Reigniting Your Motivation for College
Many of us enter college with big dreams and high expectations, but as our time in college drags on, it begins to seem as though it will never end. When you lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s easy to feel yourself losing the motivation to go to class or finish that term paper. However, procrastinating leads to slipping grades, which can negatively affect your future career. If you find your inspiration and drive are starting to fade, try these methods for reigniting your motivation while in college.
One of the most common reasons that college students begin to lose their motivation is that the reward for their hard work seems so far off in the future. Your time as a student begins to drag on, with the end goal remaining out of sight.
Here are eight quick tips, and two sound methods that can and will reignite your motivation for college.
Eight Quick Tips
Reward. While in college continuously take time out to identify and write down all of your successes, your small, medium and large wins. Then create unique and fun ways to reward yourself for your efforts.
Engage. When you find yourself dragging and feeling unmotivated for college… re-engage yourself to the big picture, to why you’re there in first place. Get a few magazines, cut out a few pictures, and create a collage of what your future will look and be like as a result of you staying motivated and graduating from college.
Imagine. Think back to how excited you and your family were when you headed off to college. Recapture that excitement, energy and enthusiasm. It’s still there, go to it!
Get Involved. In college you are never alone! Go to your Student Life or Student Activities Department, and ask them for ideas or opportunities on how you can get more involved in the college experience. You might be amazed to find out what’s been available to you since day one of your college experience.
Nurture Your Feelings. You’re human, and you’ll always have emotions and feelings—nurture them. Acknowledge the fact that you’re unmotivated, create a planned strategy on how you’re going to get yourself back to being motivated again, and execute your new updated plan.
Invite in Family and Friends. We win in life with people, this includes family and friends. If you find yourself unmotivated in college, reach out to and communicate honestly with caring and supportive family members and friends. Let them know what’s going on and why. Ask them to suggest ideas to you for how you can get yourself motivated and flowing again. Again, you’re never alone in your college experience.
Talk to Your Advisor or Professor. Again, you’re never alone in your college experience. If you’re unmotivated, go to your advisor or a college professor that you’ve grown to trust and like, and ask them for ideas on helping you find your way through this period of demotivation. These are professionals who work with students all the time who have reached a point of being unmotivated while in college.
Elevate Your Spirits. Sometimes when a college student becomes unmotivated—all he / she needs is a break from the norm to get their spirits and motivation soaring again. It’s been said again and again, “All work and no play can definitely make a college student feel dull, bored, burnt out, unmotivated, dragging, and more.” Get up, get out, connect with a few of your college friends, and go have some good – safe and positive – fun for a change. Smile, laugh, listen to music, dance, go to a campus event, do something fun off campus, or do something recreational. Do something – safe and positive – that will elevate your spirits and get you motivated again for college!
Two Sound Methods
The easiest way to prevent the loss of motivation while in college is to set many smaller goals, with more immediate rewards for success. You can use this method in almost any academic situation to give you the extra push you need to be motivated to succeed. If you are struggling to complete a homework assignment, try promising yourself a drink or a dessert as a reward for completion. When you find yourself unable to focus on studying, try offering yourself a fifteen minute break of absolutely free time to give your mind a rest. On a grander scale, set a goal for your GPA each semester and give yourself a bigger reward for achieving it, like a big purchase or a vacation. Setting goals that have a shorter time frame and a more immediate reward is a great way to push through procrastination.
If you’re still struggling with reigniting your motivation while in college, take a look at your career goals after college. Some college students have chosen a career and others haven’t, but almost all college students chose their degree program with the intent to help them achieve their career goals. A great way to get yourself excited about your education is to try getting a part time job or internship in your desired field. If you have chosen your career path, a job or internship will not only help motivate you to succeed academically, it will make an excellent start to your resume for your future job hunts. Those who haven’t decided on a career path can use part time jobs and internships to discover the different options that are available to them and ignite their passion for their future career. No matter where you are in your career planning, getting involved with your industry is a great way to try reigniting your motivation, again-and-again, while in college.
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Ty Howard is the Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the online magazine, MOTIVATION (www.MOTIVATIONmagazine.com). He’s also an internationally recognized authority on college student, faculty and staff development for peak performance and optimal success. Ty Howard is the creator and lead facilitator of the trademarked “Untie the Knots® Optimal Performance Process,” and the author of the best-selling book Untie the Knots® That Tie Up Your Life: A Practical Guide to Freeing Yourself from Toxic Habits, Choices, People, and Relationships, as well as dozens of published articles on college student development and employee and organizational development worldwide. For information on his programs and services, visit: http://www.dynamiccollegespeaker.com.
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