“Push yourself because no one else is going to fight for you.”
Whoever said this said it very correctly because however people around you try to motivate you, you will not be able to succeed until and unless you give yourself that extra push to take that extra step. And know that this is especially true for students.
If you are willing to improve your academic performance but fail to do so despite constant support from your parents and teachers, there are high chances that you are not giving yourself the ultimate push.
It must be your inner voice telling you that you can do it. Below are a few tips that can help motivate you to study harder and perform better.
- Acknowledge the resistance
There must be, of course, a few resistance factors working which stop you from working hard. It can be your daily habits like oversleeping, watching Tv too much or losing interest while studying very quickly. But know that it is very important that you acknowledge the same. Psychologists say that at times to get rid of a few things, one needs to acknowledge them aloud. Even if not aloud, you can at least write them somewhere.
Try this: Before you sit to study for this semester, take a pen and a notebook, write all the distractions you want to discard and keep them on the study table. Nothing but your psychology works in a way that whenever you look at that book, you will tell yourself to avoid those practices. And in no time, you will be able to discard them easily.
- Do not fear taking up new tasks and challenges.
Not everybody is comfortable and confident about trying new things. But students’ life is all about taking up new challenges and expanding their horizon of knowledge. Take up these challenges. You might not realise it, but convincing yourself to do so is motivating yourself.
For instance, when your teacher is asking someone to plagiarism free essays and solve a sum on the board, try to be that candidate, of course, only if you know how to do it. But, believe me, when I say this, once you can do it successfully, you will have this inner urge to keep yourself updated with the syllabus so that you are prepared every time your teacher calls somebody to the board.
- Do not procrastinate
Procrastination is a huge problem. This will lead to delayed and poor preparation. Try to keep up your pace as per your classes. Try this for one semester or at least before a mid-semester test. Once you realise that the entire pressure is not piling up for the last night before the exam and you are getting enough time to revise, take rest and stay calm, you will naturally keep doing the same for all the upcoming mid-terms and the semesters.
- Analyse your learning style
Not every student has the same learning style. Different techniques work for different students. For instance, all-night study sessions may work fine for a few, but others may prefer early morning revisions. Several such factors sum up your learning style. Try to figure out the same and follow it every time you sit to study. This alone will overpower any other form of motivation.
- Do not compare your progress with others
The last thing that you would want to do is build up more insecurities by comparing your performance with that of your friends and peers. You must understand that not all of you have similar learning capabilities. Comparison with others should not be your measuring scale. Rather, compare your performance of a time with that of a previous one. Try to measure how much you have improved from the last time.
Irrespective of how small the improvement is, it proves that you can do better if you try hard.
- Set goals
When you have goals to achieve, you are left with no option but to work hard and harder. Initially, try out with small goals like finishing a lesson by the weekend. But with time, slowly keep increasing the goal. Trust me, even if you fail initially, with time and consistency, you will be able to achieve your goals easily and hassle-free.
- Do not multitask
When initially you are trying to work a little extra and get better scores, it is better to not overstuff yourself with tasks. Instead, do one task at a time and make sure to do it with full concentration. For example, suppose while you are preparing history answers, if you keep thinking about the pending maths homework, you will not be able to concentrate on any one of them. Also, trying to do a little bit of all can ultimately lead to zero learning.
So, better avoid that and focus on what you are doing at the moment.
- Talk about the problems you are facing.
While you are in the process, it is common to encounter problems and hurdles. It is better to not keep it to yourself and talk about the same to someone you think can help. This can be anybody, your instructor, your friend, or your parents. No need to be hesitant. Just talk about it. Their words of wisdom and advice can help you overcome the situation way more conveniently than you could have done by yourself.
- Stay consistent
All the small and big steps you are taking and all the changes you are making will not be fruitful if you are not consistent. So, whatever you do, you must make it a practice for the long run.
For example, staying up to date with buy coursework online for a week and not being so for the next one will not help you. Hence try to be patient and maintain consistency.
- Reward yourself
Last but not the least, start appreciating your progress and accomplishments irrespective of how small it is. This will help you stay motivated the entire time. For example, suppose you complete a lesson half an hour before time, then allow yourself a 15 mins break to celebrate the same. These small things will keep you excited and motivated for the rest of the study hours.
Parting Thoughts
Self-motivation is important in every phase of life. Then why not start it from the student days? Follow the above tips to keep yourself encouraged and see for yourself the difference in your performance in the upcoming semester.
About the Author
Charley Reiley is a high school statistics teacher in one of the prestigious schools in Australia. He is associated with MyAssignmenthelp.com to provide guidance to students.
