Get Motivated to Study

Have you ever sat down with your book and stared at the same words until you fall asleep? You know you should study but you just don't feel like it? Hopefully these ideas will help you get motivated to study.

Steps

Prepare Your Study Space

  1. Find a quiet space where you won't be distracted. This could be a library, a cafe, a room in your house, or anywhere else that is free from excessive noise and interruptions. Avoid places where you're likely to run into your friends.
  2. Stock up on study supplies. Make sure you have all the pens, pencils, paper, highlighters, and Post-Its you need. You don't want to interrupt your study time to get more.
  3. Keep a small stash of water and snacks by your side. People are more productive when they're hydrated and taking steady sips of water will help stave off thirst. Small snacks like peanuts, granola bars or fruit will help keep you energized.
    • Avoid fast food and pastries. This includes pizza, hamburgers, nachos, doughnuts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and croissants. These foods will give you a short energy rush that quickly turns into sleepiness.

Remove Your Distractions

  1. Wear comfortable clothing. Little things like having to pull up your trousers can eat away at your concentration. Wear clothes that are familiar, fit loosely, and don't constrict you.
    • If you have long hair, tie it back so that it doesn't fall into your eyes.
  2. Put your cellphone on silent. You do not want to be taking calls from friends and family members when you're trying to study. Let them know in advance that you need time to study, if you think they'll be concerned. Better yet, just place it on silent and keep it somewhere out of view so you won't be tempted to keep taking a sneak peek.
  3. If possible, turn off your computer. Unless you absolutely need it for studying, turn the computer off. Likewise, stay away from public computers. It's a minefield of potential distractions. It's all too easy to tell yourself "I just want to check my e-mail" or "Let me just look at this bit of celebrity gossip." Before you know it, you've wasted a whole hour.
    • If you do need to use the computer as a research tool, consider printing out the information once you get it so that you're not tempted to open up another browser window and check your Facebook status. If you're really tempted to go on social sites, why not deactivate for a little while?
    • If you need to use the computer solely as a word processor, think about temporarily turning off your Internet access.

Set Study Goals

  1. Set concrete goals for your study session. Think in specific, achievable goals instead of vague generalities. Instead of telling yourself, "I have to get good at math," think of a specific goal such as, "I will learn how to graph a quadratic equation." Achieving this goal will make you feel accomplished at the end of your study session.
  2. Reward yourself when you complete your goal. Think of a small way to reward yourself when you've met your goal. If you're in the middle of a study session, you can take a quick walk, eat a granola bar, or listen to a favorite song. If you've finished your study session, then feel free to have some fun by playing games, talking to friends, or watching a video.
    • If you decide to reward yourself with a quick break from studying, remember that you will eventually have to get back to work. Set a time limit for your break and don't listen to the voice in your head saying, "Just a few more minutes."
  3. Think of what you will achieve by studying. In order to keep up a positive attitude, try to visualize the good things that will come to you by studying. Imagine getting a good score on a test, receiving praise from your teacher, or the good college you might be planning to attend. Although studying is sometimes boring and hard, thinking of the end result will keep you pushing ahead.

Prepare Yourself

  1. Make a study schedule. Set aside a specific block of time for studying for each day that you need it rather than telling yourself vaguely, "I'll have to study sometime this week." Planning it out will make it easier to stick to your resolution.
  2. Do not procrastinate. Don't wait until the last minute to study for a big exam or read a 90-page chapter. If it is assigned Monday and due Friday, start on Monday and finish early in the week so you don't have to worry about it at the last minute.

Get Started

  1. Just get started! Sometimes that can be the hardest part. If your study schedule looks too daunting, set a smaller goal. Consider reading half of the chapter today and half tomorrow. Just do one or two problems from the workbook. Remember that it is always better to do a little now than end up doing nothing at all.

