coded study sheet with the words and their definitions.
• Writing the information down in your own handwriting will help you retain the information better, and you’ll also have a great, visually appealing study sheet to review in the future.

Use classic study tricks to memorize facts.

• For example, you may be familiar with the acronym PEMDAS, or the expression “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.”
• These mnemonic devices represent the order of operations in math (parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add, and subtract). [23] X Research source
• If you’re having trouble coming up with your own mnemonic devices, try searching “how to remember [subject]” online for some inspiration.

Motivate yourself by making a personal connection to your work.

• If you’re hoping to attend college or earn a scholarship, think about how each small study session will get you one step closer to your dreams.

Try freewriting or journaling to identify why you procrastinate.

• Once you’ve gotten these stressors out of your system, take a deep breath and tell yourself it’s time to shift your frame of mind and get to work. You got this!

Be kind to yourself about your procrastination habits.

• Avoid comparing yourself to other classmates who seem to be doing well. Everyone learns and works differently, so focus on your own needs and capabilities!
• Instead of thinking, “I can’t believe I procrastinated so much. I’m the worst student ever,” try reframing this in a more positive way.
• For example, you could think: “I have a lot to do, but I’ll persevere until I finish it all. I’m doing the best I can, and I should be proud of that.”

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• Make an effort to take good notes during class and keep them in an organized notebook or binder. Use these to help you with homework, projects, and upcoming exams. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Sometimes it can be about changing your perspective—try framing your thoughts as you get to study, rather than you have to study. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or professor. Visit during their office hours or ask if you can set up a time to speak with them about the subject. Make sure you ask questions in class, too. If you ask questions, it will show that you’re motivated and want to do well in their class. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Sometimes, motivation can come after you've already started studying. If you don't feel like studying, just try doing it for five minutes, and check in with how you're feeling after that.
• Be sure to get a good night's sleep to help you retain the information you’ve studied. Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://graduate.rice.edu/news/six-strategies-staying-motivated-during-covid-19-pandemic
• ↑ https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/study-skills-tools-resources/pomodoro-technique
• ↑ https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901
• ↑ https://help.open.ac.uk/study-goals
• ↑ ​​ https://hbr.org/2020/08/your-to-do-list-is-in-fact-too-long
• ↑ Jai Flicker. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-case-for-finally-cleaning-your-desk
• ↑ https://www.edology.com/blog/study-and-careers-advice/effective-study-space/
• ↑ https://cps.unh.edu/blog/2018/10/self-care-tips-increase-your-student-bandwidth
• ↑ https://health.cornell.edu/about/news/study-breaks-stress-busters
• ↑ https://healthybrains.org/pillar-physical/
• ↑ https://share.upmc.com/2019/08/healthy-snacks-to-power-studying/
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/tips-studying-motivation.html
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21508527/
• ↑ https://www.vaughn.edu/blog/best-study-music-and-benefits/
• ↑ https://www.imc.edu.au/news-archive/8-benefits-of-studying-with-friends
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5256450/
• ↑ https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02522/full
• ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/chapter/memory-techniques/
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/lib/memory-and-mnemonic-devices#examples
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/psychology-rewarding-yourself-with-treats

About This Article

If you’re having trouble getting motivated to study, find a quiet place where you won’t be distracted, and turn your phone on silent or place it out of sight so you won’t be tempted to look at it. Set concrete goals for each study session, like learning how to solve a specific math problem or reading and comprehending a complete chapter in your textbook. Reward yourself with a snack or a break when you meet your goal. For tips on making a study schedule, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Motivate Yourself to Study: 25 Effective Strategies

Getting that studying motivation can be difficult. You start off on a high, but before long the reality of hard work sinks in.

In this ultimate guide, I show you how to motivate yourself to study by providing you with 25+ inspirational tips and strategies.

No time to waste, here’s my tips on how to get that inspiration every student needs to get motivated to study.

25 Ways to Motivate yourself to Study

1. watch this youtube video on self-discipline by will smith.

For the first 3 points, I want to get you started with some motivational videos to get you into the right headspace to build that study inspiration.

This motivational video gets you to look inwards and think about why it is you should be studying right now.

Here’s some themes Will Smith explores in this motivational video:

Self-Discipline

At the core of motivation is self-discipline.

Self-discipline is the ability to regulate your own behaviors.

It’s about convincing yourself to do things you don’t want to do because they have some longer-term value.

You need self-discipline as a student.

Self-discipline is the ability to do that studying now even if you don’t want to.

Because you’ve got aspirations to be a better you.

As will Smith argues:

“You cannot win the war against the world if you can’t win the war against your own mind.”

Self-Love is all about doing things to help yourself.

It’s about taking actions for your own good in the long run, sometimes at the sacrifice of the now.

Will Smith refers to students when he talks about Self-Love. He says:

“Self-Love is when you have a test on Monday. And I know you really want to go out with your friends but if you fail that test you’re not going to feel good about yourself. I love you too much to let you go out tonight.”

Will Smith argues that your long-term happiness is determined by your actions today. If you have the self-love and self-discipline to do the hard work now, you’ll be happier in the long run.

Self-Responsibility

Smith also talks about how you need to take responsibility for your own life.

He says it doesn’t help to think about why you’re in the situation you’re in.

If you’re poor, or having to re-do university to change careers, sure that sucks.

But your job is to take responsibility for the future because you can’t do anything about the past.

“Your heart, your life, your happiness, is your responsibility and your responsibility alone.”

You’ve got to do this. No one else can do it for you.

2. Watch this Motivational Speech about your University Degree

In this video, the speaker reminds you that you are the only one who has the power to make change.

It starts with a rough message: stop pitying yourself.

The speaker says tiredness, lack of money, or anything else are excuses. People who have succeeded have gone through the same hurdles.

The difference between success and failure is that people who succeed look inside themselves and find the strength to do the hard work.

The speaker says:

“It’s not going to come to you and fall in your lap. It’s always going to be difficult. If you want it, you’ve got to go get it.”

This video is all about digging deep. Put your head down and grind it out.

Success comes to those who earn it through hard work.

Right now, that hard work for you is to put your head down and study.

Don’t make any excuses for yourself. You can overcome the challenges. Dig deep.

3. Watch this Video about Growth Mindsets

I love the concept of the growth mindset .

What’s it all about?

It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about believing in your ability to learn.

“Failing is just another word for growing. And you keep growing. This is Learning.”

I like this video because it’s compassionate. It knows you are going to struggle and fail. And it’s message is simple: that’s okay.

Just believe in yourself and keep putting one step after another.

If you have the self-concept that you believe you can learn anything with hard work, you’re more likely dig deep and do the hard work needed to learn.

By contrast, if you’ve not got a growth mindset, you’ll blame other things. You’ll stop believing in yourself.

You need to grab hold of your growth mindset and tell yourself: “I can achieve this. I can overcome this struggle. I can ace this exam. I just need to work at it. I need to find ways to achieve it and I’ll get there in the end.”

4. Read this Book: UnF*ck Yourself

I’m suggesting you read Gary John Bishop’s UnF*ck Yourself because it’s a fast, simple read that’ll get you thinking about how to improve your own life.

It’s a simple exercise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: That is, it gets you to start sorting out your thinking.

Silence the self-defeating monologue.

It’s mean. It isn’t sympathetic. It tells you how the world is: stop thinking negative thoughts.

That negativity, those excuses, are going to bring you down.

You have struggles, and I’m sympathetic to them. But my sympathy isn’t going to solve them. And that’s what this book’s all about.

Fix the things within your power. Believe you’re capable and take the steps towards achieving what you’re capable of achieving.

The book’s by-line tells it the way it is:

“Get out of your head and into your life.”

Stop sitting around. Seriously. Just stop. If there’s more in yourself to put out there in the world, then do it.

Your life is your ultimate masterpiece. Put everything you have into it.

For you, right now, that’s studying. So get the heck off your ass and freaking study!

5. Print out Motivational Quotes and Place them around your Study Space.

The videos I provided at the start of this post are motivational. Their goal is to remind you to dig deep and try your hardest to work through the struggles you’re facing today.

But you can’t watch videos five or ten times a day. It’s just not practical.

Something that’s both motivational and practical is to select some quotes that you find inspiring.

Motivational quotes for studying might include:

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

Or how about this one:

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer

I recommend placing these quotes in visible places around your study space.

Some visible places to put your motivational quotes include:

• On your pin board;
• On your study desk;
• On your computer desktop screen

6. Remind yourself of your Long-Term Goals

You need to know where you’re going.

Do you know why you’re sitting at the computer right now, planning to study?

What was the reason you started down the path of getting this qualification you’re studying for?

It might have been:

• For a job you’re passionate about
• To get enough money to care for your family
• To prove something to yourself
• To gather enough knowledge to start a business in your topic

…Or, any other reason!

You need to dig these goals back up when you’re at a low point and lacking motivation to study.

Write them down all over again.

In the video above, the speaker talks about creating A Vision . He says he creates his vision and then he has it handy at his desk:

“I put [my goal] on one piece of paper, I put it on my desk and I review it twice a day.”

Having that long-term goal statement sitting there on your desk visible every single day keeps it close to your heart.

It reminds you that your actions are intentional.

There’s a reason behind your study session today. It’s just one of those steps towards that long-term goal.

7. Look on a Job Search Website for your Dream Job to Motivate You

If you want to envision that long-term goal even more, you might want to do some research into it.

Actually look at it!

Most students’ long-term goals is to break into a certain career.

So, why not go onto a job search website and look at that job you want?

What does it say on there to motivate you?

Take a look at:

• The salary. Does it inspire you? Hopefully it does!
• The list of minimum requirements for the position. What are they?

When you look at the minimum requirements, you’ll probably see your degree name there: “Must have an M.Sc …” It might even say “Experience required.”

That’s okay.

But if you can see that you’re on your way right now to being able to tick off that one key requirement for the job, it might give you some more motivation.

That action of looking at the specifications for the dream job might just remind you why you’re here, today, studying your heart out.

You’ll get there one day.

But today, you study.

8. Create a List of your Medium-Term Goals.

To get to your long-term goal (say, to get that dream job), you need to set yourself a list of stepping stones to get there.

Your stepping stones might be:

• Grow my GPA this Semester to 3.0
• Get a GPA of 3.3 next Semester

…Or, anything you think is achievable with a little hard work.

These medium-term goals appear achievable than the longer-term career goal.

These goals are on the horizon.

And the best thing about these goals is you can take actions today to achieve them.

Because in reality, there’s nothing you can do right now that will tangibly make that dream job land on your lap. It’s over the horizon. You’ve set your ship in the right direction, but you can’t apply for that job today.

So what can you do in the medium-term? What’s within your power? How can you set your ship in the right direction?

These medium-term goals are more achievable, so they’re more actionable.

But they’re still not enough. Once you’ve set that list of medium-term goals, let’s break them down even more .

You need to break down your list of goals so much that you have a goal today that you can achieve.

That’s why you need to write down one short-term goal for today that will be a step towards your medium-term goals.

9. Write down one Short-Term Goal for Today.

It’s hard to see how your study session today might lead to achieving your goal in the long-term future.

But every single action counts.

To prevent overwhelm, I acknowledge that what I’m doing today may only be a miniscule step towards my big life goal.

So, I break down all of my actions into small, actionable, bite-size chunks that I can achieve on a daily basis.

It feels impossible to achieve something massive. But you can achieve a whole lot of small things that build up to that one huge goal that you want to achieve.

So, what I recommend to my students who lack motivation is this:

Write down on a piece of paper one positive thing you want achieved by the end of the day.

It might be to finish taking notes on that one chapter you’re studying.

It might be to complete three practice quizzes to prepare for your test.

Sure, it doesn’t sound like much. But it gives you something to work towards today. It focuses your mind.

And 30 days of minor achievements will eventually lead to a medium-sized achievement. It might bump your GPA up just enough to get over a hurdle, improve your CV, and get you closer to that dream job.

So set yourself one actionable goal for today. Then go out there and do the grind to make today worthwhile.

Go Deeper: 101 Short-Term Goals for Students

10. Write a letter from your future self

Now that you know your goals, visualize yourself at that point when you’ve achieved them.

What will you look back at? What will you be proud of? What hurdles will you have overcome?

You can do a small exercise that’s personal, private, and that you can keep to yourself.

Take out a pen and paper and write a letter from your future self. Put yourself in the shoes of the future version of you who’s made it to the place you want to be.

Write down a letter looking back at the path to get there. What will your future self want to say to you?

Your future self might:

• Congratulate you on overcoming certain hurdles;
• Let you know how hard it is, but also that it feels worth it in the end;
• Tell you to forgive yourself for your failures;
• Tell you to have self-belief;
• Give you some tough love. ‘Future you’ might say: “Get off your backside and start studying!”

Have a think about what letter you think that future version of you will write, and have a go at writing that letter.

It might just motivate you to dig deep today.

11. Write a Letter to your Future Self

Now that you’ve completed your letter from your future self, come back to today.

What do you want to tell your future version of you? Maybe you’ll make them some promises. Let them know that what you’re doing today is for them.

You might talk about how much you want what you’re working towards. You might tell your future self to celebrate on your behalf. You could say:

“I can’t celebrate today. I’m denying myself some pleasures because I want a greater happiness for myself tomorrow. So, please celebrate your success with the family and enjoy the delayed gratification. I did this for you!”

Writing this letter is your chance to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s your chance to directly think about how your sacrifices will be for the good of yourself in the future.

This is an exercise in self-love and self-discipline. You’re telling yourself clearly why you need to be disciplined today.

12. Find a Goal Setting Study Partner

If possible, set those short-term goals (from Point 10) with a study partner.

There’s nothing more powerful than a study partner whose motivations and goals match your own.

Together, you can pull each other forward and apply accountability to one another.

The ideal goal setting study partner is another person studying the same course as you. Ideally, you’ll be in the same lectures and seminars as one another and aiming for the same grade as one another.

As a pair, you can work together and put your minds together to work towards your goals.

Here’s some ways to find a study partner:

• I’d start by inviting my personal friends to study with you on a regular basis.
• Add people in your course on your social media pages. This way, you’ll be able to message them on occasion and build relationships.
• Identify people in your class with similar mindsets and start to befriend them.
• Use your course’s Facebook pace (if it has one!) to put a call out for people to join your study group.

