How to Find Motivation to Study

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This article was co-written by Jai Flicker. Jai Flicker is a tutor and CEO, founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area business that provides tutoring, parent support, exam preparation, college essay writing, and assessment. educational psychology assessment to help students change their attitudes towards learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.

There are 14 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

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When you have a ton of homework to do, doing it can seem like an impossible task. However, if you divide the exercise into small and manageable goals, you can complete the task more easily. Besides, you also need to mentally tune up before you start studying and plan to complete your goals. Instead of learning in a way that you don’t like, you can create ways that work best for you and handle the assignment that way. Don’t forget to start studying early to avoid being overwhelmed, but don’t blame yourself if you miss it.

Table of Contents

Maintain a sense of responsibility

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Be gentle with yourself even if you have a habit of procrastinating . If you’re a procrastinator or often lack the motivation to get started, blaming yourself will only make things worse. Don’t blame yourself or try to give yourself punishments for motivation. These patterns of behavior can be exhausting or distracting. Instead, you should be kind to yourself when you’re in trouble. Acknowledge the problem and remind yourself that it’s okay and you’re working to improve. ^{[1] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

Avoid comparing yourself to classmates who seem to work hard. Everyone has different learning and working methods; Therefore, you should focus on your own needs and abilities and not worry about what others are doing.

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Release your worries and feelings of “resistance” to overcome this barrier. Try writing all your thoughts down on paper to find out if there are any particular study-related anxieties or factors that keep you from learning. ^{[2] X Research Resources} Or, you could confide in a friend or classmate. Once you’ve cleared up the causes of your stress, you’ll put your negative emotions aside. Take a deep breath and tell yourself it’s time to adjust your thinking so you can start working on the exercise.

If talking to a friend seems to work, you need to make sure they’re willing to listen and that you don’t distract them from their studies.

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Let someone know your plan of action. After planning your study, you should share it with friends, classmates or relatives. Let them know that you just want to quickly complete the plan and overcome any challenges or obstacles ahead of time. Alternatively, you could ask them to come with you and check on your progress from time to time, or just let them know that you’ll be in touch once a few goals have been completed. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

While learning is a personal task that needs to be done alone, having a companion is a great motivator.
Team up with a classmate or roommate to encourage each other in the learning process.
Or, let a friend know that you can only meet them if you complete your goals by 9pm. You certainly don’t like letting your friends down and missing out on the fun; So, be motivated to learn by taking advantage of this need to avoid consequences.

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Study in a group or with a tutor so that you are more responsible for your studies. Study with a friend or group unless it distracts you. You need to exchange learning habits and interests with each other before starting to form a group to find teammates who are “fit in mind”. The next step is to agree on goals together and determine how and when to accomplish what has been set. If group study isn’t working, find a tutor who can further support your learning. You need to plan ahead to have a goal to strive for.

Find a tutor at your school or tutoring center.
When studying in groups, each person can volunteer to tackle a topic, and then share study materials with each other. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Find a classroom, prepare snacks, or turn learning into a game to increase excitement.
Start studying early in case your team members fall short of their goals, and make sure you have enough time to complete some subjects on your own.

Make a study plan

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Evaluate which study habits work best for you. You try to think about environmental factors and study skills that help you remember the lesson and do well on the test. Decide if you prefer to study alone in a quiet place or in a public place like a library or coffee shop that will help you focus better. ^{[5] X Research Source} Do you remember the lesson better when you look at your notes or when you read a textbook and review old assignments? This is the time to find the combination of factors that will help you become positive, motivated and focused to apply to future learning. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Think back to times when you’ve studied very effectively and times when you didn’t get the results you wanted, and then assess what factors aided or hindered your progress.
If you can build your own learning method, learning will be less stressful.

Mental preparation and study corner

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Take a walk or exercise to have a positive mindset. Pull yourself out of your moribund state with a few minutes of basic exercise. You can go outside and walk for about 10 minutes to get some fresh air. Relax with a swing of your arms and legs, or bounce around the room while listening to your favorite song.

