With only five weeks left in this semester it’s a common time for students to start to lose motivation. Lately, I myself have felt this lack of motivation, I find myself wanting to go home and nap for the rest of the day instead of making that afternoon trip to the library. And even if I do make it to the library I find myself focusing on social media more than my homework anyway. As a result, I did some research and put together a list of ways to stay motivated through the rest of the semester.
- Day Dream
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This idea might sound like the opposite of being productive, but i’ve really found daydreaming to help me reorient my focus. I like to imagine the type of place I want to live when I graduate, or the trips i’d like to afford, and remind myself that all this work i’m doing now is propelling me towards this future. I’ve even spent time drawing pictures of my future home or creating travel pinterest boards. Once I bring myself back to the present I feel a new source of motivation to stay on top of my work.
- Short-term Goals
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Although thinking about the future can help, another thing I like to do is set short-term goals. Sometimes it helps for me to create a short list of everything I’d like to accomplish in a sitting and being able to physically check these things off the list reminds me of the progress I’m making. In addition, you could make this even more exciting and add a treat for yourself if you finish everything on your list.
- Accepting What’s Possible and What’s Not
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A lot of the times that I tend to lose motivation, it’s because I feel like I’ll never accomplish everything I want to. I think it’s important to stay on top of all your assignments and plan for the best, but at the same time to understand there’s always room to adjust for what you can actually accomplish. I’m not saying to slack off on all your homework, but to realize sometimes you’ll have to sacrifice one part of an assignment to focus on something more important and that’s okay.
- Add Time for Other Activities
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Finally, a really important thing I like to incorporate into my schedule is time for myself. I know how hard this gets when classes pile on and the workload starts to build, but I find that I make more use of my study time if I do other things throughout the week as well. A lot of people say exercise is the best break for your mental and physical self and that’s what I want to start incorporating in to my schedule for the rest of the semester. Another thing you could do, is spend some time being creative such as drawing or writing. I think any outlet that is different from what you do for class and that you enjoy is a good break.