Here’s some ways to utilize your study partner:

• Agree to compare notes directly after lectures . Comparing notes allows you to see how other people have interpreted the information presented in class.
• Set up regular formal study sessions at your house, the library or a local café
• Offer to edit one another’s work.

Be aware that you need to find people who are on the same level as you – you don’t want people who are wanting to use you for information but not support you in return.

13. Create a To-Do List

Whether working with partners or alone, each study session should begin with a to-do list.

The to-do list should include points from Step 9, where I encouraged you to set super short-term micro goals. These are goals that are achievable in just one day.

Having a To-Do list gives you another level of accountability to yourself.

You’ve noted down exactly what you expect yourself to do for the day – and now you have to follow it through.

Make sure your daily to-do list is reasonable. The tasks need to be 100% achievable in one day, so long as you put the effort into it.

Next, sort the to-do list based on priority:

• What is the most important study task to complete today?
• What is the hardest task?

You should prioritize these two types of tasks. Finish the most important and hardest tasks first, when you’re most fresh.

There’s an app for that.

A great app for creating and managing to do lists is ToDoist .

The reason I love ToDoist is that I can link it up to my accountability app in Step 16, where I can wager money on whether I have achieved the goals I’ve set in my ToDoist app.

14. Use the Reddit Accountability Thread

Accountability is one of the greatest motivators.

I’ve just asked you to create a To-Do list (see point 13). This is a great step towards accountability to yourself. Now you have actionable goals and targets that should be achieved by the end of your study session.

Now you need to take that To-Do list and make yourself accountable to others.

Recently I came across a great idea on Reddit. It’s a daily accountability thread .

At the start of each day people post the things they need to get achieved for the day.

As they complete a task, they log back on and cross out each point on the accountability thread.

This does a few great things.

I’ve found accountability threads:

• Give you a sense of community. There are people there encouraging you each day and congratulating you on your small successes.
• Give you social accountability. You feel like you want to achieve these goals because there are people out there who will see if you fail.

15. Put some Skin in the Game

To take your study accountability to the next level, you need to put some skin in the game.

How do you do this?

Put some money on the line.

Get in touch with someone you trust. It could be that study partner you have, a spouse, a friend, or a parent.

Then, give them $100. No questions asked. And tell them:

“If I don’t achieve my goal for today, you can keep my $100.”

Suddenly, studying got a whole lot more serious.

If you don’t want to lose $100, you better get to the library, put your head down, and start studying!

Don’t have anyone who’s willing to mind your $100 for you?

Try out one of the accountability apps out there on the market that are happy to hold your money for you. Here’s a few of them:

StickK allows you to wager money that you only get back if you achieve your goals.

But the great catch is this: if you don’t achieve your goals, the money goes to an ‘anti-Charity’.

What’s an anti-Charity?

It’s a charity that you really, really don’t like.

So StickK gives you the option of donating money to a charity you hate like:

• A pro-Choice charity;
• A pro-Life charity;
• A pro-Gun control charity;
• A Gun rights charity;
• A political party whose views are opposite yours.

This gives an extra incentive to motivate yourself to study.

2. Beeminder

Beeminder is similar to StickK but you can link it up to ToDoist, a to-do list app. So, it checks whether you achieved your goals by looking across at your app and checking what you’ve ticked off the to-do list for the day.

16. Try to Beat your Previous Study Records

If you’re a competitive person, this is the strategy for you.

To make this study motivation strategy work, you need to keep clear track of how much or how long you studied for the hour, day or week.

Then, you need to set yourself the goal of beating your previous day’s study record.

For example:

• Between 10am and 11am you managed to study for 35 minutes, and spent 25 minutes procrastinating;
• Between 11am and 12 noon you should aim to study for 40 minutes and procrastinate for no more than 20 minutes.

This works on a daily and weekly basis as well.

17. Remove Technology Distractions

This point is crucial.

If you want to maintain motivation for the duration of your study sessions, you’ll need to cull all distractions.

If you’re anything like me, or just about any millennial, you’re addicted to technology.

Time to break the habit.

At least, it’s time to break the habit while you’re studying.

Here’s two ways to remove technological distractions.

1. Ditch your phone.

Store your phone in a room separate to your study space. Leave it in your bedroom while you’re in your study.

If you’re studying in a library, place your phone in your backpack and turn it onto Airplane mode.

The less accessible your phone, the better.

We have a tendency to reflexively turn to our phones and start scrolling through them when we’re bored. We don’t even know we’re doing it until it’s happening!

You need to take control over your self-discipline again. To start, it’s time to ditch your phone whenever you’re studying.

2. Use website blockers on your computer.

Next, download website blocker extensions into your web browser.

Website blockers allow you to select certain websites to be blocked from access for a dedicated amount of time.

You can input the amount of time you want to study into the apps and select the websites you want to block.

Brainstorm all websites you use to procrastinate and list them in your website blocker app. These include any websites you reflexively turn to when procrastinating. Also include any news websites or sites such as BuzzFeed that you regularly procrastinate on.

Here are some examples:

Lastly, you’re probably wondering what some good website blocker software might be.

Here are a few that you could try out:

• FocusMe . This app also includes a task scheduler and a break reminder to help increase productivity.
• StayFocusd . It’s for Chrome. This one is a nice, simple, clean extension for you to use. It allows you to block all websites or only ones on your block list for a dedicated amount of time.
• Freedom . For both PC and Mac. The cool thing about freedom is that you can link up your devices to block social media on your phone and computer simultaneously.
• OneFocus . A cool thing about OneFocus is that it allows you to set a level of strictness. This means you can set it so you can just set a friendly reminder when you try to access a site, or you can totally block it. It’s a bit on the expensive side at US$9.99.
• LeechBlock . I’ve added this one to the list because it’s a dedicated Firefox plugin. It has many of the same features as the others, although I like that you can set up to 6 ‘blocks’ of time in advance. Set password blocks on sites you reflexively use to make it that little bit harder to access them.

18. Make your Study Space a Dedicated Space.

One of the best ways to achieve self-discipline when studying is to get yourself ‘in the headspace’ when it’s time to study.

To get in the headspace, I recommend having a study area that you exclusively use for studying.

This will mean your don’t use your study space for anything else. Not for reading, sleeping, eating or cooking.

If your study space is only used for study, you’ll tell yourself

“I’m here now to study. That’s what being in this room is for.”

In my current house, I, unfortunately, don’t have a dedicated study space. There isn’t room for it.

That’s why I use public spaces as study spaces. Here are my favorite dedicated study spaces:

• The café: There’s one café that I go to regularly to study. It’s literally my ‘study café’.
• The library: Libraries are purpose-built study spaces. Use them!

If you want to read more about how to find a good dedicated study space, read my post: 21+ best study spaces .

19. Prioritize University.

This is really at the heart of the issue.

If you don’t make the university a priority in your life, you’ll constantly slip into unmotivated slumps.

Your studies should be a part of your identity. For the next 2, 3 or 4 years you will be a ‘student’. This means you’ll be someone who takes learning seriously, puts this huge life project front and center in your life, and makes time for it.

In fact, you shouldn’t just ‘make time for’ studies.

Studies should be a central part of your day. You should put it before other hobbies. You need to be in the headspace that says:

“Studying is an important part of my life and who I am.”

Why? Well, because you’re a person who wants to achieve your goals. This is your priority. Make it a priority and keep in there.

20. Use Rewards and Treats to Motivate yourself.

Rewards are powerful motivators. They train you to delay gratification in order to get something important done.

Delayed gratification is at the heart of the motivation formula.

Start simple with this one.

If you’re literally struggling so hard that you can’t make it through one page of reading without getting distracted, then start with a reward per page.

But, your reward needs to be proportionate.

For example, if you’re rewarding yourself per page, your reward might be something really small like a piece of candy once you’ve finished one page.

Then, build yourself up to one candy per 2 pages, then maybe a larger candy per chapter.

Something I like about the use of a reward system is that it gives you that first little kick-start to start studying, which could really snowball.

You might force yourself to do that first few minutes of study for a small reward. But then, your next 5 minutes will be that little bit easier.

Your rewards kick-start momentum.

21. Reward yourself with that Gift you’ve been wanting for Months.

Once you’ve got in place some short-term rewards, it’s time to think of a longer-term reward to work toward.

This is something you might only have the chance to reward yourself with once per semester. It’s something that you really want but have also been denying yourself.

Maybe it’s an expensive item that you’ve been eyeing off online but haven’t pressed the ‘buy’ button on yet.

It could be a watch, a new phone, or something for your car.

A larger reward needs to be attached to a meaningful medium-term goal.

Your medium-term goal might be the attainment of a certain grade or raising your overall GPA to a certain average.

The reward needs to be hard to obtain, though. It needs to be something that you will be genuinely proud of achieving. It needs to be a reward that you think it just a little too far out of reach, but that you’ll shoot for anyway.

It also needs to be something that you’re genuinely willing to deny yourself if you don’t reach the goal. If you just throw in the towel and buy the reward even if you don’t make it to the goal, then what’s the point?

And when you don’t achieve that goal, then set a new one. In fact, if you’re constantly meeting and exceeding the goals you’ve set for yourself, they’re probably too easy. So set a lofty goal, fail, and then set another one.

Keep on striving.

22. Get an Online Coach

Online coaches are personal trainers and motivators there to show you how to motivate yourself to study. They will keep you on track for achieving your goals on a medium- to long- term basis.

This blog post has hopefully handed you some motivation. But I can’t be there on a daily or weekly basis checking-in on you.

So reading this blog post just isn’t enough. You need to take another step to get on (and stay on) your path to long-term study motivation.

A cheap option for personalized, ongoing support is an online coach.

From $15 per week, you can get someone who can coach you and motivate you on how to gain and sustain good study habits .

I recommend the study coach website coach.me .

Your coach will provide chat and messaging support as well as daily check-ins to make sure you’re sticking to your goals.

The coaches also have a range of strategies to help you prioritize certain parts of your life and weed out all of those distractions that you need gone.

Take a look at coach.me’s list of coaches where you can browse for one that looks right for you.

Give it a go with their free trial before committing to a coach.

23. Make Routine your Friend

You need to wake up knowing exactly what your study goals will be for the day.

If you’re reading this post and you’ve picked up some good ideas that you want to put in place, this tip is the one that’s going to seal the deal for you.

Write down right now your to-do list for tomorrow .

From today onward, you need to have a to-do list written before you go to bed every night.

If you wake up and you need to brainstorm what you’re going to do for the day, you’ve already started the day on the wrong foot.

You need to wake up and know exactly the path that is laid out for you for the day.

Or else, you’ll have to dig deep in the morning and muster the motivation to start studying. You don’t want to be in that situation.

Studying from the beginning of the day needs to be a routine. It needs to be automatic.

To make organization and routine your friend, you need to have a plan laid out for the next day, before the day begins.

24. Make Momentum your Friend

Once you’ve gotten day one of your new study life complete, you need to make Day 2 equally as successful.

The risk you run is that your motivation will wane after the first day or two of a new study routine.

To turn study motivation (short-term inspiration) into study routine (long-term habit), you need to embrace and capitalize on the momentum you got in day 1.

The first week might be tough, but once you’ve gotten a study routine in place, you’ll start feeling more on top of your student life.

You’ll start achieving things like:

• Completing weekly readings and study tasks ahead of time;
• Doing additional extracurricular studies to get higher grades;
• Mentoring and motivating friends to follow you on the path to top grades

25. Come Back to this Post Regularly

If this post on how to motivate yourself to study got you a little more motivated and back on track, I’d encourage you to bookmark it.

Every now and then, come back and watch the videos from the first few points in this post.

Those videos will be your reminder and kick-start to ensure you keep up the momentum that you’ll need in order to be a long-term motivated, inspired and confident student.

Good luck getting motivated!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Forest Schools Philosophy & Curriculum, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori's 4 Planes of Development, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori vs Reggio Emilia vs Steiner-Waldorf vs Froebel

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Why I Study Psychology (10 Essays)

Why I Study Psychology  is a collection of short essays. Each student explains their motivation for choosing psychology.

Psychology students are often motivated by personal experiences and a wish for healthier, happier communities. The essays demonstrate the value from having a vision for your career – whether it’s detailed or “big picture” – before you start a psychology degree. Having a long-term goal in mind offers a reliable source of study motivation.

Why I Chose Psychology Essays

As part of a national essay competition, current and future psychology students were asked to explain their study motivation. Each student describes in 250 words or less (a) why I chose psychology as a major and (b) how I’m motivated to succeed at psychology studies. The best, most inspiring essays are published here.

1. Motivation

We all know that there will almost always be something to do that sounds much more appealing than our studies, so why do we study if there is something better? Motivation, that’s why. Everyone has their own motivating factor that keeps them in line with studying. Mine is pretty general and that is my future.

I have dreams of becoming a psychologist and helping people throughout my life. I also have a huge passion for American Sign Language. I plan to merge these two goals into one for my future career. I don’t want to be just any psychologist, I want to be a psychologist that is open to Deaf people and hearing people alike.  I want Deaf people to feel comfortable coming to me without the need of a third person interpreter who is usually a stranger . Many Deaf people feel uncomfortable visiting a psychologist because of the need for a third person. I plan to make a step towards breaking that barrier by being able to sign or speak with any patient who comes to me.

With all these huge goals I know that I have to be very on top of studies and make sure I continue to stay on track and do my best. All of these reasons put together make up my ideal future and therefore my motivation to study.

~ Hannah Reis, Palomar College

Related: Human Psychology: Study of Mind and Behavior

2. My Dream

We live in a world filled with hurt and suffering, and a place that is not equal for all. My dream is to leverage my unique set of skills, abilities, privileges, resources, and knowledge in a way that increases equality and privilege for all (not just people with white skin). I am pursuing a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology which combines psychology and business.

I feel most alive when I am volunteering with my family at The Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) which is a non-profit orphanage for children. I love working with the children there, and it hurts my heart when I see them being forced to leave once they are eighteen without any further aid or support. Consequently, after gaining work experience in applying psychology principles to the business world, I intend to establish a non-profit organization . This entity will support young adults from foster care or orphanages, providing them with essential skills and emotional support as they transition to adulthood. Once they have turned eighteen the government will no longer provide very much aid to them; I want to supply them with the additional skills and services that they need to make it in the real world, and give them the emotional support that they may not have.

