Editorial: How to stay motivated throughout the semester
Emma Snavely, then-freshman in genetics, studies outside of Parks Library on May 2. “This environment makes me more productive, and it feels wrong to be inside because the weather is so nice,” Snavely said. During Dead Week, Parks Library is definitely the busiest place on campus. Students filter in and out all day trying to utilize the last bit of time to study before finals.
September 18, 2019
During the first week of classes, it is almost impossible to find a seat in your 8 a.m. class if you aren’t there half an hour early.
But come around this time of year, those early classes start to thin out, the assignments start to pile up and the weather is getting rainy and colder in the mornings. It’s easy to stay motivated in the beginning of the year when everyone else is, and when the library is full and campus is buzzing.
However, it isn’t very easy to keep that motivation after the first few weeks of classes. Rest assured, there are some things you can help counter this feeling and maintain the same level of productivity throughout the semester.
One way to keep your motivation up long-term is to work hard during the week, and then make sure to reward yourself during the weekend. If you push all your homework off until the weekend, you will be dreading the two days you have that are supposed to help you relax. It’s not hard to lose motivation when you spend your two free days catching up on all the work you should have done during the week.
Use your bits of free time throughout weekdays when you are already going to class and being productive to get your homework done before Friday. This will be more beneficial in the long run. When you are feeling unmotivated, think of how much better you will feel when items are checked off your to-do list and you can enjoy your weekend.
Another way to stay on top of your homework and assignments is to be around other people who are also motivated. Joining a study group with people in your class or major can keep you on track, and you can help keep each other accountable. But make sure everyone is dedicated to getting work done, because at times it can be easy to just sit and socialize.
Making sure to take breaks and reward yourself is also important to stay motivated. The thought of pushing through an overwhelming amount of work without stopping is enough to make you not even want to start in the first place. Motivate yourself with small breaks — such as 20 minutes of scrolling through twitter — but while you are working, try to keep your phone far away. It’s very easy to get distracted, but taking small phone breaks instead of not allowing yourself to look at all will help keep you motivated.
If you aren’t doing classwork because you are overwhelmed and don’t understand it, there are a lot of academic resources on campus to help you out. Having a tutor will not only help you understand the subject matter better, but will also be a good resource to prepare you for each class lecture.
