For some reason, the Spring semester has always been so much harder for me to come back to and be productive for versus the Fall semester. Every January that I have come back to campus for the Spring, I find myself already in a weird slump before even stepping foot in one of my classes. But, over the last three weeks, I have found ways for myself to stay motivated for the next three months and finish my junior year strong. Here are my tips and tricks on how to stay motivated during the Spring 2022 semester.
Make Weekend Plans
First, I like to make sure I have something on the weekend to look forward to. I find that with myself, if I have a fun activity or plans coming up, it motivates me to work hard and be productive. I use it as my reward and that is what allows me to want to stay focused to push through the work week. It doesn’t even have to be a big ordeal; it could be something as simple as having a movie night at my friends’ apartment. If it is something you find exciting, it will become the driving force to get you through what will probably be a very long week.
Routine is Key
The next tip is to build a routine for yourself. After the first week of a new semester, I get adjusted to my new routine and stick to it. Your routine can very much depend on your sleep schedule, so, if you tend to sleep in late, try getting up earlier so you feel good about maximizing the amount of hours in a day. For me personally, even though my classes are done by 2:15 p.m. at the latest, I use the rest of the hours in the day to go to the gym, work, study with friends, etc. Having a schedule allows you to keep track of what you are wanting to achieve in the day, week, or month. Once I realized that my routine allows me to get a lot accomplished and makes me feel good, it keeps me motivated to want to continue to do the same for the rest of the week.
Set goals and challenges
My last tip to stay motivated this spring semester is to set new goals and challenges for yourself all the time. I get that sometimes we say we have a certain goal and then never change it until we accomplish it, but that could be demotivating if it is unattainable for a long period of time. Having attainable goals allows you to feel good about yourself when you achieve them. That feeling will carry into the next task, and the next, and so on. Students are going to feel more motivated if they see that they can achieve a goal, therefore constantly creating multiple mini-goals and celebrating small victories is key to a successful semester.
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