One of the main services I want to provide them is taking them to do mission work because the best way to grow as a person and gain perspective is through service and travel. When college gets hard, I hold on tight to this dream because I know my studies will help me achieve this dream.

~ Alyssa Powers, The University of Akron

Related: Different Fields of Psychology Study

3. A Catalyst for Change

The incredible transformation I have experienced through the power of therapeutic relationships motivates me to immerse myself in my studies and move closer towards my goal of becoming a psychologist. Recognizing how the quality of my own life has been profoundly enhanced by self-reflection, the invaluable lesson of how to learn from suffering, and coming to a deeper understanding of who I am, encourages me to try and be a catalyst for this kind of change in other’s lives. I’m motivated to empower people to feel confident enough in who they are that they don’t feel the need to bring others down.

When life as a student feels exceptionally challenging, I remind myself of the impact that the work I wish to practice has on people’s lives and those around them. I strongly believe large scale change happens on the individual level first, and if we want to see a world where we value the earth and all the people living on it, we have to do the work with ourselves first.  I want to help people in their transformation towards becoming more unconditionally loving, tolerant, and compassionate people . I think when people are more comfortable with, and accepting of, who they are, they are consequently kinder and more loving towards those around them. Encouraging this kind of growth first on an individual level, and ultimately on a global level, motivates me to not only get through, but thrive within my program.

~ Hannah Freund, California Institute of Integral Studies

Related: What Does a Psychologist Do?

4. Reshaping Mental Health

People who are given psychiatric diagnoses experience some of the worst prejudice and discrimination. They are more likely to be the victims of violence, have a harder time securing jobs and housing, and constantly come face-to-face with the harmful stereotypes that state that these individuals are violent and unpredictable. As such, much research needs to be done to understand the cause of such distress, as well as to develop effective interventions and achieve healthy minds.

Our current mental health paradigm, which views distress as primarily biological and best treated medically, has unfortunately increased stigma and disability rates related to mental health. I was one of the fortunate few who was able to pursue a college degree despite being given a severe diagnosis and a hopeless prognosis. However, I know that much of my success has been due to luck and privilege, and  the opportunities that I have been afforded are an exception, not a rule. I am striving to change that.

It is my hope that, through increased research and advocacy, society can come to understand that extreme distress is often a message about something that is wrong in a person’s world, and as such, is profoundly meaningful and can be understood. Furthermore, by understanding the psychosocial origins of distress – trauma, poverty, inequality, etc. – we can refocus upstream and create policies that protect against these stressors in the first place.

~ name withheld, Mount Holyoke College

Related: Is Psychology a STEM Major? Science vs Social Science

5. C’s Get Degrees

It is said that “C’s get degrees”, but that isn’t enough for me. C’s show an average amount of work, an average amount of time, an average amount of effort. “Average” is not something that I want to be known as. I want to be known as the girl who kept moving forward, went above and beyond, and never looked back. My driving force is making my family proud and reaching my ultimate goal—becoming a school psychologist.

I am the very first in my family to attend college. Every time the topic of school or my future is mentioned, I can see on their faces that they are overwhelmed with pride. When I received my Associate’s degree, seeing my grandpa cry made me realize how special my academic journey is to them. They have given up so much and have supported me in every way, making them proud is the very least I could do in return.

Becoming a school psychologist has been my dream career since I was in middle school.  The thought of being able to connect and help a child grow both academically and socially is the greatest reward I could ever receive . Every time I am procrastinating typing a paper, not studying when I know I should have, or wanting to give up on a difficult problem, I think about my end goal. Making a difference to even just one child will make all of school worth it.

~ Haleigh Cordeiro, California Polytechnic State University

Related: How Long Does It Take to Get a Psychology Degree?

6. Find Your Unconscious

Psychologists have discovered reasons, stages, and correlations among our biopsychosocial make-up. Over the centuries, they have managed to explain why humans experience what occurs in everyday life. They provide answers when we have questions about ourselves; it is for this reason that I strive to major in psychology.

I believe that I can make people in my environment, as well as myself, healthier by providing some sense of clarity whenever life situations become foggy. My dream is to someday become a successful industrial-psychologist. Why not a clinical psychologist, you might ask? While working one-on-one with individuals who are struggling would definitely be rewarding, I believe I can have a greater impact by helping larger groups . This dream of mine to become an industrial-psychologist would allow me to make the environment of common day people the most comfortable and enjoyable one.

Through the study of psychology, I will be able to know what qualities are the most necessary to enrich the daily lives of people and ensure that I apply them to my work. What drives me? The fact that I have seen psychologists help my family make sense of one of the most difficult things that we have gone through. Psychologists helped my sister facing anorexia nervosa deal with her disorder and helped my family become a strong support system to aid my sister’s recuperation. I want to know that I can help other people, psychology will open the doors to this dream of mine.

~ Iridian, Cal State University of Long Beach

Related: Clinical Psychologist

7. My Dream

Over 22 million children in the United States do not live with their biological mother and father and reside with their grandparents. This means that 3 percent of children living in America face the same situation as me. My father and mother were teenagers when they had me, so raising a baby girl was a difficult task for them. Neither of my parents went to college either, so having me took a toll on their lives. For the both of them, college was an opportunity to better their education and be successful, but with me, that would have been harder for them. Living with my grandparents was the best option for me.

I am currently experiencing teenage life and I can understand why raising a child, when you are only a child yourself, is a daunting responsibility. I commend my parents for choosing to provide a better life for me, actively shielding me from adversity and their own struggles.  When I enter college, my goal is not just to pass my classes, it is to make something of myself . I know my parents would want that for me.

My dream is to work up to my doctorate and become a psychiatrist, fulfilling every opportunity and experience that comes my way. Psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung once said “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”, and through my hardship, I choose to overcome and prepare for my destiny.

~ Nina Grizzle

Related: How to Become a Psychologist

8. Art Therapy

My love for psychology began my junior year when I took the AP course. What was supposed to be a schedule-filling elective credit accidentally grew into a genuine fascination.  I found myself going above and beyond the curriculum purely out of curiosity . My interest in what we were discussing in class every day would often send me down long, thought-provoking paths that motivated me to hunt down explanations to the answers of questions I didn’t know I had. But once I had the answers, they seemed to be demanding further explanation, and I was always more than happy to oblige.

With my future education in this field, I aim to innovate art therapy techniques that directly aid individuals with mental disorders and cognitive declines. I feel that experimenting with the effects that art has on people’s brain chemistry will open up a new type of therapy that can be clinically prescribed. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 52.9 million adults in the United States suffer from mental illnesses. This new form of therapy could possibly improve the mental state of the millions of people impacted while inspiring the creation of art.

~ Taylor Himes, University of Texas San Antonio

Related: Psychology Symbol Ψ (Psi or Trident): Greek Text and Images

9. If You Put Your Mind To It

For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the world. I knew that the first step was to attend an accredited university, and that university happens to be Michigan State. I went into college with the dream of becoming a doctor, however, I had a change of heart.

At the beginning of my freshmen year, the unthinkable happened. My dad committed suicide. My world came crashing down. It was a complete shock. My dad always kept all his feelings masked. I never knew what he was going through, and everyday I regret not paying closer attention. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about him. If only I had known. I could’ve done something. That experience then motivated me to change my major to psychology.

I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and now I know exactly how to achieve that dream. I aim to support those enduring what my dad went through.  I want to be there for them, to help them overcome their inner demons. I want to let them know that their lives are worth living.  Losing a family member to suicide is one of the most detrimental events that anyone can ever endure, and if I can one day prevent someone from experiencing that, then I would have accomplished my goal; I will make a difference.

~ Kayla Harper, Michigan State University

Related: Is Psychology a Hard Major?

10. Motivated by God to Help Others

I’ve heard from so many different people how difficult college can be. Late nights, big tests, difficult and early classes, that doesn’t even sound like fun. The only thing that keeps me moving towards college is the idea of being able to help other people when I graduate.

In December of 2016 I travelled halfway around the world to the Philippines. While I was there I met 15 wonderful children with horrible backgrounds. The love these children missed out on for so many years is heartbreaking. My future goal is to study Psychology and Religion at Liberty University.

The dream that keeps me motivated to go back to school is the chance to help many , not just children, but anyone who needs a listening ear and a voice to discuss their problems. People need more people to care and who want to listen. If people would feel the love that God made for them this world would be a much better place.

~ Trinity Rake, Liberty University

Related: Difference Between Counselling and Psychology

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Daniel Wong

How to Get Motivated to Study: 23 Tips for Students Who Procrastinate

Updated on July 14, 2023 By Daniel Wong 148 Comments

Is it hard for you to get motivated to study?

Let’s face it…

It’s so easy to watch one more video or to scroll through your social media feed one more time.

But your exams are approaching.

You have a rising sense of panic, but you don’t know where to begin. The more you panic, the harder it is to get to work.

If this is the situation you’re in, keep reading.

In this article, I’m going to explain 23 proven strategies that successful students use to motivate themselves to study.

Get ready to say goodbye to procrastination!

This article is 3,000 words long, so I’ve created a PDF summary for your convenience. Enter your email below to download it. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 7 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to motivate yourself to study.

When you’re feeling unmotivated, taking the first step is usually the hardest part.

Here are the best ways to motivate yourself, so you can study productively .

1. Discover why you procrastinate

Procrastinating on your schoolwork  is a complex problem that can have many different causes.

Here are some of the most common:

• You’ve convinced yourself that your homework is beyond your abilities
• Putting off your homework is a way of rebelling against your parents or teachers
• You’ve decided the topic is boring
• You’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start
• The task has become so overwhelming that you don’t know where to start

Understanding why you procrastinate is a key first step to getting motivated.

Spend some time reflecting on what makes you procrastinate. This will enable you to identify which of the following tips will help you the most.

2. Break the material down into chunks

A major cause of procrastination is that the task ahead seems overwhelming.

That’s when you need to “chunk down”. Break down each task into small chunks.

Assign yourself a certain number of those chunks each day. Suddenly, you’re no longer faced with a scary task, but rather a series of manageable chunks.

A chunk might be reading two pages of your textbook, completing five multiple-choice questions, or finding four reference articles on the Internet for your paper .

3. Reward yourself

Every time you complete one or two chunks, reward yourself with a short period of relaxation.

It could be five minutes on your favourite smartphone game, a short walk, or playing the guitar.

Rewarding yourself with short and enjoyable breaks is a key part of the “chunking down” technique.

4. Create a study routine

We’re creatures of habit.

Bad study habits are easy to fall into, but you can also develop good study habits to help you keep up with your schoolwork.

If it’s a challenge for you to get motivated to study, you can put this principle to work for you.

Habits are so powerful that once you develop a study routine, you’ll find it difficult to go into relaxation mode without studying.

How should you go about creating a study routine?

The first thing to do is to set up a study schedule (see Tip #14).

Be aware, however, that habits aren’t formed overnight.

Research indicates that it typically takes 20 to 30 days to form a habit. So you’ll have to put in some work before this technique pays off.

5. Be clear about why you want to get good grades

One of the best ways to get motivated to study is to be very clear about why you want to get go o d grades in the first place.

Make a list of the reasons you want to do well academically.

Here are some typical reasons:

• I want to learn more and develop myself
• I want to develop the habit of pursuing excellence
• I want to become a more focused and disciplined student
• I want to get into a good school or programme
• I want to have a meaningful career
• I want to provide well for my family and my parents in the future
• I want to know that I gave it my best shot
• I want to live with no regrets

Write down your own list of reasons for studying hard, and put the list at your study desk.

Then, when you’re feeling unmotivated, read the list one more time.

6. Use a mind map to organise the information

If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve been taught to use lists to summarise information. A classic example is to-do lists.

As such, it may seem natural to use lists to summarise the information you’re studying.

But there are times when mind maps are more effective than lists as a way of organising information.

Because mind maps mimic how the brain works.

When you create a mind map, you’re mapping out the way your brain has processed a certain topic.

This makes it easier to get a handle on the topic. It’ll also make it easier for you to retrieve that information when you need it.

You can create a mind map using pen and paper. But if you prefer to do it on your phone, tablet or computer, you can use an app like SimpleMind .

7. Make a “boring” subject interesting

When you find it difficult to study because the subject is “boring”, ask yourself:

“Is the subject really boring, or does it seem that way because I have closed my mind to it?”

As G.K. Chesterton once said: “There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”

If you think a subject is boring, try to engage with the subject by asking yourself questions.

When was this technique or theory developed?

Who developed it?

What problem did it solve?

How would the world be different today if not for this technique or theory?

If you ask the right questions, you can make any subject interesting.

8. Understand the topic, don’t just memorise it

One of the keys to effective studying is to develop an understanding of a topic rather than just memorising facts.

In some situations, rote memorisation may be necessary.

But, in general, the more years you spend in school, the more you’ll be expected to understand relationships and connections between different concepts.

This will require you to apply principles to a given set of facts or to draw conclusions from a given set of facts.

Understanding a topic is far more rewarding than memorising it. So this approach to studying is not only more effective – it will keep you motivated.

9. Look for gaps in your understanding

Try giving a mini-presentation on a topic to a friend or relative. You can do this in a formal way, or you could simply talk to them about the topic.

By doing so, you’ll deepen your knowledge.

But you’ll also realise quickly if there are gaps in your understanding of the topic.

As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

10. Study in short bursts

Research shows that we learn better when we study in short bursts.

It’s called “ spaced learning ”, and the theory behind it is that learning involves the creation of memories.

Memories are formed through links between neurons. In order for these memories to become embedded, the neurons have to be left undisturbed for a period of time.

That’s why we learn better in short bursts of studying. This approach gives the neurons time to “lay down” these new memories.

Read on to Tip #11 to learn about how to put this tip into practice.

11. Use the Pomodoro technique

If you want a system for studying in short bursts, try the Pomodoro technique.

Francesco Cirillo invented the technique in Italy in the late 1980s.

Using a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (“pomodoro” means tomato in Italian), he found he could concentrate better by studying in short stretches.

Here’s how to apply the Pomodoro technique:

• Decide on the task that you’ll work on
• Set the timer for 25 minutes
• Work on the task
• Stop working when the timer rings
• Put a checkmark on a piece of paper
• If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a 3- to 5-minute break, then repeat from Step 1
• After four pomodoros, take a 15- to 30-minute break
• Draw a line through the four checkmarks and start counting your checkmarks afresh

There are lots of apps to help you apply the Pomodoro technique and become a student who’s better at time management . Here are some of the best apps out there .

