6 Study Tips For When You’re Lacking Motivation

Whether you’re writing an essay or studying for an upcoming exam, it can be easy to lose your momentum at university. After all, studying is nothing short of tedious, and the thought of heading down to the pub with your pals is, undoubtedly, far more appealing.

That said, it has to be done – at the end of the day, it’s kinda why you’re at university in the first place. So, if you’re finding that your motivation is currently lacking and at an all-time low, we’ve put together some of our best study tips to help you get back on track.

1. Get rid of distractions.

First and foremost, the best thing you can do to boost motivation and avoid procrastination is to get rid of any and all distractions whilst you work. Put your phone out of sight, that way, you won’t be tempted to just pick it up and pointlessly scroll. Get rid of anything else that could pull you away in the middle of your work, and you’ll find you’ll work much better.

2. Make a functional to-do list.

There is nothing worse than looking at your to-do list and having a sinking feeling of total dread – but it certainly doesn’t have to be that way. Only you know how much you are capable of achieving in one day, so be realistic about it. Overloading your list with too many tasks at a time just becomes too overwhelming and, in the end, counter-productive. Instead, create a more functional to-do list, prioritising the most important tasks at the top.

3. Set yourself time brackets.

Working to a set time can be difficult, but you’ll soon find that it’s a great productive habit to get into. Once you’ve put together your to-do list, set yourself time brackets for each individual task. If you’re strict enough with it, it means that you won’t end up getting too sucked up in one task, only to neglect another. Practise makes perfect with this one.

4. Single task.

Multi-tasking is a great skill, like for example when you’re cleaning your dorm room and listening to a podcast at the same time. Or like when you eat a snack whilst making a snack. It’s wonderful, right? However, when it comes to work, it’s actually not so great. Sure, completing a bunch of tasks all at the same time sounds like a great idea in theory, but actually executing it is a different story. You’re never going to be working your very best when you’re flitting between tasks and projects. By simply staying dedicated to one single task at a time, it narrows your focus so that you can put your all into that one thing.

5. Implement a rewards system.

If you’re still having a hard time getting through your to-do list, try implementing a rewards system. Any excuse to treat yourself is a good excuse, right? Give yourself something to look forward to once you tick off a task. Whether it be another episode of your current favourite Netflix show or otherwise, some incentivised motivation could work wonders.

6. Change up your scenery.

If all else fails, why not try changing up your scenery? It’s easy to go stir crazy when you’re sitting in your dorm room all day. Try going to the library or grab a table at your favourite coffee shop, put your headphones in, and get to work. You’ll find that something as simple as a change in scenery will get your creative juices flowing in no time at all.

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