How to stay motivated in college | 10 Tips to help you stay focused in 2022
If you’re here, then it means that you’ve probably lost your motivation to be in college. If you’re feeling unmotivated and wondering how to stay motivated in college, this blog post is just for you.
A common misconception about success is that success comes from people who are highly motivated, however that could not be further from the truth.
With all that being said though, your lacking motivation is completely normal.
Without further ado, here are;
Table of Contents
10 Tips to help you stay motivated in college
1. Set goals
Goal setting is a simple yet effective way to stay motivated in college.
Setting goals allows us to have something to work towards, which is going to help keep you on track throughout your college semesters.
Can start with simple goals like;
- Attend all your classes
- Make a new classroom buddy
- Score a certain number of points in an assignment or a quiz
The objective is to keep the goals simple and easy to achieve.
2. Have your ‘why’
The second step to help you stay motivated in college is to have your ‘why’.
Simply reminding yourself why you chose to attend college can be a huge motivating factor.
Perhaps you’re the first in your family to attend college, or perhaps you’re the first one to start and have a prospect of actually completing your degree program.
Whatever your reasons are, use them to help yourself stay motivated throughout college semesters.
3. Create a vision board
The third thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to create a vision board.
Think of this vision board as a special vision board that is college centric.
Unlike your other vision boards, think of this as your college vision board that helps you remember;
- why you choose to attend college
- why you need to do well
- And why you need to stay focused.
4. Take classes you enjoy
The first thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to simply take classes you enjoy.
This particular type is going to be threefold.
First, you need to ensure that you’re taking a program that you love or at least like.
You can accomplish this by taking a trip down to the college career office. This is the college office that handles things to do with helping you discover your interest as well as major and minor selection.
Once you’ve gotten assistance from the college career office, and you’re taking a program that you love or at least like, ensured that you are also selecting classes from professors who come highly recommended.
Take classes with professors who came highly recommended based on the teaching style that you respond to best. This could either be a lecture-style or a seminar-style.
5. Select class timings that work for you
The fifth thing you could do to stay motivated in college is to select class timings that work for you.
Think about the time of day when you are the most alert and the most receptive to new information.
Are you a morning person, or are you a night owl?
Depending on your productivity personality type, you can either select classes in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening.
6. Take on only what you can handle
The sixth thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to only take on what you can handle.
This is going to be twofold.
The first part of this is going to be on academics. The second part of this is going to be work and social.
For academics, only take on as many courses or units as you can comfortably handle at a time.
For work and social, ensure that you have a good balance. Work on getting comfortable saying no to going out on the weekends when you know that you have work or study to do this way you don’t get overwhelmed or burnt out.
7. Surround yourself with like-minded friends
The 7th thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to simply surround yourself with like-minded friends.
With everything that goes on on college campuses, it can become increasingly easy to get derailed.
Depending on whether you’re a full-time student or working part-time, it’s important for you to have like-minded friends who understand your schedule or your circumstances.
If you’re a full-time student with a part-time job, you need to have friends who are also taking on the same load as you.
This is important because when you’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, you have friends to talk to who understand your circumstances exactly.
8. Reach out for help when needed
The eighth thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to reach out for help when you need it.
The college counseling office is open every single day of the week for a reason.
College counselors are on campus almost 24/7 because they know that College can be overwhelming. It’s your responsibility to reach out to them and get guidance if and when you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.
9. Have a healthy study to social life balance
The 9th thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to simply have a healthy college to study to life balance.
As a college student, it should go without saying that your academics are your number one priority.
If you also happen to have a part-time job that supports you or partially pays for your tuition, then your part-time job is automatically your second priority.
This means that automatically, your social life becomes third place in terms of priority.
As long as this priority list remains clear, you are bound to succeed and stay motivated in college.
10. Do your best
The 10th and final thing you can do to stay motivated in college is to simply do your best.
This tip might seem silly, but let me explain.
When we know that we’re doing our best and that we’re giving 110% to everything we’re doing, it becomes easier for us to forgive ourselves when we fall short.
On the other hand, when we know that we’re not putting in our full effort, we tend to get unmotivated because we’re not happy with the results.
By that logic, it’s in your best interest as a college student to ensure that you are given 110% to your academics and your part-time job.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you’re feeling unmotivated, it is completely normal.
However, with these 10 helpful tips on how to stay motivated in college, you are guaranteed to stay motivated and focused.
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