12. Don’t expect to feel motivated all the time

Strangely enough, one of the best ways to deal with a lack of motivation is to stop expecting to feel motivated all the time.

The fact is that no one feels motivated all the time.

So don’t rely on feeling motivated in order to get the work done.

Sometimes the motivation just won’t be there.

That’s why you need a study routine and study habits , because systems always beat motivation.

13. Exercise your brain

To get motivated to study, you need to train your brain. Think of your brain as a muscle.

Developing your ability to focus is like training to be a world-class sprinter.

It’s all about consistency and making gradual progress.

Continually exercise your brain, even when you’re not studying.

You can do this by reading, thinking through challenging world issues, doing puzzles, or journaling.

The greater the variety of ways in which you train your brain, the stronger and more flexible your brain will become.

There are also various websites with exercises designed to train your brain. Here are three popular ones:

• NeuroNation

Just as with a physical workout, a key part of training your brain is rest and recovery. So make sure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night (many students even need 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night).

Nutrition is another important aspect of training your brain.

The brain needs certain fatty acids in order to function optimally. You can get these fatty acids from eating nuts, avocados and salmon. Other brain foods include:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Pomegranate juice
• Dark chocolate

14. Organise your time

The act of creating a study schedule is a form of commitment, so it will help you to stay motivated.

Here are some useful steps in creating a study schedule:

• For each subject, make a list of the tasks you need to complete in order to be ready for the exam
• Download a study schedule template and block out the times you have available each day to study
• As far as possible, choose blocks of time that are the same each day (e.g. 3:30pm to 5:30pm) so that your study schedule is easy to remember
• Create a daily plan which lists the most important tasks to be completed for the day

Review your study schedule at the end of each week.

Assess whether you’re on track to reach your study goals by exam time. If you’re not, adjust your schedule by finding additional blocks of time for studying.

15. Study in a group

Many students find it motivational to study in a group.

Of course, it’s crucial that you find the right students to join the study group. These students should have the desire to learn the material well and get excellent grades .

I recommend that the study group have no more than four students. If the group is larger than four, it tends to become distracting.

Studying is more fun in a group.  It also gives everyone a sense of accountability.

When you study in a group, you can make commitments to each other related to new habits you want to develop, or bad habits you want to break.

But the benefits of studying in a group don’t stop there.

When you study in a group you can pool your notes together and get much better notes than any one person could possibly produce.

Also, studying in a group takes advantage of the fact that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. If there’s a concept you don’t understand, chances are that someone in your group will be able to explain it to you.

16. Make learning active, not passive

Passive learning is where you try to absorb information and knowledge. It’s based on the idea that you’re an empty vessel waiting to be filled.

But research shows that this isn’t the best way to learn.

We actually construct knowledge by integrating the new material with what we already know and have already experienced.

So if you want to learn a new topic quickly and effectively, use as much active learning as you can.

Examples of active learning are:

• Finding applications of the new topic in your own life
• Doing case studies where the new ideas or theories are put into a specific context
• Doing group projects
• Reviewing and commenting on the work of your friends
• Thinking of ways to apply concepts to problems you come across

17. Schedule relaxation

This may seem obvious, but when your focus is studying for an upcoming exam, it’s easy to forget that you need time to relax.

Remember Point #10 and “spaced learning”?

We learn new information by creating memories. But those memories need time to be formed. That means having gaps between learning spurts.

In short, you need to schedule relaxation to recharge and learn better.

18. Exercise regularly

When you’re focused on studying for a major exam, it’s common to overlook exercise.

But, as far as possible, get 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

This is because regular exercise is vital if you want to study effectively and stay motivated.

Aerobic activity, such as swimming, jogging or walking, sends oxygen, blood and nutrients to your brain.

This helps you to think and concentrate.

Research even shows that short periods of light exercise immediately after studying improves the recall of new information.

19. Visualise yourself doing the task successfully

If you’re having trouble with a particular task, visualise yourself completing that task successfully.

Sports psychologists have long known about the power of visualisation as a technique for accomplishing difficult tasks.

Visualisation uses the “theatre of the mind” to mentally rehearse completing challenging tasks.

It works by laying down neural pathways in the brain. When you repeatedly visualise yourself completing a task, it makes it easier to perform the task in reality.

So spend a few minutes every day visualising yourself successfully completing your various study-related tasks – especially if you find them daunting.

20. Remind yourself that this won’t go on forever

Studying for exams can seem like an endless marathon, but it does have an end date.

Remind yourself of this, particularly on days when you feel overwhelmed or unmotivated.

Telling yourself that “this won’t go on forever” will allow you to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

But it will also make you study harder, because you know that you have urgent tasks at hand.

21. Focus on the process, not the result

When you’re studying, it’s often difficult to see the fruit of your labour, especially at the beginning.

That’s why you should focus on the process, not the result.

Did you complete most of your planned tasks today? Congratulate yourself.

Did you stick to your study schedule in general today? Maintain your focus .

Did you put your phone in another room when you were studying, so you wouldn’t be distracted? Keep it up.

Remember, it’s habits that you’re trying to form.

If you get the process right, the results will follow.

22. Get rid of distractions

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many students try to study with one eye on their textbook and the other eye on their social media feed.

It’s almost as if they want to be distracted.

List all the common distractions you face when you’re studying. Do your best to eliminate every single one of them.

For example, you could:

• Turn off your Internet access
• Put your phone on flight mode
• Put your phone in another room
• Mute your group chats
• Use earplugs
• Delete all the games on your phone, tablet and computer

23. If you don’t feel like starting, set a timer for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the hardest part of anything is simply starting.

But the fear of doing something is almost always worse than the actual doing. Once you start, you’ll find it wasn’t as bad as you thought.

The same applies to the fear of learning . If you don’t feel like getting to work, set a timer for 5 minutes.

You can tell yourself that once those 5 minutes are up, you can stop work.

But, in all likelihood, you would have got some momentum going, so you’ll continue.

I hope these words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe will inspire you:

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

The keys to getting motivated to study are organising your time and work, and knowing how to use your mind effectively.

That’s what I’ve shown you in this article: 23 tips for organising your time, developing the right mindset, and using your brain in the most efficient way possible.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 7 bonus tips.)

Follow these tips for studying smart – not hard – and you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a successful student who doesn’t procrastinate!

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

April 28, 2018 at 2:41 pm

Love your ideas! especially “Break the material into chunk”, “Mind map”,”Make boring topics to interesting”, These guidelines are really effective to my studying plan. Hope you will write more books pertaining to academic excellence as I am looking forward .Kudos to you for sharing!!

April 28, 2018 at 3:06 pm

Glad you like the article!

April 7, 2019 at 11:59 pm

The article is so powerful. Great ideas Mr.Wong you’ve changed lives.

July 3, 2019 at 8:36 am

Great article, I am sure it will help me with my students.

April 26, 2019 at 9:05 pm

thank you so much this is gonna change my life

April 27, 2020 at 10:07 pm

Thank you very much am sure after reading this articles now I can say goodbye procrastination. Thanks

December 16, 2020 at 4:23 pm

August 18, 2019 at 2:57 am

Thanks a lot!

November 7, 2019 at 9:13 pm

before i used to study all day and i used to be a topper..but due to games my grades went on falling…my parents also face few business problems right now but they try their best to make me feel complete..today i felt all this and i wanted to change..so i came up to this website and went through all the tips…thanks bro and my exam are coming up..hope i do well…also before coming here i was going to open a video game but i stopped myself..i will try my best!!!

April 5, 2020 at 1:17 pm

Video games are the worst distraction 😂

April 8, 2020 at 5:29 pm

im the worst distraction

May 10, 2020 at 5:47 pm

haha..u wish!

April 23, 2021 at 1:32 pm

January 29, 2021 at 10:22 pm

Thank you so much for this content. This is the best article that I’ve read related to this subject. It is so useful.

August 8, 2020 at 1:18 am

Same here bro, I am a topper but also a pc gamer. I just don’t want to fail but I don’t want to stop playing also. But after reading this I will surely control gaming.

November 29, 2020 at 12:17 am

Hi bro do you study these days like when you read this for the first time and can you tell me some of the tips which you used to stop wasting your time

May 10, 2021 at 2:58 am

Man i have same situation, It looks you are my reflection. Reader: does it really happen in this world

July 10, 2021 at 10:24 pm

Even though i study all night i dont get good marks

April 16, 2020 at 5:11 pm

This increased interest in me to study

May 24, 2020 at 10:32 pm

this is the best thank u for helping us

October 15, 2020 at 3:04 am

January 16, 2021 at 10:42 am

Thanks.. Obviously everyone who visits this site is the one who has same issue of procrastination and wasting time.. All comments same lols

November 25, 2020 at 9:42 pm

Thanks for the guidelines, Mr. Wong.

December 15, 2020 at 10:30 pm

Wow I really liked it Thanks!

April 30, 2021 at 2:22 am

I am really thankful to you sir . This article gives me goosebumps. I hope it will definitely change my life for good

November 19, 2018 at 12:27 pm

I agree! This was very helpful and I will use it as a future reference!

November 24, 2018 at 12:52 am

July 18, 2019 at 2:43 am

Thanks a lot

March 15, 2020 at 1:17 am

Thank you much Daniel. Like a flow chart, the brain mapping is going to work wonders for connecting the subjects of my study.

November 26, 2020 at 1:31 am

Thanks for the help bro 🤜

December 11, 2020 at 8:20 pm

I became addicted to video games… soon after that my grades started falling… I’m currently in one of the best schools in the country but I’m the worst student in the class. I don’t know what to do… I literally can’t study anymore like I used to… hope this is gonna help me.

April 3, 2021 at 6:57 pm

Hi, maybe do not pressure yourself too much. I’m no pro but maybe setting your goal to get better scores than the second worst at first and then go rank higher each time, like levelling up. It can be fun and motivational.

Don’t play too much that you won’t sleep and eat properly. (Important bro) If gaming has become your life then think of your brain as a cpu and school a tryhard game and exam a high boss.

May 3, 2018 at 2:10 am

Very useful tips Thank you doctor

May 3, 2018 at 8:49 am

You’re welcome, Sulaiman.

May 13, 2018 at 5:08 pm

nice i have encouraged by you

May 13, 2018 at 10:12 pm

You’re welcome!

June 28, 2019 at 4:23 am

August 21, 2018 at 4:53 pm

Thank you doctor it will really help me

September 3, 2018 at 7:22 pm

Really this helped me a lot….thanks for your motivational tips and i loved that tip on bored subjects…Ones again thanks a lot Daniel..love you

September 17, 2018 at 1:06 pm

Nice blog, Thank you for shear this information, It’s very helpful for me and everyone.

October 16, 2018 at 3:48 pm

Love these tips….. Best ones I’ve come across so far hands down 🙂

October 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

Hi I am Hasin…and I am really struggling due to lack of concentration…I have only 5 months left for a crucial examination and I can’t seem to concentrate even a little bit…I read the article and feel somewhat motivated..But I am not quite sure whether I can actually convert myself from what I am right now…I am really very tensed…I just hope this works out well for me…

November 18, 2018 at 11:17 pm

You don’t have to worry set your mind to it and focus, you will do better than you could ever imagine.

December 14, 2020 at 12:29 am

January 21, 2019 at 4:26 am

bro…….5month due 5months ……more than enough …….dont be worried you nerd

April 23, 2019 at 6:23 pm

How did the exams go?

October 21, 2018 at 8:13 pm

I’m having intrest to study…first my friend was helping me in studies I got first class in Al the semester..but now he is too busy because he is teaching others..if I start to study at that movement I can understand..after tat my mind will b blank..only 2weeks left for my semester examz what should I do now??

July 17, 2019 at 1:00 am

No brother u dont have any intrest in study .Ur fathers pays money to the college to ask dought their to more and more educated qualified proffesor thain ur friend .u suppose clear your doughts from professor. So if u really want to study hard be regular in college logoff from social media take urself out from the comfort zone ,if u did the same from that period u dont need friend their to teach u .thanku

November 4, 2018 at 9:30 am

Don’t worry everything will be alright just focus on your study.

November 10, 2018 at 4:00 pm

nice thoughts to fight challenging problems

November 14, 2018 at 9:00 am

Needed it right now. phew. Thanks!

November 16, 2018 at 1:05 am

Arigato Doctor. It really helps🙃

November 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

I needed this. I’m quiet motivated. Thank you so much.

December 26, 2018 at 8:35 pm

Great tips! One of the most basic things that we need to understand is that each and every child has a different learning capacity and different learning style. Some child might grasp things quickly, while others may take time. In high school, more studying techniques are there which can help students to score well in exams.

December 27, 2018 at 12:26 am

I need to be a member

January 4, 2019 at 4:30 pm

Hey I’m feeling motivated by reading this. And some lf the tips are really perfect for me. I literally get fully help from this article.

January 9, 2019 at 3:43 am

Really this is very helpful I like all tips thank you so much

January 18, 2019 at 12:25 am

This feels really good and it helped me a lot too thanks much!

January 19, 2019 at 9:49 pm

Explained By Heart ! Thank You Sir..

January 25, 2019 at 9:02 pm

Thanks to your hurt opinion,Really its too good.

July 17, 2019 at 1:03 am

Yes ,I’m getting hurted as well.can u please share ur ideology. I want to write a book on that.plz😭😭😭😁😭😁😭😍

January 29, 2019 at 10:21 pm

This is really helpful…I have one of my most important exams in my life in April, but I have bit of lacks here and there. Though I know 2 months is a huge time if I try, but I was really lost about how to start, now I can see some light…..Thanks a lot, for sharing these awesome ideas.

February 5, 2019 at 4:47 pm

The best way to start the study is switched off your cell phone or handover it to your parents. Then other factors will automatically followed.

February 1, 2019 at 12:15 am

The best motivational article I have ever read.thanks and keep it up.

February 2, 2019 at 1:04 am

It is really a wonderful motivation it’ll help to those who are feeling like they can’t…I’ll surely implement this during my study holidays n I am sure that I’ll get the top most rank …tqs for motivation..

