Best Strategies to Increase your Motivation

Nov 19, 2015

Mustafa and Saadi were the habitual back-benchers in the class.While the teachers explained academic concepts in the class, these two boys stared blankly at the blackboard, their books open in front of them – but their minds wandering far away. While Saadi chewed his pencil absent-mindedly, eleven-year-old Mustafa tried to copy the notes in his exercise book – while all he was doing was actually waiting for the session to be over!Now, Mustafa and Saadi represent the numerous students who lack the motivation to pay attention in class and learn their lessons.

Why do some Students Lack Motivation?

Lack of motivation among students can be attributed to several reasons. One of the most common factors that lead to a decline in the energy levels of students is the presence of learning disorders like ‘ADHD’ or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Such students find it challenging to concentrate during lectures.Memorizing definitions might also be a tricky task for them.However, these students too have immense potential to shine with brilliant grades and lifelong success if they are aware of the appropriate techniques to make themselves self-motivated. Some of the most successful personalities like Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison and several others had been once diagnosed with ADHD.But then, they gradually overcame their learning issues and grew up to accomplish their goals and gain worldwide recognition for their outstanding contribution in various fields.Another reason why motivation is absent in students is: inability to complete the assignments given in class.

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They are simply unable to analyze, think critically and present the answers appropriately. This triggers in them a tendency to doze off during classroom sessions or lectures. And since the basic concepts of a particular subject remain a mystery, such students end up yawning continuously in the classroom!

How Students can Increase their Motivation

You would find that it is much easier to focus on your lessons when you are highly motivated. Motivation is not a miracle that can be ushered unto your system overnight. It needs to be cultivated over a prolonged period of time, with a great deal of patience and perseverance, dear students.Let us read about some of the best strategies to increase your motivation levels.

#1. Encourage Positive Thoughts

First of all, you need to develop an optimistic mindset in order to boost your motivation levels. You should be determined to achieve success despite all odds or challenges that might engulf you anytime.For this purpose, it is important for you to listen to your own thoughts, as well as your words.Listen carefully to what you have been saying to yourself and also others. Do you often find yourself saying, “I can never do it” or “It is impossible to complete this task!”? Or, do you talk negatively about yourself to your friends? For instance, certain students possess the habit of putting themselves down by saying, “I am not good in Math and always score miserably in my school exams. Math is just not my cup of tea.”

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Instead, start sounding more positive.Tell yourself, “I can do everything, and shall give my best shot in all my endeavors.” Encourage ‘positive self-talk’ like this. You can also think about the things you are great at, like English, and feel good about it.

#2. Make a List of your Accomplishments

Next, you need to make a list of all your achievements.Remind yourself about the things in which you have succeeded in the past. Did you obtain the highest grades in Biology in the eight standard? Or, did you beat your competitors in the inter-school debate competition that was organized by your school last week? What is that ‘happy memory’ of an accomplishment that is fresh in your mind?Do include exams and other types of assessments in the list you are trying to make.At the same time, do not forget to mention the last time you learnt to cook a certain dish successfully or learnt to play the piano well. If you have succeeded once, be assured that you can win once more, again and again. Look at this list of achievements every time you are anxious about your grades or disappointed about a low outcome in a particular assignment.You need to think about the tactics you had employed to earn success in the past. Do not be reluctant to use those strategies once more.

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#3. Study in Groups

Have you been trying to balance the Chemical equations for the last forty-five minutes but unfortunately have not been able to solve more than three out of fifteen equations? If yes, you really need to study in groups.Form a study group with like-minded people. Your group must contain people who share your fears, so that you can relate to them.Now, make attempts in solving the equations once more. Whenever you stumble against difficulties, consult with your peers. When you work on lessons together, you would realize that they turn out to be simpler. Not only that, but it also makes learning more fun and interesting.Similarly, if one of your group members fails to complete a particular equation or any other exercise, you can assist her in doing so.Group studies go a long way in motivating students to revise their lessons thoroughly and prepare themselves for exams. When you study along with five other students, your energy levels shoot up and so does your enthusiasm to study harder. Moreover, it also creates a platform for healthy competition.

