For university and college students, studying is an essential part of the learning process. But sometimes, despite your best intentions, motivating yourself to sit down and crack open a textbook or write that essay can be tricky. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Here are some tips on how to study when you don’t want to.
The first thing that needs to be said is: it’s not easy studying when you don’t want to. But that’s okay. We’re all in the same boat. Whether you’re trying to earn a degree, pass a certification exam, or just learn something new, it’s always hard to stay motivated and focused on studying when you don’t want to do anything else.
Don’t rely on motivation
Motivation is a fickle thing, and it’s not something you can rely on to get anything done. You need to look at the bigger picture: if you want to learn something, the best thing to do is make it into a habit.
On top of that, plenty of things can be done when you’re feeling unmotivated — it’s just a matter of recognizing them and making them happen.
If you find yourself in a slump, try these little tricks to get motivated:
- Break up your assignments into smaller tasks
Working on one enormous task can seem overwhelming and daunting, making it harder for you to focus or stay motivated. Breaking up the task into smaller chunks of work makes it easier for you to tackle each part with more ease and less stress.
- Set deadlines
Knowing that there’s a timeline helps provide structure and motivation for completing the task at hand. This also eliminates procrastination since there is an additional level of pressure from having a deadline looming over your head.
- Reward yourself
So, how to study when you don’t want to? Treating yourself after completing a certain amount of work helps keep the momentum going because you have something else enjoyable to look forward to after putting in some effort and getting closer to completing your goal. It can be anything from taking a break with friends, going out for ice cream, or just having some time alone watching Netflix! This way, studying will feel less like a chore and more like something enjoyable.
- Change your environment
Sometimes our surroundings may be more distracting than motivating so if possible change where you are studying, whether that means learning at a different location (library, coffee shop) or just changing the scenery within your current workspace (cleaning up desk area).
- Create a routine
Once you have your plan in place, create a routine for yourself that works around it. Make sure you schedule ample breaks throughout the day so you won’t burn out too quickly. Find ways to reward yourself for completing tasks — whether going for a walk outside or enjoying a snack — so that studying becomes enjoyable rather than dreaded.
- Take breaks
Allowing yourself regular breaks throughout studying helps reset your mind while allowing you time away from any distractions that could potentially hinder progress and have an impact on overall productivity levels as well as concentration when returning back to study mode. Listening to a podcast or reading an article that is related to your studies can help recharge your mind and put a fresh perspective on whatever it is you’re trying to learn.
- Stay organized
Staying organized will help keep track of what’s due when, which allows for better planning ahead and prioritizing tasks more efficiently so that things don’t pile up unexpectedly come finals week! Make use of tools such as calendars, lists, notes, etc., to help stay focused on what needs to be done first which will help reduce stress levels as well as increase motivation levels overall.
- Set realistic goals
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the tasks on your list, so it’s essential to set realistic goals for yourself each day. Break things down into manageable chunks and prioritize what needs to be done first before tackling anything else. Smaller achievable goals are more motivating than trying to do everything at once!
- Keep track of progress
Keeping track of how much progress has been made gives us better insight into what still needs to be done. Nevertheless, it provides us with tangible information on how far we’ve gone already, which can be rewarding in itself, knowing all the effort put in has resulted in actual progress being made towards completion!
Conclusion
Studying doesn’t always come easy, but with practice comes improvement! Utilizing these tips & tricks, along with finding out what works best for YOU specifically, will help ensure that studying isn’t such a chore anymore but rather something that provides rewards all its own! With enough persistence, dedication, and determination, anyone can become top student material — so don’t give up just yet! Happy studying everyone!