February 2, 2019 at 1:16 am

i have a studying anxiety,,,my exam wkll be in 2 months and still struggling in preparing for it 🙁 i have no motivation and start the day in the idea that i want to study but ending it the opposite and stressed all the time,,any helpful suggestions

February 8, 2019 at 5:13 am

-#9 is powerful!

February 9, 2019 at 7:49 pm

Thanks for the tips and ot was really helpfull and I hope that I get succesfull.

February 11, 2019 at 5:40 pm

Thanks for your most simple and effective ways. I feel things would be easy if one follows even 5 of the above.

February 12, 2019 at 12:09 pm

final exams coming up in 2 weeks and here i am… i re-read this article whenever i feel demotivated and it definitely shows me some light. its too late for me now, but i must say, the biggest distraction is definitely your phone. so guys just give them away to your parents or whom so ever, atleast when u r studying. and make sure u hv a nice and quiet study environment. take small breaks in between and keep ur table stocked on light and healthy snacks. dont stay up too late and get atleast 6 hrs lf sleep. i hv soo many tips from reading many articles but i fail to implement it on my own study routine. anyways, all the best u guys!!! 🙂

February 13, 2019 at 2:36 am

Really these are very helpful tips and the only thing is that we have to use these tips so that we will succeed

February 14, 2019 at 2:07 am

All of your tips are really helpfull and amazing . Thank you so much for giving us such a nice ideas to get rid of our troubles.It helps me alot .

Thanks once again.

February 22, 2019 at 10:43 pm

Hi, Good day. I thank you for the paper. But, to be honest, I can not find out exactly why I do not study. I always scored good grades, but I never remember to have a strange motive for studying. And rightly so now that I am justified by a fateful exam, I do not want to study at all I’ve gotten caught up with everything and there’s no incentive to move forward I see all my dreams and I have no interest in moving I do not know what I’m doing? Thank you, if you help me

February 24, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Thank u so much

February 26, 2019 at 1:47 pm

One of the best articles have come across!. Thank you so much sir!☺ Feeling much much better.🙏

March 4, 2019 at 2:52 am

Thank you so much for typing in such an amazing article or in fact all the helpful factors that we ever needed thank you once again.

March 5, 2019 at 2:46 am

Honestly it wasn’t really helpful for me cuz I’m studying Russian and it’s really boring but I can’t ask myself those questions to make it more interesting….

March 9, 2019 at 4:50 pm

very inspiring thoughts sir.thank you!

March 9, 2019 at 5:30 pm

for me it usually happens when i decide to miss a class or two and things pile up and i get more caught up in other things besides school. Once that point hits and midterms come around next week i have to try to cram up everything because it feels like i didn’t actually learn anything up until now, it was just memorizing for quizzes and doing small homework assignments. now even knowing what to study and having the material in front of me i don’t feel motivated at all. I am a senior in college now studying computer science. I hate trying to understand certain code or other things and I end up rereading my notes or things multiple times while thinking about something else (like how much i screwed up by taking days off class!)

March 10, 2019 at 1:52 am

Thank you so much Tip 05 wow motivated me alot… am about to start studying my books now thanks to you.

But hey I got a big problem ,I can’t concentrate when my phone is not here with me. I become disturbed cause i think of it all the time while studying what should do?

March 11, 2019 at 1:01 am

Great. All these tips are really based on real facts. thanks for sharing the details.

April 1, 2019 at 8:01 am

You’re right!

March 12, 2019 at 11:07 pm

I know that if I try I can actually good grade but i m not motivated enough to try I can’t seem to get my seldf into the mood of studying since I can’t study more than one day before cause my school gives a test every day two tests on Wednesdays and homework and above all that we are learning a new language and I’m really stressed out!! I really don’t know what to do!! Please help!!!!!

March 28, 2019 at 4:08 pm

This is the best article I’ve ever read regarding procrastination !!

April 1, 2019 at 7:59 am

Thank you for this tips. 😊

April 5, 2019 at 7:44 pm

Tq so much ,I just read it’s benefit for me ,I wish I Follow your tips ..

April 8, 2019 at 2:14 pm

Thank you sir, for your great motivation.

May 6, 2019 at 1:24 am

I LIKE THAT DANIEL WONG YOU ARE HARD WORKING.’!’

May 13, 2019 at 1:10 am

Hi,my name is Ada. i just have a month and a half left of school and they are full of exams and i just cant seem to focus i don`t know what i am doing wrong because i love studying and getting a good grade but know i just don`t care. and the worst part is i really want to become a doc but i am just not getting motivated to study

May 15, 2019 at 3:06 am

I like this . It is very helpful thx

May 17, 2019 at 3:04 am

I MUST STUDY HARD THAN THINK. IT IS GREAT SUCCES IN MY FUTURE. THANKS TO DR WONG

May 19, 2019 at 2:30 am

It was an amazing article!!!. After a long period of time i regained my motivation towards studies. Thanks for such a awesome and organized suggestion.

May 20, 2019 at 12:32 am

Lovely ideas. Feeling much more motivated

May 21, 2019 at 8:45 pm

So my exam’s the day after tomorrow and I’m sitting here reading motivational blogs…..what even is my life

June 11, 2019 at 5:17 pm

Excellent article!!! For past several weeks,I was looking up for some kind of motivation and this article helped me to regain my interest in studies.Thnks a lot

June 20, 2019 at 1:30 am

Really i thought i am not motivate by anyone but i m wrong. i m feeling pleasure at the moment this is a unique way to motivate and one of best essay in world

July 29, 2019 at 12:34 am

Although i am one of top 10 students of my own class but in routine its also hard for me to be motivated and concentrated daily. so thanks for such great advice , hope it will work.

August 20, 2019 at 2:46 am

Instead of studying I’m reading this article wow 😭

September 19, 2019 at 8:03 pm

Very interesting and effective ways….. Thank you for giving us this article…

October 1, 2019 at 4:53 am

this article will save my life

October 3, 2019 at 12:14 am

My mom doesn’t have much confidence in me so this was motivating and I really appreciate your efforts and hope I really do well this year

October 3, 2019 at 11:56 pm

Wow what an amazing article thanks for this precious article it is really helped to me a lot

November 20, 2019 at 2:16 pm

I love this read with our children. Thank you so much..

November 27, 2019 at 12:30 am

I want to study

December 7, 2019 at 1:46 am

thank you daniel for giving me wonderful information

December 18, 2019 at 11:14 pm

Before I came here, I was obsessed from playing minecraft. But my exams were going on. But after visiting here, I think I am kind of relieved now. Thanx Dr. Daniel Wong

December 20, 2019 at 2:42 pm

Such a beautiful article! Really helped !All the points are so inspirational. Thank God I found this

December 29, 2019 at 7:14 pm

Awesome article Daniel. All the points are spot on. This article is motivating to not only students,kids but also to adults as we are all students of life. Thank you .

December 31, 2019 at 8:34 pm

This article is very helpful for regular study to achieve a goal. Thanks so much!!!!

January 15, 2020 at 12:49 am

Hi Mr.Daniel ,I am Diana from Ghana. Waaaw this article is indeed a God sent to me ,and I was wandering how I’m I going to excel in my exams, but lool and behold got everything here.I really appreciate your efforts and hope that I will get good grades after my exams,God richly bless you.

January 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

Thanks sir for your help

February 2, 2020 at 11:58 pm

I love ur idea this is amazing trick…to gain intreset in studies…it also helps in making study a daily routine…..9797663167 my whatsapp no. Plz text me there if u have more ideas

February 16, 2020 at 7:36 am

I really do hope this works for me cause I find studying boring🤦‍♂️

February 25, 2020 at 12:39 pm

I am Shwazz from Embu,Kenya …i used to perform brilliantly in my form one but my grades took a nose dive while in form two due to myself indulging into unhealthy friendship and loss of interest to study…am in my final year but the work i have to cover is too large so as to prosper but am not getting that inner instinct to study…..Please come to my rescue

March 2, 2020 at 12:42 am

thanks alot it gave me a hopefull start

March 31, 2020 at 4:53 am

wow now i will study

April 14, 2020 at 9:14 am

Great article. The article helped me to know why I am procrastinating and how to start writing my term papers. Thank you :)🙋‍♂️

May 7, 2020 at 3:11 am

Thanks a lot, you are doing the god’s work!!! I was wondering how to stop procrastinating my work as the exams are near. No 5 has helped me a lot. Can’t thank you enough!!!

May 7, 2020 at 4:12 am

i used to be brilliant student but now cause of fire age and my over confidence i lose my height and be medium class student and step by step i lose moral for studying so even foe tests and finals i dont feel anything so help me to have moral to study helppppp please

June 1, 2020 at 7:23 pm

thanks, doctor

June 8, 2020 at 10:49 pm

hi,,,,im actually preparing for one of the toughest exam in the world,JEE ADVANCE..people say your future is setteled after you get into iits…but my problem is i have no intrest in studies..i have other dreams but to fulfill my dream i have to be on safer side so i need to be in iit but i dont have intrest in studying,….. i know it is irritating for you to read my comment but just imagine how would i be feeling of all these stuff happening to me.. please help me out

June 26, 2020 at 4:36 am

Thank you doctor I appreciate your had work, you really get students issues during time of study.

July 5, 2020 at 11:30 am

The article is so amazing I’m really appreciating you Thank for this Mr.Deniel Keep it Up I am also attending your webminar…

August 19, 2020 at 8:40 am

I just don’t know what to do with myself. If someone motivates me or inspires me, i will remember it for hardly one day and after that i will forget everything and will start following the excuses of not studying. Till now i watched many motivational videos and read articles but i didn’t developed at all. I m just a dumb and boring girl. I think i will never succeed in life.

August 22, 2020 at 6:32 pm

Best motivational article i have ever read………………Thank you sir…

September 14, 2020 at 9:32 pm

I never like motivational articles but this was the best one I have ever read, thanks. Quick question, how can I avoid sleeping while studying?

September 21, 2020 at 4:39 am

In this time of the coronavirus, where we all are quarantined in the house, I am so stressed out… since we are having online classes, I am getting easily distracted through the internet… how should i stop this… hoping for the best.

October 8, 2020 at 7:00 am

Thanks a lot for this article, sir! I am a very competitive student, and I recently got a bad grade on a test and have been feeling low and unproductive, though I still have to do other homework and tests. This article has motivated me to start studying again!

October 19, 2020 at 6:21 pm

I just really wanna try your ideas. Actually I was a JEE main aspirant but really these days I am getting distracted. I will try your techniques to overcome the distractions.

November 2, 2020 at 3:37 am

Carla wants to get through university, and she knows she needs the degree to have a decent life, but she’s just not that into it. She’s never thought of herself as a good student, and that hasn’t changed much at Biust. She has trouble paying attention in those big lecture classes, which mostly seem pretty boring. She’s pretty sure she can pass all her courses, however, as long as she takes the time to study before tests. It doesn’t bother her to skip classes when she’s studying for a test in a different class or finishing a reading assignment she didn’t get around to earlier. She does make it through her first year with a passing grade in every class, even those she didn’t go to very often. Then she fails the second assessment in her first first year class. Depressed, she skips the next couple classes, then feels guilty and goes to the next. It’s even harder to stay awake because now she has no idea what they’re talking about. It’s too late to drop the course, and even a hard night of studying before the final exam isn’t enough to pass the course. In two other classes, she just barely passes. She has no idea what classes to take next semester and is starting to think that maybe she should drop out for now.

What do you think went wrong with Carla’s studies? What advice would give to her?

November 12, 2020 at 12:18 pm

It’s one of the best articles I have ever read! Hats off to you brother!

November 23, 2020 at 8:17 pm

Thanks for sharing, I love this article.

January 17, 2021 at 6:49 pm

What tip do you have for me having the highest motivation, but turning to GTA Chinatown wars?

January 26, 2021 at 5:31 pm

Thanks sir for providing such a motivating and informative post. I was searching for such an article to guide me on how to study better. Finally I found it here. Good luck to you!

February 6, 2021 at 11:30 pm

I’m going to give it a try Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

February 23, 2021 at 1:43 am

Thank you it is gonna change my life

February 24, 2021 at 9:44 pm

I really think the problem is not with the students but with the education system. It kills creativity and children’s interest.

March 10, 2021 at 2:59 am

Oh thank you bro

March 24, 2021 at 5:51 am

To be honest I’m a 10th grade student who isn’t going to school for months because of many school problems and my exams are very near and I started to think that even if I study nothing gonna change everything’s going to be ruined no matter how hard I study I can’t change the result but a huge THANKS to you that your article gave me way much courage and motivation that I felt really comfortable like my half of the problems are solved Thanks again

April 23, 2021 at 4:12 pm

Thanks for the great blog!

May 5, 2021 at 11:08 pm

this is so inspirational

May 31, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Thank you sir, It’s very helpful, all the aforementioned steps are so powerful and easy to change ones habit and improves ones interest. I was so passive in the last two months that I even didn’t touch my books and waste all my precious time on social media. But after reading this article, I feel more confident and motivated . It seems hard to start for the first time but I still remember the famous saying that “go to the last mile and enjoy it.” Thank you so much!

July 9, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Thank You For Sharing Valuable Information. Really This Was Very Informative Article.

March 10, 2023 at 9:17 pm

Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

October 3, 2023 at 7:56 am

thank you very much for all this information and advice , i am sure it will help me in my studies more

October 11, 2023 at 7:06 pm

Hello. This was an amazing article. You have changed my and Amber’s lives. We will now study a lot, maybe. Thank you sooo much.

November 26, 2023 at 1:00 pm

Thank you Daniel! Bookmarked a while ago, re-reading again. You make it easy to read/digest.

May 28, 2024 at 6:15 pm

This is helpful, thank you so much

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Counselling & Psychological Services

• Study-related issues
• Motivation to study

Motivation comes and goes. Learn how you can increase and maintain your motivation to study.

Motivation and study

Motivation feels good, energising, and drives us to get things done. But it doesn’t always come naturally, and we all face challenging or slow periods when motivation feels hard to come by. During these times, we can find it difficult to attend class, complete assignments, or study for exams.

Strategies to improve motivation

Fortunately, there are many effective ways to increase and maintain motivation to achieve what we want to while studying at university.

