College 101: Blog 8 of 8 – Staying Motivated

Even though the semester goes by quickly, it is hard to maintain a high level of motivation the entire time.  As a professor, I always hit a slump somewhere toward the middle, but the next day I had my excitement for teaching back.  Here are some ways to help yourself stay motivated:

• Set a grade point goal for the semester and post it where you can see it every morning, maybe on your mirror when you brush your teeth.
• Envision yourself working in your future career.
• If you do not have a specific career goal yet, envision yourself graduating and think how happy and proud you will be.
• For a class that you are not interested in:
• Set a timer for 20 minutes and study for that period of time.  Take a short break and resume f or another 20 if you are not done.
• Be careful how you talk to yourself about the class.  Stop complaining and see the class as a stepping stone in your academic career.
• Think about how the class is adding to your general knowledge as a well-rounded person.
• Act as if you are interested.  (I know this sounds odd, but my students tell me it works!!)
• Think about the benefit of making short-term sacrifices for long-term gain.  You can say no to a social event and go to the Library to study!
• Plan a fun event sometime in the future as a reward.  It is easier to work hard if there is something near term to look forward to.
• Post motivational quotes where you will see them.  My favorite that I have in my office is, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”  (Aristotle)
• Regularly take a few minutes to congratulate yourself on what you have accomplished.  Nothing makes working hard easier than seeing the positive results!

This concludes the eight-part series of college basics.   We’ll review studying and testing for the remainder of this fall semester – just in time for finals!

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First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.