When you go to university, a large aspect of the experience is the actual learning, but it is not always as simple as sitting through lectures and naturally doing well. Realistically, there will have been times throughout A-levels, and there will be times during university, when you lack motivation to want to do well and study hard.
There is not a straightforward fix to make sure you are constantly sticking to your academic goals, but these next few tips could be utilised in all years of your degree, as a way to harness motivation when you need that push to keep developing onwards and making the most of your degree.
Having a calendar keeps deadlines visual.
I would recommend a virtual app version specifically. Being able to have your deadlines, events, part-time shifts and other personal reminders all visually colour-coded on a device you use daily is a great way to make sure you are not letting important events get missed.
Motivation can quickly decline if you easily find yourself stressed and confused about your tasks and deadlines. By using a well-organised, user-friendly calendar app on your phone, you can reduce deadline anxiety and gain a clearer, more motivating view of your month ahead.
Set goals to look forward to and ways to reward yourself afterwards.
Goals range in size and the timeframe you expect to complete them in. You might have a larger, long-term goal, possibly at a certain company doing a specific role, that you can use to motivate your studies in the long run, or you may prefer having shorter-term checkpoints you’d like to set.
Making sure you feel like there’s meaning behind the work you’re doing and why you want to do well at it is great in motivating you across the year. An example of setting a goal could be as small as making sure you finish your weekly quizzes before a certain day of the week so that any possible scheduled shows or events you have planned later on can be enjoyed, guilt-free of deadlines.
Make sure technology software is up to date.
Slow devices can demotivate you from doing work. Something as simple as keeping your computer updated and deleting unneeded, old large files can help keep your device healthy and quick to run so that you are not struggling to complete assignments and constantly waiting for your device to load.
Once my computer was so slow to process my project files that it corrupted my document and I had to start hours of work all over again which largely demotivated me from wanting to carry on. I would imagine no one would want this to happen to them.
Decorate your room and have fun with stationery.
Inviting surroundings makes you more productive. Nobody wants to work in a dark and messy, uninviting room. Maybe you are the type to like to invest in nice stationery or a decorated room so that your work environment at home is as well stocked and pretty as it can be.
Shops such as Ikea, the Range, TK Maxx or the home section in Primark are filled with many items you can buy to uniquely decorate your desk and living space so that it is an inviting environment to want to sit in to study.
After all this, is your course right for you?
Of course, there is a restricted period in which you can change or switch your course, but if you are finding that you are never motivated to want to complete your work, maybe your specific course is not right for you and you would benefit from doing something you find more interesting.
At the end of the day, everyone is different and no two people have the exact same preferences on how to stay motivated. Just making sure you are enjoying your course and making an effort to keep up to date with deadlines will benefit you in the long run. University is just one chapter in your life’s journey, and it’s worth keeping in mind all the exciting opportunities that lie beyond your degree. Stay focused and optimistic, and you’ll set yourself up for a fulfilling future.