Reconnect with your 'why'

One of the most powerful ways to find motivation is to reflect on the reasons why you chose to study in the first place. You could:

• Write a list of the 3 main reasons you decided to study this course and stick it on your wall
• Write a list of your values and remind yourself of them regularly
• Imagine your life in the future and how your degree will help you (e.g., job, skills, opportunities). Keep this future version of you in your mind and use it to motivate you now (e.g., “I don’t enjoy statistics, but I need to develop these skills so that I can effectively do research" ).

Understand different types of motivation to make it work for you

Positive motivation focuses on the positive things that can happen from taking action. This might look like: “In the process of writing this essay, I’m learning new things that will be useful in the future.”

Negative motivation focuses on the negative consequences that might happen from not taking action. For example, “My parents will be disappointed in me if I don’t get a certain mark.”

Positive and negative motivations can be effective in different circumstances. Try and notice the effects of different motivators on you. Generally, it can be easier to pursue a goal that you are genuinely interested in or enjoy, rather than to avoid a negative outcome, which can make us feel helpless or overwhelmed.

Act first and motivation will follow

Many people fall into the trap of thinking that we need to feel “motivated enough” before doing something. Psychological research shows the converse -  it’s action that leads to motivation , which in turn leads to more action . This means that at times, we need to start even if we don’t feel ready, trusting that motivation will follow, which will then enable us to take more action.

Set goals that motivate you

Starting before you feel motivated is easier said than done, but there are strategic ways that we can set up our goals to help us generate and keep motivation.

• Break down big tasks into tiny steps. Instead of telling yourself to ‘write your essay’ , a tiny step could be that ‘review one relevant journal article and note two or three points you want to cover in the first paragraph’ . Taking one step at a time can help us focus and feel less overwhelmed.
• Set specific, measurable, and time-limited goals. Being as clear as possible about what you want to achieve can go a long way in increasing your chances of following through.
• Be realistic. Making goals as realistically achievable as possible is important so that you don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Try asking, “How much can I achieve in the next hour?” instead of “I need to complete all these tasks.”

Create an encouraging work environment

Some people study better with a routine, whereas others need change and variety to stay motivated. Consider trying a new study location such as the library, your favourite café, or experiment with different methods such as listening to instrumental music while studying or the Pomodoro Technique . See what works for you.

Remember that you don’t need to do it alone – if you are someone who feels motivated by working with others, join a study group or surround yourself with supportive friends who encourage (rather than distract!) and help you keep on track.

Balance your life

• Celebrate the small wins. Planning small rewards (a break or a treat) after you’ve accomplished a task can help keep your spirits up. It can also make it easier to get back to studying after a brief, refreshing break, and to anticipate another reward around the corner after you get the next thing done.
• Prioritise self-care. We all know that if we don’t plug in our phone to charge, it will run out of battery. It’s the same for us. So take time to recharge – schedule regular breaks, time to meet friends, exercise, listen to your favourite song, or get enough sleep. You may feel like you don’t have the time, but you’ll be surprised how much clearer you can think and work after a restful or fun break.

What can I do next?

• Feeling unmotivated can lead to procrastination. If this is getting in the way, read more about what can help you overcome procrastination .
• Explore resources on developing your study skills at Academic Skills . You can also attend workshops or make an appointment with an Academic Skills Adviser.
• Speaking to a CAPS counsellor can help you develop individualised strategies to address low motivation. We also offer workshops to develop a range of skills to enhance your learning throughout the semester.

If you'd like more support, come along to one of our workshops or make an appointment for individual counselling.

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10 ways to generate study motivation

10 February 2020

If you have exams and essay deadlines piling up but you just can't seem to focus - here are 10 ways you can help yourself get motivated!

This is the time of the year when courseworks and dissertations are due and for some of you, exam time is looming. Sometimes having to do all that studying and catching up with reading feels like a drag. It can be overwhelming because together with the studying can come a wave of questions where you doubt yourself on a personal level with thoughts such as:

" ‘Do I even understand these readings?’… ‘Am I going to be able to write something interesting and relevant?’…  ‘Am I going to do the right thing?’… ‘Am I good enough to do this?’… ‘Others seem to be more on top of things than I am’… ‘What if I do badly?’...  

These thoughts are subtle, but can lead to difficult feelings that interfere with motivation. So try out these 10 ways that you could help yourself to generate that motivation!

• Acknowledge your resistance and difficult feelings with motivation. It may be helpful to write these feelings or thoughts down and then leave these on the side so you can then study.
• Do not run away. Avoiding work can make you feel deflated. This is emotionally more draining than having to go through the frustration of reading for your paper.
• Do not blame yourself for procrastinating now and then. Try to become aware of the habit and gently make yourself to go back to the task sooner rather than later. 
• Try to understand your studying style better. What will make it easier for you to work? We are all prone to pleasant experiences and it is natural that we tend to avoid uncomfortable, dry chores and duties.  So try to make your study experience as interesting as possible.
• Don’t question your abilities.  Don’t put yourself down by comparing yourself to others.
• Visualise yourself starting. Make yourself sit down and work even if this is for just 20 minutes. See starting as a parallel process like a plane on a runway. You may start slow but you will still take off! 
• Focus on the task at hand and prioritise the most important tasks.  Avoid multitasking.
• Communicate to others any difficulties and/or what you intend to do. This can help you engage with the process and identify the important tasks. Communication / externalisation can help you to commit with immediate goals and you could also find out others points of view and tips. 
• Take a time limited approach in which you schedule your tasks.  Ask yourself  ‘how much can I achieve in the next 2 hours?’ instead of ‘Can I complete all tasks?’ In this way you do not get as easily overwhelmed by the volume of study you need to do.  

By Zoi Kontakou, Counselling Psychologist in UCL Student Support and Wellbeing 

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22 December 2021

How to motivate yourself to study in 7 easy steps.

Olivia Ward-Smith

• 1. Choose Subjects You’re Interested In
• 2. Create a Distraction-Free Study Environment 
• 3. Consider What Motivates You 
• 4. Study Efficiently
• 5. Study With Other People
• 6. Kick That Procrastination Habit!
• 7. Look After Yourself

Every student knows the benefits of working hard at school. 

Good, effective study time will help you learn more, achieve more and get the most out of your education. But self-discipline is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and procrastination can creep up on the best of us. 

Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to minimise distraction and stay motivated, and we’ve collected them all together in one handy list. 

Whether you’ve got an upcoming test or just want to get the most out of this school year, these simple steps will have you studying like a pro.

Our programmes are designed to help you acheive your dream career: immersive experiences, personalised career coaching and advice from top professionals on how to succeed.

Wanting  to learn about what you're studying is half the battle. 

When it comes to  choosing your A-level  and GCSE options, make sure you pick subjects you’re genuinely interested in. You’ll be so much more motivated to put in the work and therefore more likely to succeed. 

Feeling the pressure to pick subjects you think you should be doing? Choosing the subjects you’ll need for your future career is, of course, important, but it’s all about finding a balance. There are plenty of compulsory modules that aren’t for everyone, but supplementing these with subjects you’re passionate about will make all the difference. 

Let’s say you’re hoping to become a clinical psychologist but love reading and playing the guitar. There’s nothing to stop you taking psychology or biology A-level - to fulfil university entry requirements - alongside English and music.

Studying what you love will make school so much more enjoyable.

2. Create a Distraction-Free Study Environment 

Finding an appropriate place to study is key. 

Ideally, you want somewhere that can become your designated study space: a quiet, comfortable spot where you won’t be easily distracted. If that’s difficult to find in your house, try staying after school to work, or go to a local library. You could even try a coffee shop if you’re not distracted by outside noise. 

When you’ve found the place, try the following tips to make it the ultimate study zone. 

Make your study space somewhere you actually want to be

If you can, try and make your designated study zone a space that you’ll actually enjoy spending time. Somewhere clean and warm with a suitable table or desk and a comfy chair is ideal. Make sure it’s equipped with everything you need, too. There’s nothing worse than sitting down for a good study session and having to get up every 5 minutes to fetch notes, laptop chargers and stationary from all over the house. 

Make it a phone-free zone

Leave your mobile phone outside. We know it’s hard, but phones and other gadgets provide endless unwanted distractions, and you’re not superhuman! If it’s there, you’ll be picking it up every few minutes. Leave the phone somewhere else and reward yourself with a bit of mindless scrolling when you’re done studying for the day. 

Clean your workspace

A tidy desk is a tidy mind! If you’re working in a study or similar, make sure you clean your desk when you’re done for the day. Organise your books and papers, plug your laptop in to charge and take dirty mugs and dishes you’ve used throughout the day to the kitchen to wash up. Coming to a clean workspace every morning will set you up for a good, productive day. 

If you’re the kind of person who gets restless easily, there’s no harm in mixing up your work space. If you find you’re spending hours staring at the same paragraph, it might be worth moving to a different spot so you don’t feel as stuck. Just make sure it’s somewhere you’ll be able to stay focused. 

3. Consider What Motivates You 

Take some time to think about what motivates you. 

Getting good grades? Getting into your dream university? Knowing you got as much out of your education as you could? Making your family proud? 

Finding ways to consistently remind yourself of your long term goals can really help you stay motivated. You can start by trying the following: 

• Write a list of the reasons you want to study and what you want to achieve. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day looking over it. 
• Picture yourself accomplishing all your study goals. Really try to imagine what it will feel like, and the opportunities that will open up for you as a result. Focus on these feelings before you start studying each day. 
• Write a daily study journal. Entries don’t have to be long, you could try writing down 3 things that went well that day as a means of positively reflecting on your progress. Read over your entries regularly to remind yourself how far you’ve come and how well you’re doing. Studying takes hard work and discipline - take the time to be proud of yourself! (Alternatively, if you’re feeling stressed, you could use a journal to offload anxieties at the end of each study session. Research shows that writing regularly in a journal can help identify and process negative emotions .)
• Surround yourself with visual reminders.  If you’re struggling to stay motivated, try decorating your study space with visual reminders of what you want to achieve: photos of the career you want to go into, for example. Hoping to get into a particular university? Set a picture of the campus as your phone background. Remind yourself of the things you’ve already achieved and the people who are rooting for you, too. Got an acceptance letter from an apprenticeship scheme, university or internship? Print it out and stick it above your desk! Got a ‘good luck in your exams’ card from your grandparents? Keep it beside your laptop. 

Aim to have no more than 5 tasks on any daily to-do list. Keeping it a manageable size means you’re much more likely to get everything done.

Ever heard the phrase ‘work smarter, not harder’?

Studying hard doesn’t always mean putting loads of extra hours in. If you work more efficiently, you’ll get a lot more done in the time you have and feel more motivated to keep going. 

Here are some things you can do to maximise your study time.

Find Your Learning Style 

Everyone’s study habits are different. 

Figuring out how you learn is a good way to determine which study methods will work best for you. 

If you find you retain information best by listening to it, for example, you might benefit from recording yourself reading your notes and then listening back to them. If you like to visualise things, making index cards with pictures and diagrams could be useful. 

Experiment with different ways of working until you find what suits you. If you lose interest easily, try alternating between several different methods to keep each study session fresh and engaging. 

It’s also worth thinking about where (more on this later) and when you work best. Consider when you’re most productive and work around your commitments: school, extracurriculars, mealtimes, household chores, etc. 

If you’re a morning person, set your alarm for a reasonable time on the weekends so you can get a few hours’ work under your belt. More of a night owl? Put aside some time after dinner each night. 

Make Smart To Do Lists

A good to-do list can help you organise what you need to get done and make you feel more in control of your workload. 

But, much like revision timetables, there’s no point spending time drawing one up if you’re not going to stick to it. Whether you’re an app convert or still love the act of manually crossing off a task, there’s an art to writing an efficient to-do list. 

Try these simple steps to get started.

1. Think about your long-term goals

Take a step back and think about what you’re trying to achieve. For example: you want to get the AAA grades needed to get into your top choice university. Then let these aims dictate the tasks you need to get done. 

2. Prioritise

Decide which are your 3 most important tasks to get done each day. Write those at the top of your to-do list. Then write less important tasks beneath, in order of importance. Work through your top 3 first, and don’t move onto other tasks until you’ve done them. 

3. Don’t make it too long!

When you sit down at the start of each study session and you’re feeling optimistic about what a productive day you’re going to have, it can be tempting to write down every little thing you want to achieve. But all this does is ensure you won’t get everything ticked off.

Aim to have  no more than 5 tasks  on any daily to-do list. Keeping it a manageable size means you’re much more likely to get everything done, helping you feel accomplished and satisfied at the end of each day, rather than demoralised and overwhelmed. 

Practise Good Time Management

Using your time wisely can really revolutionise your study schedule. 

The first step is getting into a daily routine, particularly during study leave. Try to start and finish at the same time every day, with regular breaks and lunch times.

Make sure you set achievable goals for yourself at the beginning of each study session and plan how long it will take you to achieve them. 

The pomodoro technique can be a useful tool here. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one particular task for that time, then take a 5 minute break. Make sure you leave your desk and do something completely different for that time, then come back and work on the task for another 25 minutes, repeating this until it’s done, with a longer break after about 4 of these cycles. 

Breaking down your assignments into small chunks can really help make your workload more manageable. 

For more advice on how to manage your time effectively, check out our blog:  6 Essential Time Management Skills Every Student Needs , where you’ll find all the tips and tricks you’ll need. 

The Art of Taking Breaks 

Research shows that taking regular breaks when studying can help improve productivity and concentration . 

Even if you feel like you’re on a roll, focus will naturally decrease after several hours of continuous work, and you’ll find you're less able to retain information. 

How often you should take your breaks - and for how long - is up to interpretation. 

Some people swear by the pomodoro method, whilst others prefer to work a bit longer before taking some time out. According to a study conducted by productivity app DeskTime, some of the most productive people did 52 minutes of focused work before taking a 17 minute break . 

Experiment with different methods until you find what’s right for you, but aim for a short break at least once an hour, with a longer break at lunch time. 

Once you’ve worked out your break schedule you can use it to help motivate yourself. Try to get whatever task you’re working on done in time for your break, then reward yourself by doing something you enjoy. 

Make sure you step away from your study area and try to avoid screens; studies show that relaxing by scrolling on your phone can actually reduce mental efficiency , and it’s important to give your eyes a break!

Why not try listening to a podcast, playing an instrument, talking to a friend or playing with a pet? You could even do something as simple as taking a shower or tidying your room. If it’s lunchtime, treat yourself by cooking something tasty! 