Tips

  • Using a cell phone is a big NO while studying. Switch it off and put it away while you are studying! A lot of people get distracted by their phone. Put it in a drawer or give it to your parents and tell them at what time you want to get it back.
  • Stick with it! Sacrifice what you do today for what you will be in the future!
  • Look at the reward of studying! If you want to be a doctor, artist, etc. you need to study now in order to get good grades to get the job you want.
  • Get organized! Keep your desk or workplace clean and tidy, have your backpack free of papers you don't need, and keep all your papers in a binder with different tabs. When you are organized, you won't lose assignments, and working will be less painful.
  • If you are a day dreamer then just stop thinking about everything for a moment except for studying. Put everything aside and just get started. Also think about all the burden of late day preparation for a big exam. The sooner the better!
  • Be sure to take good notes during class and keep them in an organized binder or folder. Use these to help you with homework, projects and especially upcoming tests. If you're scared you might miss out on a few things the teacher is explaining while writing your notes, just scribble on your notebook with a pencil while listening. You can always erase your pencil writings and re-write it legibly in pen!
  • If you need help, do not be afraid to ask your teacher! Teachers are paid to answer your questions. They want to help you, and if you ask them questions, it will help you in the long run because they know you are motivated and want to do well in their class. Don't worry about what other friends might think. It's better to know your stuff than to act all cool and showy and act as if you understand.
  • A good night's sleep is essential to retain the facts that you have studied. This is because your brain consolidates what you have learnt while you are sleeping. At the very least, 8 hours is necessary to help retain the knowledge learnt.
  • Tell yourself that after you achieve a particular goal you will be free to have fun. Also get a strong will and don't get easily distracted, if some noise disturbs you or someone distracts you use ear plugs or cotton and face away from the person.
  • Think about your smart friends. Try to be like them, study like them, follow the way they do their work. But please do not go to the extreme!
  • If you're easily distracted, face a wall when you're studying.
  • If you want to get an athletic scholarship, you don't just need talent on the field, court, mat, or track, you need the grades too. If you are a hard worker out of the classroom for your sport that's great, but in order to receive a scholarship you need the GPA and SAT scores to.
  • Sometimes studying with a friend can keep you from getting bored. If this person is in your class, its more useful because they can help you with your work. But don't get too distracted by talking to him/her, remember, you're supposed to study!
  • Some people find listening to music in the background also helps their studies.
  • Think about getting a tutor. Tutors can be fun and they definitely help in subjects you are not too keen on. If a tutor is too expensive, you could always ask a family member with good knowledge of the subjects you are weak on to help tutor you.
  • Don't see how many pages are left in chapter, this might make you tense.
  • Don't daydream while studying. People in relationship generally daydream the most. Stop thinking about your 'special someone' while studying. After your work is done you can talk to them for a while and that could in a way be your instant reward.
  • Write a list of things you can do after you study or finish a task. It'll keep you motivated!
  • Do not listen to music as this can distract you and will possibly make it harder to focus.
  • Motivate yourself to study by thinking about how happy you will be be once you pass and succeed. Give yourself a reward after completing what you wanted to do.
  • Maybe even for fun, try having a study party. But remember that the main goal is to concentrate on the studies.
  • Remind yourself that the more you study, better the grades you are going to achieve. Then, you will have a great opportunity to enter a fascinating college and that one day you will be a millionaire all because of studying.
  • Keep your space a place you look forward to going to. Example: I added pillows on my desk chair and a blanket nearby so I have everything to stay comfy. I always have everything I need so j don't have to get up in the middle. When you have to pause the session for a second to get up and get a supply of, let's say, paper, you can easily get distracted by what's going on around the house.
  • You should keep your desk near a window. You can open the window in breaks. You'll feel feel calm and refreshed while studying.
  • Think about you're parent's or guardian what they have done for you and what they expect from you.

Warnings

  • Try not to think of things you would rather be doing. This will make you want to give up thinking that you don't need to be studying.
  • Don't cram or otherwise study a load of material at once. Depending on your schedule, consider giving yourself a 10-15 minute break for every hour of studying.
  • If you are really into music, do not listen to it because you will be so focused on the song you will not be able to focus on studying.

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