How to: keep on track this semester
Most students always start off the semester wanting it to be the best semester yet. This semester, they are going to go to bed early, go to every class, turn in all their homework, etc. Their goal is to be successful by the end of the semester and get all As. Then, the third week of school comes around and the attendance goes down, homework is pushed back to the last minute, and there is more time spent reading synopses of movies on Netflix than reading chapters of textbooks. If you are looking to keep up the motivation from the beginning of the semester, here are some helpful tips:Become aware of your weaknesses
1. Spend some time analyzing what gets you off task during the day. Is it falling asleep doing your homework on your bed? Do you have trouble saying no to friends? Are you rationalizing that more sleep is better than going to class? All of these problems can be fixed even by just being aware of them. Once you are aware of your problems, you are one step closer to resolving them.Do what you have to do before you do what you want to do
2. Watching an episode of Gilmore Girls to relax after a long day at school sounds much better than grinding out the homework you must do for class but most of the time one episode turns into two or three. You then find yourself pressed for time when it comes to your assignments because you procrastinated. The best thing you can do is get the stuff you have to do out of the way so that you can enjoy your time later. There is a quote by Benjamin Franklin, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you do your homework early in the day, you will be thanking yourself that night when friends want to hang out and you have already completed your assignments.Too distracted at home? Find a place where you know you can work, whether it is the library, your local coffee shop or even outside. Don’t forget self-care
3. Self-care can sometimes be put on the back burner when we get stressed. Forgetting to eat, drink water and get sleep will all have a negative effect to your motivation and health. If you are struggling, email your professors and let them know the situation- your health comes before your grades. Without you, there are no grades. Consistency is key
4. Ever heard of Newton’s First Law of Motion? An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest. If you create a pattern in your life of going to class every day, doing your homework right after class, organizing your life, taking care of yourself and your needs and all the other things that keep you motivated and successful, you will be able to keep that going much better than starting and stopping. It’s much harder to go to class after missing it one time. You won’t know what’s going on or you know you already skipped once with minor damage so you think you can do it again. Don’t let yourself get to that point. Keep going even when you don’t want to.