These activities will energize you and help you feel better. In addition, they also make the brain switch to a receptive state, helping you learn more effectively. ^{[13] X Research Source}
If you can do this, you are setting the stage for a productive study session.

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Feel refreshed and choose comfortable clothing. If you feel tired and lack motivation, take a cold shower or wash your face to wake up. Choose clothes with soft materials that are comfortable on the skin and avoid clothes with labels that cause itching or that are too tight to distract you. You should choose casual and comfortable clothes. Make sure to dress appropriately for the weather and pack extra warm clothes if needed. Those with long hair should tie it up so that the hair does not fall out in front of them. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Make sure the clothes you wear to study don’t feel like pajamas to prevent drowsiness.

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Clean up the study corner and prepare all learning tools. Whether you study at your desk in your dorm room or at a coffee shop, clean your desk by taking out the trash first. Remove everything unrelated to study from your desk. ^{[15] X Research Source} If needed, you can set everything aside for now to clean up later. After cleaning the table, you will put on it all kinds of books, exercises, notebooks, pens, highlighters, sticky notes and other tools needed for the job. ^{[16] X Research Source}

When choosing a study corner, you need to avoid distractions. Choose a position with your back to the refrigerator or window if they distract you. Do not sit at the same table with friends to avoid disturbing each other.
Turn your study corner into a warm and inviting place to get excited about studying here. You can decorate the walls with photos of you and your friends, place a small potted plant on the table, and choose a comfortable chair to sit on.

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Connect your computer to a power source and turn off all unnecessary cards before you start studying. If you must study on a computer, close all windows or tabs that are not related to learning. Next, you’ll prepare for your studies by logging into your online learning account and opening the required PDF documents. Choose to sit near a power outlet and connect your computer to a power source before you start studying so your learning won’t be interrupted when your computer’s battery is low.

If you are easily distracted but need to use your computer to read documents or do research, consider getting your documents printed so you can focus. ^{[17] X Research Source}
If you need to use your computer to edit documents or view PDF documents, disconnect from the internet or choose to sit where there is no WiFi network so you don’t have the urge to go online.
When using the computer is not necessary for studying, you should turn off and away from the computer.

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Turn off your phone or put it on silent to avoid distractions. You probably don’t want to be caught up in your friends’ texts or on your loved one’s phone while you’re studying. If necessary, you should let others know that you are studying and need to disconnect for a while to focus. The next thing is to put the phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode or better yet, power it off. ^{[18] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

Keep your phone out of sight so you don’t have the urge to open it.

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Drink plenty of water and have snacks ready. You should drink plenty of water and bring a bottle of water so you don’t get thirsty while studying. Pack some peanuts, cereal bars or fruit to overcome hunger and add energy while studying. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Avoid studying immediately after eating a large meal; You will just feel sluggish and want to rest.
Don’t take a meal as a reward as your stomach will get distracted. Make sure you have snacks on hand to deal with hunger.
Avoid high-sugar snacks, fast foods and baked goods; These foods will give you a temporary source of energy and then quickly make you fall asleep.

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Listening to music makes learning more comfortable. In order not to be distracted, you should choose music without lyrics or songs with lyrics that you already know by heart to make them feel like they are mixed into the melody. Try playing back the same album or choose a radio-style playlist so you don’t waste time searching for songs.

The right music will relax the mind and increase the ability to concentrate. ^{[20] X Research Sources}
Try out refreshing classical piano music or your favorite guitar tunes or soundtrack.
Get excited with electronic music or relax with lo-fi tunes.
Search for a playlist dedicated to learning in your favorite music app to increase focus, such as “Music for Study” or “Music without lyrics for effective study.”

