Motivate Yourself
How to Motivate Yourself to Study
8 Best Study Tips.
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Are you looking for motivation to study? Keep reading this article, and in the end, you’ll be surely motivated to get started.
We often do not feel like studying, but because of homework or exams, we have to do so. Therefore, you need to motivate yourself to study and kick out laziness.
In today’s article, I will give you the 8 best tips that will help you whenever you have zero motivation to study. These tips are so easy you won’t even break a sweat!
Let’s dive straight into these tips:
1. Make your study sessions fun and interesting
You enjoy playing video games or watching Netflix because these are fun and interesting. These require no motivation, and you love doing them all the time. Hence you need to make your study time equally fun and interesting.
But how can you do this?
Well, here are a couple of ways that work well to make your study time more enjoyable:
Listening to music:
Solving math problems while listening to music, isn’t it a great combination? Background music doesn’t only make your study time stimulating but also improves your concentration. It’s proven that listening to classical music or music with no lyrics certainly boosts one’s concentration. So, try it now while studying.
Apply what you learn:
Just studying theory can be boring unless you apply it. Whether you do a small science experiment on what you learn in your Chemistry class or calculate the area of your study room after learning Geometry, it will always be fun to do.
Use Flashcards and Mindmaps:
Flashcards and mindmaps also work great to make your study fun and interesting. Flashcards help you to memorize any concept or formula easily. In contrast, Mind mapping allows you to identify the relationship between different topics and explore subjects broadly.
Now let’s move to our second tip that boosts your motivation to study...
2. Set a study goal
We often find a lack of motivation to study because we don’t have a goal or target for our study session. Do you set a timer? Or plan out your routine ahead of time? This can also contribute to a lack of motivation to get started.
You might not believe it, but when you set goals, you are more likely to achieve them. So, choose your study goals! Targets like listing important topics or how many pages you can read in half an hour. Jotting down these things on paper is the first and best step to getting the motivation and preparing yourself to study.
The key here is to make tiny study goals. Don’t choose targets like studying for 6 hours at a time. If you want to study longer, you can add more goals once you have achieved your tiny ones and studied effectively.
3. Study to learn, not just memorize
A quote by Natalie Portman says, “I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.”
I agree STUDY can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but learning can be. Learning is always fun and exciting. In case you don’t understand the difference between them, I must tell you. Studying means reading and memorizing, while learning means gaining knowledge and upskilling yourself.
If you have ever focused in a class learning a novel concept that caught your attention, then you must have learned something worthwhile that day. Learning expands your world and introduces you to new insights. It does not have to be formal education, but it will allow you to see things from a new angle.
The best part of learning is that you don’t even have to memorize anything when you are focused enough to learn. You just need to revisit the material from time to time, so you won’t forget anything.
Hence, if you don’t feel like studying, opt for learning because learning is always exciting, and gaining knowledge is always rewarding.
4. Stay away from distraction
Now, if you decide to learn and study, make sure you eliminate distractions first. Distraction could be anything that grabs your attention while studying. It could be your phone, social media, television, or annoying roommate.
Make your study area distraction-free, and use a study table and chair instead of studying in bed. Studying in bed can make you feel sleepy and lazy, whereas using a study table and chair gives you an upright body posture, and you focus better on your studies.
If you can’t set up a distraction-free study area, as I said above, try a library where you get a good study environment.
5. Use Study Techniques
Using study techniques boosts your motivation to study, and you learn more effectively. Moreover, some techniques improve your subject clarity and allow you to study correctly.
Here are some best study techniques to try while studying:
Feynman Technique:
This technique helps you to learn a concept quickly and effectively. It is a four steps process:
Pick a topic.
Explain it to someone with an easy-to-understand description of that topic.
Identify your knowledge gap that you can’t explain clearly.
Organize and simplify the concept.
Spaced Practice:
This technique helps you preserve the information you learn for a longer time. According to this technique, you review and revisit the material in spaced intervals over time:
Day 1: Learn the material in class
Day 2: Revisit and review
Day 3: Revisit and review
After one week: Revisit and review
After two weeks: Revisit and review
SQ3R Technique:
This reading comprehension study technique gives you the right direction to read a chapter and get the most out of it. SQ3R is 5 step process that combines Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.
To begin with, take a survey of the chapter. Next, create questions about each topic, like what is this topic about, and how does it relate to the real world?
Once you have questions, read each section and try to find the answer. If you can’t find answers, then try to recall them.
The final step is to review the chapter to ensure that you understand it, quiz yourself on the questions you created, and reread any unclear parts.
Now it leads to my 6th tip that can motivate you to study...
6. Find your best learning style
Some days you may not feel like studying your textbooks. When this happens, try to visualize what you need to learn. Watching video lectures around that topic is an excellent place to start.
There are four learning styles, in case you’re unfamiliar with them. These are Visual, Auditory, Reading & Writing, and Kinesthetic.
A visual learner learns something easily by watching visuals like images, videos, graphics, and more. In contrast, a kinesthetic learner learns actually by doing practical work.
Now you need to figure out which learning style motivates you to study and enables you to learn effectively. It is possible to have more than one learning style. In this case, find the activities that play to these strengths and that you enjoy.
7. Reward yourself every time
To stay motivated while studying, you need to appreciate your efforts and reward yourself. Whenever you solve a difficult math question or finish homework for one subject, it’s always good to reward yourself.
Think about when you score an A on your test paper and how your parents reward you with your favourite video games or a new cycle. These rewards are given to you so you’ll be motivated enough to do more next time.
Likewise, you should also reward yourself from time to time. Now here, a reward could be anything. It could be enjoying an ice cream, hanging out for half an hour, watching your favourite Netflix show, or anything that gives you a kick to continue.
If you’re looking for motivation to study, first find the reward that will push you. For example, you may use your phone for 30 minutes as a reward for studying for 1 hour uninterrupted.
Isn’t it a great way to motivate yourself to get to work? You must keep your promise, however.
8. Always remember your ambition
Do you have any ambitions or dreams? You must have specific goals in life to keep you working toward your future. These can start with targets like passing your exam with good marks or getting into your dream college. Buying a luxurious car and working towards your dream career will also help you succeed.
Your goals can only be achieved with hard work and education. These are the things you are actually working towards when you study. Getting lazy won’t help you to achieve success. So, what are you waiting for?
If you’re not feeling like studying now, close your eyes and visualize your dreams for a few minutes. You’ll surely be motivated to study if you’re serious about your goal and plans.
Now It’s Your Turn:
So, in this article, I have given you the 8 best tips to motivate yourself to study. I hope you have enjoyed the article too.
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Which tips from this article motivate you most to study? Are you going to study now?
Let me know in the comment. Or, if you have any queries, mention that also. I’d love to reply to you.
My Short Bio:
Hey there! My name is Saurabh Barnwal, founder of Studelp. I love sharing my knowledge and experience through writing. On our blog, I keep sharing study tips and guides, career advice, and college essential things for students.
I would like to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and want to share with my audience.