#4. Set Realistic Goals

I agree that you should strive for the best. Having said that, you also need to master the talent of setting manageable goals that are realistic enough because, you might be overwhelmed by the amount of tasks you need to complete.You can go about this by dividing larger tasks into smaller and more manageable chunks of work.Next, you need to set a deadline for completing those tasks. For instance, you have received an English assignment, in which you are required to answer long questions related to Julius Caesar. You have five questions, and each of the answers is at least two pages long.Immediately, you feel you have got a blow, and sit at your desk with your hands pressed against your head!

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Please relax, for when there is a will, there is definitely a way. Firstly, go through the textbook of Julius Caesar. Read the conversations between the characters carefully before you answer the questions. Then, select two questions that seem the easiest and answer them. Once you are done, take a ten-minute break before you proceed to the next ones.

#5. Plan your Studies

Work hard, but work systematically.If you are experiencing a lack of enthusiasm to study hard, ask yourself the reason for it. And of course, contemplate about the learning processes that you have been employing. You must be able to identify as to which learning techniques work for you and which are the ones that might prove to be detrimental for you.Some students continue to use learning tactics that do not enable them to score good grades, just for the simple reason that they have always been using them!This might not be a very good idea, especially when you are grooming yourself for your exams. Therefore, you need to plan your lessons well. For this, you should make a time table that you can follow daily when you sit down to study. In this study schedule, specify the time frame that you would dedicate to studying every subject.

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If you feel that the strategies that you have been utilizing are not working for you, then you need to think about new ones or make modifications to the existing ones.

#6. Ask your Teacher for Help

Have you modified your learning processes to suit your requirements but yet to cope up with the academic pressure?If your answer is yes, then I would suggest you approach your teacher and request her for her assistance. For instance, if you observe that you have been consistently scoring poor grades in Math, it is high time you speak to your Math teacher in school. Talk to her about the challenges you have been confronting in the subject.If you have been struggling with Calculus problems, do not hesitate to share it with your teacher.Most of the times, students are scared to share their struggles with their teacher fearing they would be scolded or punished. But, this is not true. Students must offer teachers their honest feedback regularly, particularly after lecture sessions or presentations!I am sure your teacher would help you deal with the subject that has been tough for you to manage.For example, your teacher might make it easier for you to remember the Calculus formulae by making you write them at least five times before every Math session at school.

#7. Take Control of your Studies

I have come across certain students who give excuses for not studying. For example, they say that they are too exhausted to revise their lessons or have too many responsibilities to deal with before they can sit down to study.Let me tell you, you need to bid farewell to all kinds of excuses if you are keen to increase your motivation quotient!Take control of your studies and do not miss any opportunity to keep imbibing knowledge. Welcome knowledge in all forms – be it through the lectures of your teacher, textbooks, the notes offered by your teacher or the different websites that you might be surfing through. Start taking responsibilities of your academics.So, what are the excuses that make you procrastinate your studies?Make a list of all the excuses you are ready with, for not completing your assignments or your projects on time. If you are skipping your lessons because you need to catch up with your friends, think again. Make a time-table and leave some time aside for leisure every day.

#8. Reward Yourself

Last but not the least, you should reward yourself when you make new achievements!For instance, if you complete a Physics experiment successfully, you can treat yourself to your favorite ice-cream. Rewards might be big or small, but the idea is to appreciate your efforts to learn your lessons successfully and not procrastinate! You can watch your favorite television show or go for a walk with your friend after you have achieved your goal.Everybody loves rewards.Therefore, if you offer yourself rewards for celebrating your little successes, you would automatically feel encouraged to complete your assignments within the specified deadline!These are some of the most effective strategies that would enable you to escalate your motivation levels considerably. So, the next time you think about skipping your lessons because you must attend a party, think twice, and try to motivate yourself. Know your priorities and you shall emerge victorious soon!

Article Posted in: Student Tips

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