A great result in studying is not possible to achieve if one studies without interest. That is a well-known maxim, which, however, doesn’t prevent millions of students across the world from losing their passion for studies and failing to succeed. This happens for an obvious reason – because students simply don’t know how to keep their interest in studies at a high level. Follow this article to learn some simple techniques on how not to lose interest in your studies.
Motivation – the King of Success
Just as with many other things in life, motivation is the basis for success in studies. It is a driver of students’ interest and passion. How come some students are highly motivated to study and learn new things, while others fail to show any significant interest?
Motivation comes from within. It is an inner driver characterized by a strong desire to do something and to achieve goals. Some people, e.g. college freshmen, approach their studies from day one with strong motivation, while others need a long time and multiple external incentives to show any meaningful motivation. This is partially due to a presence or a lack of sufficient integrity, on the one hand, and natural talents (skills and capabilities), on the other. It’s hard not to agree that when you constantly fail a certain exam or are unable to learn a complex subject (such as math), you may lose motivation to keep trying over time.
To keep your motivation high, it is critically important to be aware of your talents and capabilities, so that when you approach college, you make conscious choices of what to study and where you can succeed. After all, not everyone is born to be a great mathematician; there is a high demand in society for nurses, caregivers, carpenters, salesmen, etc.
Set Ambitious Goals
Goal setting is important, while setting ambitious goals is even more important. When your goal is ambitious enough, it will keep you interested and motivated. You won’t achieve it easily, but by moving towards it incrementally, step-by-step, you will develop a habit of keeping yourself mobilized and energized toward the desired outcome. The best specialists in motivation recommend setting almost unachievable goals, or goals that can only be reached within months and years, not weeks or days.
In your journey towards an ambitious goal, you should celebrate small successes and reward yourself. For example, you aim to learn a new language, e.g. Spanish, and work meticulously towards that goal. On your way, you can achieve and celebrate smaller milestones, for instance, learning the first 1000 words in Spanish, or being able to understand by ear the lyrics of your favorite Spanish song.
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Alternate Between Various Activities
When you focus on studying something too much, you may quickly lose energy and interest. Our brains simply don’t work like that, we are not machines. We need breaks and changing activities. For instance, while learning Spanish, you can learn to play piano, plan to improve your physics class grades, study chemistry with passion, etc.
Once you distract yourself with other activities on campus, other disciplines, and classes, you will notice that returning to your primary goals (learning Spanish) fills you with new energy and desire. Your brain has already rested (and processed loads of new knowledge, as cognitive biologists say) and is ready to make another leap toward your primary goals.
Don’t Forget About Resting!
And finally, even if our studies are bringing joy and adding motivation (at least we have learned to do so in the previous steps), we all need a bit of rest. On campus, resting can be really fun. You can socialize more with your friends, go into active sports, watch movies, play computer games, and do many other interesting things.
Some would prefer to just take it easy and not do any active things at all – spending a weekend at home, watching a favorite TV show, reading a book, or playing a computer game. The trick is to put your body and mind to rest and return to your studies energized.
Either way, taking a rest will help you maintain your focus and interest in your studies. Just don’t rest too much – taking too long breaks might make you forget some things and skills you already learned.