Though you’re probably tired of hearing it, fresh air and exercise are among the most effective ways you can clear your mind and blow off steam. A walk, run, bike ride, yoga class, gym session or HIIT video can help increase blood flow to the brain, boost your mood and even increase concentration. 

Getting outside for some fresh air and a change of scene is just good practice. Try to take at least one walk, ideally before you start working as well as during the day. You’ll thank yourself when you come back feeling motivated and refreshed. 

If you really struggle to discipline yourself when you are alone, it’s worth exploring different group study options. 

Find Formal Study Groups

Is there a homework or study group run by a teacher you could sign up for, or a subject-specific club that could help you stay motivated and get that extra work done? 

It can be good to know that you have a bit of time every week dedicated to studying in a more controlled, distraction-free setting. You could also look into online classes or tutoring. 

Study with Friends

Forming a casual study group or staying with friends in the library after school is a great way to make schoolwork feel like less of a chore. 

You could try testing each other, or racing to find answers to revision questions. 

You may also find that planning a study session with other people (who are then counting on you to turn up) keeps you accountable and stops you putting off the work you have to do. 

Just make sure you choose the right people to meet up with; study groups are useless if you only end up distracting each other! 

Breaking down tasks into much smaller chunks can help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and giving up.

This one is easier said than done. 

Procrastination (putting off the things you need to do) is a universal experience. Even the most dedicated students will experience it sometimes. 

If you’re struggling to get down to work, there are several things you can try:

Consider why you’re procrastinating

Finding the root of the issue is key to figuring out how to deal with it. Take some time to consider why you’re finding it difficult to get started. Some possible causes of procrastination include: 

• Avoidance -   often, it can be as simple as not wanting to do what you have to do. Studying can feel laborious at times. Simple time management techniques (like breaking down tasks into small chunks), studying with other people and getting support from family members can help. 
• Fear of Failure - fear (that you’re not going to do well, or that you’re not going to get everything done) is a powerful and debilitating emotion. Try confiding in a teacher you trust if you’re experiencing this.
• Trouble Focusing -  Lots of people find it difficult to concentrate; if you’re one of them, you’re not alone. Sometimes, there’s a medical explanation. Speak to a teacher, family member or medical professional if you think you may have ADHD. If not, finding a study environment with minimal distractions will help with this. Listening to certain kinds of music (classical, for example, or electronic music without lyrics) can also be useful. 
• Feeling Overwhelmed by the Pressure to Succeed  - often, the pressure to achieve ‘success’ can feel intense, whether it’s a result of familial expectations or comparing yourself to your peers on social media. Meditation can be a useful tool in managing anxiety (keep reading for useful meditation resources or take a look at our  blog for more tips on stress management ). 
• Mental Health - depression, anxiety and other common mental health conditions can massively affect your ability to concentrate. If you’re dealing with negative emotions by yourself, remember that professional support is available. Reaching out to your GP is the first step. 

It may sound annoyingly obvious, but it really is as simple as just starting.

Try the 3 second rule. Once you’ve thought of a task you need to do, start within 3 seconds. Just put down your phone, get up off the sofa, sit at your desk and start writing. Just write whatever comes to mind without worrying whether it’s good. You’ll find it 10 times easier to keep going once you’ve written that first line.

Break down tasks into manageable chunks 

Got a 3,000 word essay to write? First, just focus on the planning, then the introduction. Try not to let yourself think about the enormity of the task as a whole, but chip away at it bit by bit by working on it in bite-size pieces.

This will mean giving yourself longer to finish the task than you might normally - so you’ll have to be organised!

Study in short bursts

If you’re really struggling to make yourself study the topics you don’t like (quadratic equations, anyone?), try doing it in short bursts, alternating it with the things you like studying best. You could also try starting the day by doing a quick 30 minutes’ work on a particularly unpleasant project before moving on to other things. Getting it out of the way first will make the rest of the day so much more manageable. 

Make studying fun! 

If you still lack motivation, why not try making a game out of it?

If you’re exchanging messages with a classmate, add a revision question or fact to the end of every one, set a timer and race against yourself to find the answer to study questions or make a revision quiz with friends. There are also a whole host of online learning tools that can help make learning fun: why not try the geography games on Sporcle, or the GCSE science quizzes on BBC Bitesize? 

Get Creative! 

Why not try pulling together motivational quotes or images that speak to you and making a poster that you can stick above your desk? (Post-it notes work well too!)

Find Motivation Online

You could try watching motivational videos on YouTube, listening to motivational speeches, reading interviews with people who inspire you or professionals from the field you want to go into. 

Ask for Help

There’s no shame in asking for help from friends, family, teachers or neighbours.

We’re not always strong enough to overcome chronic procrastination on our own. Confide in a teacher or family member if you’re finding it impossible to get down to work; they may be able to offer advice you hadn’t thought of.

If you’re struggling with a particular subject, ask your teacher if they can go over the areas you don’t understand after school. Tell your family your study plan and get your parents to check up on you if you’re worried about getting distracted.

If your family members work from home, you could try studying alongside them. It can be motivating to be around people who are working (not studying!), and the presence of a disciplinary figure may stop you reaching for your phone.

When you’re feeling busy, stressed or overworked it’s easy to let basic self-care fall by the wayside. 

But it’s actually one of the most important ways you can help yourself as you’re studying. Make sure you’re doing the following things if you want to get the most out of your study time. 

Get a good night’s sleep

Sleep is so important for both memory and concentration: the quality of your studies will be vastly reduced by staying up late to cram in last minute work. 

Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and dedicate extra time to winding down before bed in periods of intense study. Your mind will likely be whirring with everything you’ve learnt that day and you’ll need longer to switch off. 

Meditation can be a useful tool here. 

Just 5 minutes spent consciously relaxing and emptying your mind before bed can make it so much easier to drift off, and can improve the quality of your sleep when you do. Apps like  Calm ,  Headspace ,  Balance  and  Insight Timer  have plenty of free, sleep-specific exercises you can try. 

You should also try to limit your screen time an hour before you go to bed. If this isn’t realistic for you, you can at least filter that sleep-disrupting blue light from your laptop and phone screens. You can usually do this in ‘settings’ - check online if you’re not sure how. 

Eat a balanced diet 

When you’re spending long hours revising it can be tempting to reach for sugary snacks and energy drinks to help you power through (where else are you going to get that dopamine hit?).

Try to stay strong, though. 

Sugary snacks will inevitably cause an energy crash later that could mess with your concentration. 

Keep healthy snacks on hand to help stave off cravings. Apples, bananas, nuts, oatcakes, brown rice cakes or energy bars are all good options, although look out for bars with lots of added sugar. 

At lunchtime, try to choose foods that are high in fibre and protein. Soups that contain lots of vegetables, beans or lentils make a good choice. 

Stay Hydrated

Make sure you drink plenty of water. 

Staying hydrated is essential to keep your brain functioning at the optimum level. In fact, research has shown that drinking water can improve exam grades !

Keep a water bottle on your desk at all times to encourage you to drink more. 

According to The Eatwell Guide, we should be drinking 6-8 cups of liquid a day, but hot drinks do count towards this (good news if you’re an avid tea or coffee drinker!). If you’re looking for a healthier caffeine hit, green tea is a great choice.

Exercise  

Research shows that exercise can actually help boost cognitive performance and energy levels, whilst also releasing mood-enhancing endorphins.

Why not try going for a run or bike ride, or doing some yoga before you start studying? 

And finally… 

Good luck! 

We hope you now feel equipped to smash those assignments and exams - you’ve got this!

Take a look at our  immersive career programmes ! We offer career experiences for  medicine ,  dentistry ,  art ,  architecture ,  engineering ,  entrepreneurship ,  law , veterinary practice  and more. Choose from 28 of the world’s most desirable industries and get expert advice on how to succeed.

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How to Stay Motivated to Study (Even When You Just Want to Sleep)

A degree takes a longgg time to achieve. You might start your studying journey fresh and perky and ready to learn. But that positivity and motivated attitude will sometimes abandon you and leave you struggling to drag yourself to your desk to study.

In this blog post you’ll discover:

• That low motivation is normal and doesn’t make you a bad student
• 13 techniques to help you stay motivated throughout your studies

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How to Actually START Your Essay

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1. Accept feeling unmotivated is normal

Even the most driven, hard-working people experience times when they CANNOT be bothered to do anything. Just because you sometimes feel like this it doesn't mean you’re a failure or a permanently unmotivated person.

For example, I’m super excited about my business. I enjoy the work, I have lots to do and a plan to achieve it. But sometimes I sit down on the sofa for a minute thinking about what I have to do…and I just cannot drag myself up.

You need to accept that sometimes you won’t want to study. You’ll have to find techniques ( like those in this post ) to help you feel more motivated so you can push through.

2. Write down your reasons for studying

Take 5-10 minutes and think about your reasons for studying. Take some paper and see if you can answer the following questions:

· Why did you start studying?

· What do you love about learning, the subject or your course?

· Do you have a dream your studying will help you achieve?

· Are you trying to prove something to yourself?

· Are you studying for someone or in memory of someone?

Write down at least 2-3 reasons and keep this sheet of paper near you when you study. You could stick it above your desk or in the front of a notebook. Any time you feel a little crappy or unmotivated, look at your list and remind yourself why you’re doing this.

If some of your reasons are future related ( e.g. I’m studying to pursue my dream career ), try to visualise yourself in this future state. Picture yourself at your graduation or going to work in a new job or career.

Visualising your future success may help you stay motivated in your present.

3. Recognise your achievements

Hands up who’s heavy workload often means you start working on the next assignment as soon as one is submitted?

As a busy student you may forget to recognise your achievements but this is so important if you want to keep your motivation to study high. As well as keeping a to do list you could also create an achievements list. Note down every task you complete so you can look back at the end of your study session and feel proud of the forward steps you’ve made.

4. Try to stay on track

Do you ever get that feeling where you have so much studying to do and you feel so overwhelmed…that you do nothing and have a little lie down instead?? *don’t say it’s just me!*

If you fall behind with your studies you can start to feel overwhelmed and unmotivated, which can result in you falling even further behind.

On the other hand, if you try to always stay on track or even ahead of schedule you’ll gain momentum in your studies and feel more motivated to keep going. Check out this post for 13 ways you can catch up on your studies if you’ve fallen behind.

5. Find some motivational quotes

We need two things to get shit done: motivation and action.

If you are lacking motivation you may struggle to take any action and choose to procrastinate instead ( we’ve all been there! ). Likewise, you may get obsessed with finding motivational quotes or watching inspirational videos…and forget to use this motivation to do something and make progress.

Zig Ziglar explains the value of motivational quotes...

‘People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.’

So I would recommend seeking motivation or inspiration every day. Keep your eye out on social media or in books for quotes that motivate you. You could create a small list you can refer to when you need a boost. You could ( quickly ) look for a quote at the beginning of each study session and write it on a sticky note to keep next to you. Whenever you’re lacking motivation, read the quote, embrace the message then crack on.

6. Reward your hard work

You will be more motivated to study if you have something to look forward to after. Plan a reward for the end of every study session. This could be an early night with a new book, a hot bath, your favourite chocolate, or anything. It doesn’t have to be a big reward, just something that will make you happy and more motivated to study right now.

Download my study planner (from the resource library) which prompts you to choose a reward for each study session.

There are other times you might want to plan a study reward. To stay motivated throughout your studies you could plan a reward for every week or month you are on track and complete your work on time. You could also plan rewards for after big assignments or exams.

7. Time will pass anyway

Never give up on something or postpone starting something just because of the time it will take. You may have put off starting university or you may be putting off signing up for your next module because studying takes so damn long. But remember, the time will go past anyway so you might as well spend it developing yourself and improving your life.

If you put something off for a few years those years will go by nonetheless and you will have missed out. It can be hard to stay motivated when you think about how many years of studying you have left. But don’t postpone doing something you know you want to do and that will improve your life.

8. Just 25 minutes

We’ve all had times when the thought of having to study for a whole evening just makes you want to groan ( or cry ). So one technique to help you be motivated to study is to tell yourself you’ll just study for 25 minutes. Anyone can study for such a short time.

Work out what small task you’re going to work on, get rid of any distractions around you and set a timer for 25 minutes. Work your butt off for that time and don’t allow your attention to switch to browsing the Internet or daydreaming. After those 25 minutes you’ll have completed one Pomodoro ( yay! ) and, hopefully, you’ll have completed your task. If you study knowing you can stop after 25 minutes, you’ll normally find you feel you can carry on. The short intensive burst of studying will have helped you gain momentum and hopefully you’ll feel motivated to continue. If you do, try another 25 minutes.

9. Find less taxing study tasks

Sometimes you know you have to study but you just don’t want to. Maybe you don’t feel that great, your tired or your brain just doesn’t want to work. Just because you’re lacking motivation does not mean you can get a free pass to ditch studying and relax.

‘You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days you feel good’ – Jerry West

Instead, find some study tasks to do that are less taxing on your brain. Click here for 15 things to do when you don’t feel like studying.

10. Disrupt your pattern

Have you ever sat on the sofa knowing you need to get up and study, but you can’t move?

Sometimes the only way to break out of an unmotivated funk is to disrupt your behaviour. Rather than forcing yourself to go to your desk, try to summon the energy to do something different. Go outside for a walk, even just round the block. Take a shower or put some loud music on and sing loudly or dance about for a few minutes. These small things might be enough to disrupt the lethargy and get you motivated to get some work done.

For more ideas for how to study even when you’re tired, check out t his blog post.

11. Set realistic study goals

I used to write daily to do lists with 15-20 tasks to complete. This was setting myself up for failure as 90% of the time I finished the day with uncompleted tasks remaining – even if I was crazy productive.

So I’ve learned to be more realistic with my study goals. If your study tasks are regularly taking much longer than you expect then perhaps you need to adjust your expectations? Rather than feeling crappy and unmotivated that you only did three out of the five things on your list, why not just set yourself the task of three things?

Now this isn’t an invitation to slack off and achieve less each day. You want to make sure you’re stretching yourself and working hard, but setting unrealistic goals will just leave you feeling unmotivated e.g. trying to complete twenty hours of reading in one day. Instead, start paying attention to how long tasks are taking you and use this knowledge to plan your study goals in future.

