How Can You Motivate Yourself To Study?

How many times have you found yourself shying away from the books and making up reasons why you should spend time with classmates? All students are guilty of procrastinating studying and doing homework. Students who procrastinate are more likely to have low self-confidence, high anxiety, and are more frustrated than their peers. Especially in high school and college, getting good grades becomes more of a competition. Meanwhile, poor grades are cause for embarrassment. The fear of failure alone can deter anyone from studying, especially when it comes to a subject they are not well-versed in. As a student, and if you are a student with a job, finding motivation after a long day’s work is difficult. There are plenty of reasons why you should procrastinate but more reasons you should stay motivated and continue with your studies.

Still not sure you can remedy the situation of finding the motivation to study? Take a look at the following three tips on how you can motivate yourself to study.

Pinpoint what’s causing you to procrastinate

The first step is acknowledging that you are procrastinating. Finding out the reason why will help you to overcome your lack of motivation to study. Oxford Learning explains the main reasons students procrastinate are because they lack motivation, fear failure, or don’t understand the subject. Once you know what is causing your resistance to sit down and hit the books, find out what you can do to remedy the situation. Don’t like the subject or have trouble understanding it? Take advantage of office hours, join a study group, or get a tutor. There is nothing to be ashamed of in asking for help.

Give yourself reasons to study

Don’t run away and instead think about all the good things that come out of studying. Some common reasons students report that keep them motivated are:

• It could be the difference between pass or fail
• The thought of deserving better
• This is all you ever wanted
• You want yourself and others to be proud of you
• For your career
• For the money
• To prove that you can do it
• To be a better person in life and in business
• To be able to do what you want to do and live your life to the fullest

Can you relate to one or more of these reasons? Make that your goal instead of the natural response, “I am supposed to get good grades.” That’s the easy answer to this complex equation. Go beyond that answer and incorporate a detailed response to one of these reasons.

Be kind to yourself

It’s something that many students experience, getting punished or humiliated for getting poor grades. Growing up with this mentality can cause you to either push yourself too hard or not push yourself enough. Visualize yourself starting, working through problems (be it on your own or seeking out help without the fear of judgment), and being aware of your schedule. Take breaks often and give yourself a chance to recoup after a study session. The infamous thirty minutes working, then taking a break for thirty minutes, is a popular and successful routine to practice. 

Get to studying right now. It’s not going to be easy, especially if it is a subject you don’t like but are required to take to get your degree. It is going to be worth it in the end; you wait and see. Are you still struggling to get through your studies? Iris Reading has you covered with our video-based training course on personal productivity. In this course, you’ll learn the science behind procrastinating and strategies to avoid it. We’ll also show you ways to better manage your time, make better decisions on how you spend your time, and improve your focus. Click the link to learn more today!