You’ve had a summer away from studying, and suddenly you’re back to reality and your university routine. Naturally, you’re going to feel like you’re lacking some motivation after a few months away from the assignments, exams, researching and general hard work. If you’re stuck in a rut and need to give your motivation a boost, check out these top tips and you’ll be productive in no time!
Don’t procrastinate and put it off!
If you’re feeling short on motivation, the worst thing you can do is put off the task you need to complete. Waiting even longer to do it won’t make your motivation reappear in time. You need to get stuck in and once you’re making progress with your task, slowly you’ll start to feel more motivated. Putting it off will only create a more stressful situation as your workload begins to increase and you start to feel more overwhelmed. On the other hand, getting back into a routine and creating good habits as soon as possible is only going to be beneficial in the long term.
Break down your tasks and set targets
If you’re facing a large task with no plan on how to tackle it, it’s inevitable that you’re going to lack motivation! Splitting one task into several smaller ones will make it easier to complete, and it will help you to keep organised and keep track of where you’re up to. With these smaller tasks, then set yourself targets on when to get things done by – make sure they’re realistic to save yourself any unnecessary stress. You could set daily or weekly targets depending on your preference but doing this will give you a finishing line and something to work towards.
Find the right environment to work in
Finding the right study spot for you is essential when it comes to productivity. Everyone works best in different environments, whether that be in a café, in the library, at home, with friends, or alone. So, be sure to spend some time finding a place that you feel productive and comfortable working in. If you work best by alternating between spaces to clear your head, you may want to find some new study spots around campus and in the city. Looking for inspiration away for your usual haunts, check out these secret study spots on campus. If you know you work best at home, be sure to follow these tips for studying in your home space.
Reward yourself – you deserve it!
You know the deal and how the academic year works now but hopefully you also know the importance of having something to look forward to. This will help keep you motivated – keep your reward in mind whilst you work and know that the hard grind will soon be rewarded! It could be something as simple as watching your favourite film with a takeaway, or a night out with friends . Whatever you decide, remind yourself of it every time you start slacking!
Don’t let a lack of motivation get you down!
Lacking motivation isn’t a great feeling, and so it may start to make you feel frustrated and a little down. It’s important you remember that feeling like this won’t last forever, and that you pro-actively try to overcome the feeling. Just remember that every student lacks motivation when they return after summer – it’s completely normal and you can push through it!