12. Eat the frog or quick wins?

There are two different techniques you can use to gain momentum and motivation at the start of each study session. You need to work out which one will be the best for you, and this may change depending on the situation.

The first technique is to ‘eat the ugly frog first’ . If I told you at some point today you have to eat two frogs, how would you do this? Some of you might say you’d leave it to the end of the day, but then those frogs are hanging over you and could leave you unmotivated to do anything else. So instead, you should ‘eat the ugly frog first’ to get it out the way. If you have a large or difficult study task to do this method explains you should tackle it first. If you do this you might realise the task wasn’t as bad as you thought and you should feel more motivated to tackle the less tricky tasks next.

The second technique is the ‘quick wins’ method. If you really struggle with staying motivated you might find it more effective to ease yourself into your study session. If you do a super easy task first you’ll gain satisfaction from ticking something off your list and you’ll hopefully feel more motivated to tackle the rest of your tasks.

So which method do you choose? If you’ve got a big task you keep putting off and is distracting you then tackle that first with the ‘eat the ugly frog’ technique. But if low motivation is really crippling you, try for a ‘quick win’ instead.

13. Make a task smaller

If you look down at your to do list and see the task, ‘write essay’ you’re likely to feel overwhelmed and thus unmotivated. Instead, split your large tasks up into smaller sub-tasks. Doing this will allow you to see progress as you complete and tick off each task which can help you stay motivated to continue.

So some possible sub-tasks of writing an essay could be:

· Create your essay document

· Brainstorm some ideas

· Plan your essay sections

· Draft your introduction

For help on starting your essay the right way, check out this blog post .

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How to Motivate Students to Learn Essay

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How to Motivate Students in the Classroom: Essay Introduction

How to motivate learners to learn, how to motivate students: essay conclusion, works cited.

Wondering how to motivate students in the classroom? Essay examples like this one will help you find the answer! Learn here about lack of motivation in college students, the importance of addressing this issue, the role of a teacher in motivating students, and factors influencing motivation.

It is not quite strange to see many schoolchildren and students eager to learn. However, many of these learners require or anticipate their teachers to hearten, challenge, and stimulate them to learn. In the contemporary learning environments, many distracters prevent the learners from effective learning both inside and outside classroom.

Thus, the ability of schoolchildren and students to learn effectively depends on the teacher’s capability to preserve the enthusiasm, which brought learners to their learning environment. It does not matter the level of motivation the learners bring into the classroom because the occurrences within the classroom affects motivation of learners, positively or negatively.

Regrettably, there is no solitary modus operandi of motivating learners. Among the very many factors that affect the motivation of learners, include interest in a given area, an aspiration to achieve, self-confidence, doggedness, expediency of knowledge and determination.

The motivating factors such as principles, wishes, needs and wants vary from on student to another meaning. For example, to some, endorsement of others is the biggest motivation, while to others, winning is a motivation factor (Barbara, p.1).

Motivation is an act of promoting power in students so that they engage in useful learning activities. In most cases, motivation falls into two classes: extrinsic and intrinsic. A new teacher can find these two types of motivation so challenging. However, as a person trained to impart knowledge into students, a teacher is the primary source of motivation.

For example, when a teacher gives a token to a troublesome student in exchange of reverential behavior, we call this extrinsic behavior. Research shows that teachers can motivate students by giving learners some tokens. Under extrinsic motivation, the teacher uses anticipation as a factor to motivate students.

On the other hand, intrinsic motivation involves the inner longing of a student to perform well and follow rules. Thus, intrinsic motivation does not rely on material things in order to motivate students.

Although material things can motivate students to learn, research show that it is not long lasting. Thus, teachers should develop intrinsic modalities of motivating students to learn. For example, in order to motivate students to learn, a teacher should praise students whenever they perform well or portray excellent behavior and ethics, particularly before other students.

Although this appears like an extrinsic motivator, it provides a positive feedback that is imperative in boosting the student’s echelon of intrinsic motivation. Thus, new educators should praise students effectively in order to motivate them to learn. (Brophy, 40-44).

Teachers should ensure that they create lesson plans that increase intrinsic motivation in students. For example, before engaging in a new concept, a teacher should take some time to dwell on the previous learnt concepts.

This will enable students to connect their individual lives with the reading materials. Additionally, teachers should use recognizable examples whenever they engage in new concepts thus, making learning so interesting to students.

Another way that a teacher can apply to motivate students to learn is by encouraging students discover new ideas and ask questions on what they did not grasp well. Sometimes, students fear asking questions in class fearing embarrassment. Clearly, this affects the intrinsic motivation of students negatively.

Thus, teachers should create a good classroom environment where learners feel free to ask questions that will motivate them to learn. Do not tolerate malevolent comments and nasty hilarity in the classroom, as some students feel embarrassed. Moreover, teachers should cultivate a sense of unity among students, which will enable them learn from one another whenever they get involved in learning activities (Brophy, 45-48).

Research shows that teachers have a positive impact in motivating students to learn. Thus, the motivation of students to learn largely depends on educators. From the instructor’s zeal to relevance of materials to organization of the course, teachers can motivate students to learn and achieve better grades.

Barbara, Gross. Motivating Students. 1999. Web.

Brophy, Jere. Synthesis of Research for Motivating Students to Learn. Educational Leadership, 45(2), 1987, 40-48.

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Some people say that the hardest step in studying is to get started. Once you have taken the first step, the rest is easy, they suggest.

Other people, however, find it difficult to stay motivated when studying, especially when the end seems a long way away.

This situation arises, for example, when you are revising for exams that are still some months away. It can also be difficult to keep up the motivation with a long or extended piece of work, such as an extended essay or dissertation, or even a professional qualification.

This page provides some advice to help you remain motivated while studying, and can also be used by parents to help motivate young people and children studying for exams.

A Strategy for You

There is no single strategy that will work for everyone in supporting ongoing motivation.

However, there are plenty of options that you can try, to see if they work for you. If they do, you should incorporate them into your ongoing strategy. If not, then put them aside and try something else.

The important thing is whether your strategy keeps you motivated, not whether other people agree with you.

Here, therefore, are our top tips for staying motivated.

1. Break the task down into manageable chunks

A big task, such as writing a dissertation, or revising for an extended period, can be demotivating because it seems so big.

Breaking the task down into manageable chunks can therefore help make it seem less daunting.

For example, if you are undertaking a piece of research leading to a dissertation, you might set yourself a period of time to do your literature review. After that, you would plan to develop a proposal for your research methods within a certain period, then do the research. As you start to pull together your results, you may realise that you need to do more research, so that part might be iterative. The point is to have clear sections and tasks to do, to make it simpler.

You may find our pages on Project Planning and Project Management helpful here.

2. Keep your end goal in mind—but also use interim goals on the way

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to remember why you are studying in the first place.

‘ Getting good exam results ’ is not necessarily very motivating. Instead, you need to look beyond that to what the exam results will get you, whether that is a place at your chosen school or university, or a new job. The more detail you can provide for your goal, the easier it will be to keep in mind.

However, even an end goal may not be enough to keep you going, especially over a long period.

A system of interim goals and suitable rewards may also be needed. This is likely to be particularly true for children and young people who are starting a long period of study for the first time, and who may find it harder to see the end point, but also applies to others. You will need to work out whether you are better with a small reward daily, or after each task, or a rather bigger reward saved up for the week or month.

Suitable rewards include time off, treats and visits, but should be things that you really want, to keep you motivated. Set yourself a budget ahead of time if necessary.

For more about this, see our pages on Setting Personal Goals and Perseverance .

3. Get into a study routine

It is generally easier to stay motivated if your studying becomes part of your everyday life and routine.

For example, you might choose to get up an hour earlier, and spend that hour studying each day, or work every other evening, or perhaps study for one day a week. That way, it is easier to avoid being distracted during your study time, because you know that it is set aside for a purpose. Your friends and family will also get to know when your study time happens, and hopefully avoid you then.

You should also ensure that when you start your study period, you minimise distractions. For example, put away or switch off your phone, so that you are not tempted to check it.

For more about this, see our pages on Time Management and Minimising Distractions .

4. Try different study approaches

Especially when you first start studying, you will not necessarily know what works for you.

It is therefore worth trying different approaches, to see which you find most productive.

It is also worth varying your studying to keep you interested. Some days you may want to look at one subject, and try another on a different day. You may also find it helpful to vary your style of working. You could, for example, try working in different places, and varying whether you work alone or with friends.

You could also try different types of activities. Options include reading over your notes, writing a mind map or drawing pictures, making up songs or poems to help you remember facts, doing practice questions, or even teaching something to your friends, and having them teach you something you find difficult. Meeting as a group to share and discuss exam answers prepared by each person can give you a helpful critique of your own answer, and also help you think of other ideas.

It all helps to keep you interested and motivated, and stop you getting stale.

This need for variety is another reason to break your studying down into tasks, so that you can start a new one if you are finding one especially hard to manage.

For more ideas for different ways to study, try our Top Tips for Studying , and our page on Learning Styles .

5. Don’t let your studying take over your life

When you start a long course of study, whether a degree course or a period of study for professional exams, it can feel like it is all-important. This is especially true when exams loom.

However, it is important not to allow your studying to take over your life.

Especially when you are going to be studying for some months, or even years, you need to make sure that you build in time for family, friends, and exercise, to keep you feeling healthy in mind and body.

For more about this, see our pages on Personal Skills for Mind and Body .

There is no ‘one size fits all’

There are plenty of people to tell you that they have the answer to staying motivated while studying. They may have the answer for them , but only you can work out the answer for you.

This page may, however, provide some ideas to help you work out a strategy that will work for you. You may also find our quick quiz, How Self-Motivated are You? helpful.

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Motivation Essay | Essay on Motivation for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Motivation Essay:   Motivation is important in life because it helps us gain valued results like personal growth, better well-being, enhanced performance, or a sense of confidence. Motivation is a road to improve our way of feeling, thinking, and behaving. The advantages of motivation are seen in our way of living life.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Motivation for Students and Kids in English

If you are searching for an essay on motivation, you will find below two different articles that you can use to complete your class assignments. Here is the best long essay on motivation for the students of classes 7, 8, 9, and 10. Short essay on Motivation is helpful for students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.

Long Essay on Motivation 500 Words in English

Motivation is an essential factor that changes positive thought into instant action. It switches a great idea into action and can undoubtedly affect the world around you. However, not all are born with motivation. People sometimes have disbelief in themselves; they often say, “I can’t do that” or “the timing is not right.” Being demotivated means living a life as a worn-out machine. Your life will become dull without any spark. So, to gain inner peace and satisfaction in life, you must always stay motivated.

Motivation is a force to push you closer toward your dream. If Steve Jobs lacked the motivation to launch Apple, you would not get an iPhone or iPad. It gives you a purpose to live you with a forever smile on the face. Thus, realizing and working on your self-motivation skills will make you capable of taking control of different aspects of life.

The critical elements of self-motivation are resilience and optimism. The former will help you bounce back during difficult times, whereas later, you will show you a brighter side ahead. This way, you will be able to control your emotions that are holding you back.

You need to locate the right motivation for you to get your spark back. You can find motivation from a wide range of effective sources, for example, from quotes, books, videos, parents, teachers, and even nature. Ultimately, you’ll learn rational thinking to overcome negative emotions when you are motivated in life.

Motivation also helps in making you active in life. You will struggle more to fulfill your goals. A self-motivated person always discovers a way to understand the issues hindering the path to complete a task. Moreover, they do not require other people’s support to accomplish a challenging task close to them.

Hence, motivation is one of the vital factors to be successful in any phase of your life. Whether personal or professional events both demand a person to stay positive to achieve the goals. As a motivated person, you will always try to push your limits and develop your performance level every day.

Moreover, you will continuously thrive on giving your best during every task. You will see that you remain dedicated and progressive towards the objectives of life. Lastly, your dreams and goals will come true as you always aimed.

So, always stay motivated in life without losing hope. When you stay motivated each day, it’ll push you closer to your goals. Learn to remain calm when you go through any hard day. It’s an excellent habit and must be applied in life. As a result, all your negative thoughts will start fading away.

Short Essay on Motivation 200 Words in English

No doubt, a person goes through many types of difficulties in life. Some people lose hope and think of quitting. But is this the right step? Absolutely not. Failing once does not mean there is nothing left in life. There is always a way to fight back the hard times to achieve what you desire.

Whether you’re a school-going kid or a business owner, you lose the track and feel demotivated somewhere in life. But never lose hope, you can work towards your betterment by regaining your motivation.

If anytime in life, you feel hard to fight back and lose motivation, read positive quotes, or watch motivational videos online. You can even put the inspirational quotes on your walls. All you need is positivity and motivation in life. You’ll see soon after that you start tackling challenges one step at a time. Slowly you will reach the destination of success and will feel proud of yourself.

We will typically do our best when we have enough motivation. Motivation makes us do things correctly and perform well. You have higher odds of succeeding when you are fully inspired and put effort. It’ll help you give your best during every situation of life. So always work on your motivation.

10 Lines on Motivation Essay

• Motivation is significant for the overall growth of your mind as well as personality.
• It helps you focus on your goals based on values and skills.
• Motivation is a necessary resource to improve and work productively during changing times as well as threats.
• It boosts your desire to achieve a meaningful life goal.
• You can listen to speeches, videos, read books, or quotes from inspirational people to rework on your lost motivation.
• You will learn to fight your fears and negative thoughts when you are motivated.
• Motivation helps professionals to be positive and happy while working hard to achieve goals.
• When you are motivated, you learn to organize and prioritize your life.
• Motivation help students to concentrate and work hard in the class.
• It awakens the sense of meaning in life.

FAQ’s on Motivation Essay

Question 1. Why do we need motivation in life?

Answer: Motivation is vital because it helps you achieve your goals and become the happiest person by never losing hope.

Question 2. What does motivation teach us?

Answer: You will learn to be self-confident, patient, optimistic, skills, time management, and fighting against your fears.

Question 3. How can I regain motivation in life?

Answer: You can read inspirational books, listen to seminars, and put inspirational quotes on the wall or desk to stay motivated in life.

Question 4. What are the benefits of staying motivated?

Answer: Motivation gives job satisfaction, boosts student engagement, improves relationships, and makes you successful.

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Inspiration Behind My Motivation to Study Abroad

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