fact, they often emphasise that once you have taken the first step, the rest is just a walk in the park.
However, some people find it challenging to stay motivated when studying, and the most challenging part is to keep studying even when the end seems a long way away. This often happens when students are reviewing for an exam that is still a few months away.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep the fire burning when there are several significant tasks to do like an extended dissertation or other school requirements that you need to comply for. That is why we put together some helpful tips to keep you motivated while studying, so you’ll have more grit and endurance in accomplishing your academic goals.
Some helpful strategies
There is no single perfect strategy that will work for everyone since each student will have different levels of willpower and motivation. The best thing to do is to try several methods, so you can see for yourself which one is best for you. It’s even possible to incorporate those effective methods in your strategy while setting aside options that are not as effective as you think.
Here are some strategies to consider:
- Break your task into small manageable chunks
When you’re studying for an extended period, it can be demotivating since there are a lot of things you need to cover. Therefore, it’s essential to break the tasks down into manageable chunks and make it less daunting.
You can create a daily, weekly, and monthly to-do list and schedule your tasks based on their priority level. You can set more challenging tasks on the top of your list or accomplish the easier ones first – it is all up to you. The main objective here is to have a clear map of tasks and requirements you need to do and when they should be accomplished. The more tasks you finish, the more motivated you’ll be in studying.
- Keep your end goal in mind, but reward short term goals along the way
One of the most effective ways of motivating yourself is to remember or understand why you’re studying in the first place. Getting a good result in your exam is not a good motivating factor, so try to look beyond your test results. You can picture yourself being chosen to a prestigious university or getting the dream job you’ve always wanted. The more detailed your goal is, the easier it will be to keep it in your mind.
Although short-term goals must also be rewarded like finishing your daily homework, so after each successful task, you’ll need to reward yourself with a treat or a time off. This will keep you motivated to accomplish more in the long run.
- Employ various study techniques
Most people think that long hours of studying are the best and most recommended path, but most successful students spend less time studying – they just do it more effectively. There are various study techniques you can use to effectively retain all those info like creating visual maps, summarising notes, flash cards, colour coding, grouping and sorting ideas in your notes.
You can also conduct practice exams to better prepare yourself before your test. All these techniques will make you more efficient and give you a better chance to nail those high marks on your exam. Remember, when you’re accomplishing your short-term goals like getting high marks on some of your quizzes and exams – you’re making yourself more confident and motivated to study more.
- Conduct a self-assessment
You can learn more about yourself by taking online assessments and there are several sites on the web that offer self-assessments. These will give you some insights on how you deal with procrastination, your level of concentration, learning style, and study habits.
It only takes five minutes to complete and you will immediately see your score and some recommendations on how you can improve yourself.
Overall, improving yourself as well as your study habits will make you more motivated since you’re getting the results that you’re aiming for.
Author Bio:
Amy is the founder of mathstutorsmelbourne.com.au and has been tutoring students in maths and science since 2007. Beginning her teaching career in 2011, Amy has developed great insight into the needs of a diverse range of student profiles, abilities and priorities. Amy’s main interests in education include: study skills, conceptual teaching and learning, differentiated teaching and learning, individualised lessons and assessments. Amy is an ambitious and creative problem solver and acknowledges her journey as a lifelong learner, always striving to better herself, challenge herself and extend her knowledge.