Staying motivated through college can be very challenging, particularly with all of the distractions a college student faces every day.
Work, friends, relationships, hobbies, extracurriculars and many more aspects of day-to-day life can become overwhelming and most importantly, take focus away from college plans.
Staying motivated has a lot to do with staying focused. If a student’s focus veers from their original path, their motivation to get back on track can wane.
Staying off of social media can improve focus. Social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok can not only occupy students’ minds for dangerous amounts of time, but they can also create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out).
When students see all of their friends going out and having a good time, they might have the urge to put off studying for their final exams for another day.
When studying, it is a good practice to turn off the phone or to put it on silent to avoid unnecessary distractions. Another helpful way to stay motivated is to find like-minded students in your field of study to help you get back on track should you begin to get distracted.
You should also set short-term and long-term goals. According to Forbes, studies show that writing down your goals gives you a better chance of reaching them. By vividly describing your goals, you are “1.2-1.4 times more likely” to achieve them.
Write down your plan to complete your undergraduate degree. What classes you plan to take and when you want to take them play a vital role while setting goals. Try not to overburden your workload with too many hard classes at once.
Unfortunately, some students tend to become overzealous with their schedules and take on too many tasks at once. They become weighed down with extracurriculars and homework from too many tough courses and end up losing sleep.
According to Healthline, burnout affects 71% of college students. A survey was conducted by Ohio State University’s Office of the Chief Wellness Officer and the survey found that student mental health took a rapid decline from 2020 to 2021. Students are pushing themselves more and more and not only are their minds taking a hit, but their bodies are too.
Burnout affects both physical and mental health. According to Psychology Today, “burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.”
It makes people lose motivation to do the things they love the most. Their bodies can be so exhausted from prolonged physical exertion that they may feel like their body is on the edge of shutting down. They may even have sleepless nights that soon turn into all-out insomnia.
However, this can be fixed. Students can combat burnout by speaking with one of the licensed counselors on campus or even speaking with friends. Talking through stressors can help students find the underlying cause of their burnout. This way, they will be able to figure out a way to combat the cause of their burnout.
