6 Ways to Improve Your Motivation to Study
Almost everyone who has ever attended an educational institution has experienced what it is like to be seated in front of a computer while looking at a screen that is completely empty. They were holding out hope that their term paper would compose itself.
Or they have attempted to study a textbook, only to discover that after reading the same paragraph 10 times, they still do not comprehend what they have read.
Or maybe they came to the conclusion that they would rather spend their time clearing the mess from beneath their bed than really studying in the first place.
Simply said, academic work may be a bit of a drag at times. It is challenging to get started on a task when you have an overwhelming quantity of work to do as well as a hundred other things that you would rather be doing. Completing the task becomes much more challenging.
You are in luck because there are a few straightforward strategies that are supported by scientific research that may help you discover and maintain your motivation.
What is Motivation to Study?
The term “motivate” originates from a Latin phrase that may be translated as “to move.” But the question of what makes someone want to learn more has been at the forefront of discussion in the field of science.
According to the findings of certain studies, the researchers feel that one’s drive to learn might originate either from inside or from beyond. An innate urge to study as much as humanly feasible might be a source of motivation for you. You could also be driven to study by an external incentive, such as a high grade, a fantastic job, or the promise of a vehicle made by a friend or family member.
Recent studies have shown that the elements that influence a person’s desire to study are varied, and the majority of these factors are within our sphere of influence to influence. More than seventy papers were evaluated by Rory Lazowski of James Madison University and Chris Hulleman of the University of Virginia to determine the factors that inspire students in educational settings. They submitted their work to the journal Review of Educational Research, where it was published under the title “Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review.”
Lazowski and Hulleman came to the conclusion that there are a variety of techniques that, when implemented, result in consistently beneficial outcomes. In this article, I will discuss seven strategies that you are most likely to find useful in breaking through the boundaries that you have set up in your own studies and advancing your own education.
1. Set Clear Goals
It’s possible that you’ve told yourself, “My objective is to graduate, obtain a decent job, and become wealthy.” Even if it’s a commendable goal in and of itself, it’s unlikely that achieving it would benefit you in the day-to-day operations of your school.
If you want to enhance your desire to study, the objectives you set for yourself need to be a little bit more tangible. Students who declare nebulous academic objectives, such as “I’ll simply do the best I can,” have been shown to have lower grade point averages than students who set specific academic goals. This finding is supported by research.
Make it your objective to get a “A” grade on a certain examination that pertains to a specific topic. You might also make the decision to educate yourself on a certain idea to the fullest extent possible because you believe it will benefit you in the actual world.
Establish a deadline for your homework that will compel you to complete an assignment before it is due so that you may review it before giving it in. This will allow you to get better grades overall. No matter what the objective is, you need to make sure it is explicit, relevant, and timely.
2. Don’t Just Shoot For Performance, Go For Mastery
There is nothing more disheartening than putting in a lot of effort to prepare for an exam, only to get a mark that is lower than what you had anticipated receiving. When they get to this stage, a lot of students throw their hands up in the air and exclaim, “If this is what happens to me when I study, why should I study?”
Fight against the temptation.
Examples of performance objectives include the marks you obtain on a test. If your end goal is to get a “A,” but you don’t stretch beyond that, you might only study the things that you think will be on the test, but not necessarily the things that will give you mastery of the concept. If this is your goal, you might not study the things that will give you mastery of the concept.
Students who regularly work toward mastery of their subjects and make an effort to grasp the material being taught will nearly always notice an improvement in their academic performance as a consequence.
Your drive to learn might be boosted when you set mastery objectives for yourself. If you really want to know everything there is to know about something, you are less inclined to put off beginning the process of learning it.
3. Take Responsibility for Your Learning
It might be quite tempting to place the blame for one’s grades on someone or something else. The instructor does not care about you. They never really taught you anything that was on the exam. Your homework assignment is irrelevant in this situation. When you put the responsibility for your performance on other people or circumstances, you increase the likelihood that you will do badly on assessments, assignments, and projects.
When it comes to getting oneself motivated to study, taking responsibility for your own education may make a world of difference. The realization that you are in control of what you learn may serve two purposes: first, it can motivate you to begin studying, and second, it can keep you continuing when other things compete for your attention and threaten to pull it away.
When you are in the midst of a task the next time you feel the need to stop and do anything else, give yourself a moment to pause. Take a few deep breaths. The next step is to publicly declare, “No one is going to figure this out for me.” It’s possible that you’ll be shocked at how hearing those words affects your ability to concentrate.
4. Adopt a Growth Mindset
There are still many who hold the view that intelligence is either innate or acquired (or not). And there is not much that can be done to change it. Research has demonstrated, on the other hand, that successful individuals have a tendency to assume that intelligence is something that can be developed throughout the course of one’s life. These individuals have an attitude that is conducive to progress.
People who have a growth mindset have a tendency to believe, “I don’t know this yet, but if I study hard, I will learn it.” This is a response that they have when their intellect is tested by challenging ideas or tough projects.
Researchers discovered that having the mindset that your brain may become stronger when you take on challenging tasks not only enhances your ability to grasp the material you are studying, but it also improves your grades and boosts your willingness to put in the effort required to learn it.
Remember to tell yourself, “I don’t know this yet, but if I study hard, I will learn it,” the next time you are confronted with a blank screen or a challenging section of a textbook.
