BY: SYMONE CONWAY
College is not easy. After midterms and homecoming, it can be incredibly difficult to keep up the motivation and self discipline to get work done. And while the deadlines may seem only a few days or weeks away, the semester goes by very fast. It’s over before we know it. In order to get over the hump of a lack of motivation, we have to first realize that the battle is psychological. Once accepting that, it’s easy to stay focused on work.
How is it psychological? We make time for what we want. Say you didn’t have the energy to finish a history paper, but your friends called you to come over and watch a movie and now you have energy to get up and be social. It’s mainly a matter of priorities, focusing on the bigger picture, and the fear of failure.
Oftentimes, we get comfortable in our procrastination. We say that we always get it done eventually, so there’s no rush. Or others will say they work better under pressure. This level of comfort in waiting until the last minute promotes laziness and even sloppy work. It’s important to remember that just because we have time does not mean we should waste it.
In my opinion, the best way to stay motivated is operant conditioning. This tactic is a method of learning that relies on rewards and punishments to modify behavior. A very simple way to motivate yourself would be allowing yourself to go out (or other things you may want to do) ONLY given that you complete one small task a day. Daily/weekly goals can allow us to stay on track, stay focused, and not get overwhelmed. The same way there’s a psychological component to the lack of motivation, there is also a psychological component to keeping yourself academically stable. It can be overwhelming to keep up with all the tasks we need to complete. To-Do lists and other checklists can be extremely useful with staying on track.
Another way to stay motivated is through prayer. While accepting the fact that everyone may not be religious, for those that are, calling upon God to provide you with strength, motivation, guidance, discipline, inspiration and energy can keep you moving forward. There is a lot we can accomplish with the help of a higher power we have a lot of faith in. When God is on your side, God is going to work things out for you.
As young adults, we cannot let outside activities distract us from the big picture of why we are here. If we chase good times instead of the degree, we lose sight of what is really important. The balance between staying on top of things and having fun is what allows us to live stress free.