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How to Stay Motivated This Semester

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

If you’re like me, then finding out that we were coming back to Boston for this fall semester is what kept you going through the summer. It was difficult to imagine back then, thinking that you would be going to classes in person, that you would find out that all of your classes are online like I did. 

women with mug and laptop
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

This was especially hard for me because my parents and I made the decision that it was okay for me to come back to school as long as I had in-person classes, and now I do not. Finding motivation for something that I don’t get to see in real life is extremely difficult for me. Doing classes over Zoom and Blackboard is something that I struggled with last semester and continue to struggle with this semester. Now, finding motivation comes in different places for me. I hope that I can help you find some of your own. 

It helps me a lot to find a place that’s quiet and quaint to be able to focus on my work and only my work. Some examples of this are study rooms, cafés, and even the library when you can get a chance.

white ceramic mug on table
Photo by Danielle MacInnes from Unsplash

Another thing that helps me get my work done while also focusing on myself is listening to music and putting myself in a peaceful headspace. It may be difficult to try to only focus on your work with everything that’s going on in the world at the moment, especially when there are other potentially more important things to you. Closing yourself off and focusing solely on the screen of your computer can help motivate you to get things done quickly.

The final thing that I like to focus on is eating. Sometimes in a stressful environment, you forget to eat or not eat as much overall. What I like to do is always have a study snack with me, and maybe even try to keep it healthy, lol. My favorites include popcorn (especially the Trader Joe’s kind) or some kind of fruit. You can also go to a café like I stated earlier and get your favorite drink of choice. It’s fall time so I always love a good chai.

While the world may be in a difficult place at the time it’s important to get your work done and focus on your work and you. I hope my suggestions and things that help me also help you to get back into that fall grind.

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Emma is a junior at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in Women and Gender Studies, in the College of Arts and Sciences. When not in class you can find the New York native writing/reading with a chai in hand.