Solving exercises

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Push yourself to do the exercise for a few minutes to calm your anxiety. If you start to panic over the amount of work you need to do, remember that you’ll be less stressed when you get into action. You just need to warm up by focusing on completing the short and super easy exercise first. For example, you could start spending 5 minutes scrolling through a vocabulary list. Another way is to try the Pomodoro method by spending 25 minutes on each exercise. Time will go by very quickly and you will feel like you have achieved success.

After about 5 minutes, the “suffering” areas of the brain that alert you when you’re not ready to do an exercise become quiet.
With the Pomodoro method, every 25 minutes is called a Pomodoro, and you can incorporate an additional 5 minute quick break between each Pomodoro.
If 25 minutes seems too short, you should continue with your work after that time, the goal of this is to get you into action.

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Create a personal outline for each subject. This is useful when your teacher doesn’t give you an outline or if your current outline doesn’t really work with your learning method. Create an outline that works best for you. You can make flashcards, list the gist of topics you need to know, or write down all the questions you think you’ll get on the exam. Refer to the textbook to review the questions or turn the headings into questions. ^{[21] X Research Source}

For example, if the title of the book is “The human value of fairy tales”, your review question might be “How do you understand the human value of fairy tales?”.
Check out online outline templates for creative ideas.

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Create images that help you associate and remember ideas. If you’re a visual learner, create a mind map or Venn diagram to organize your topics. You will draw a diagram and use colors, arrows, and symbols to visualize the theme in the book. Or, link to topics and ideas by highlighting notes by color. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Instead of flipping through vocabulary in PDF documents or textbooks, you’ll write the vocabulary and its meanings on paper with colored pens to increase word retention.

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Remember information using mnemonic tricks . Here’s how to apply basic word tricks to carve information into memory. You can match initials to remember lists of words or ideas. Write a poem or rap to remember the name and date in the history or storyline of the novel you are reading. ^{[23] X Research Resources} Try searching the internet for “how to remember [subject name]” for suggestions or create your own mnemonic tips.

Try common memory tips such as: “When you need to sew iron armor, remember to go to the street and ask Ao Phi u” to remember the chemical activity series of metals: K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Ni, Sn, Pb, H, Cu, Hg, Ag, Pt, Au.
Use verses like “Multiply and divide first, add and subtract later” to remember the order of operations.

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Check out podcasts or YouTube videos to learn more about the subject. When you encounter a complex and confusing topic, try searching online for resources to further aid your learning. Spend 20 minutes watching a video that breaks down the topic in easy-to-understand terms, or pick up your phone to listen to a podcast on a biology topic relevant to your curriculum. Each presenter will explain the topic differently, so keep researching until you find the right method. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Set a time limit for you to complete your study plan and reward yourself by exploring another interesting topic once you’ve reached your goal.

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Reward yourself when you complete a learning goal. Think of a small reward for yourself when you reach your goal. If you’re still in class, you can take a short walk, eat a cereal bar, or listen to your favorite song. If you need to relax longer, watch a YouTube video or an episode of your favorite TV show, or spend 20-30 minutes on your hobby. When you’re done with your lesson, you can relax by playing games, going on social media to connect with friends, or going somewhere.

While food is a nice reward, it’s a good idea to avoid eating sugary foods before class so you don’t experience a sugar hangover. Save the sweets until the end of the class as a reward for your efforts.
If you want to reward yourself with a break from your study, remember that you still need to get back to studying. You should set a time limit for the break and don’t hear the voice in your head begging “just a few more minutes”.

Advice

If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or professor! Visit their office during office hours or ask if you can meet with them privately to discuss the topic of your study. Don’t forget to ask questions during class. When you ask questions, it shows that you are eager to learn and want to get good results in your studies.
Always get enough sleep so that you can remember well what you have learned. Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Try to fully record the lecture information in the class and arrange the lessons carefully. This is what helps you complete assignments, essays, and exams in the future.

Steps

Maintain a sense of responsibility

Make a study plan

Mental preparation and study corner

Solving exercises

Advice

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