How to Motivate Yourself to Study

It’s all about motivation – Top tips for getting motivated for exam revision

If you’ve got essays to hand in, or are preparing for mocks or resists, it can be hard to motivate yourself – especially at this time of year.

It’s even worse when you know you need to knuckle down, but for whatever reason, you just can’t find the motivation to get started. So, if you’re feeling a little uninspired or find yourself procrastinating – here are some tips to get you back to your books:

Think about why you’re feeling unmotivated

It’s worth taking a few minutes to consider this. Perhaps you’ve just reached your limit at that moment in time, or is your lack of motivation because you don’t understand something? Sometimes getting to grips with the cause of the problem can help you find a solution, so be honest with yourself.

Make it real and look at past papers

If you’re studying for exams or writing essays, answering past papers or researching previous titles will give you something more tangible to focus on.

Try new techniques

Studying doesn’t always have to mean burying your nose in a book and different techniques work for different people. If you’re not getting anywhere with textbooks, think about other ways you can soak up information or carry out research. Why not try listening to podcasts or watching videos – they might not be ‘conventional’, but they can help you see things from a different perspective and sometimes can give you more context around a subject.

Take a break

More often than not, sometimes you just need to take a break. Revising and studying isn’t an endurance contest and sometimes you just need to step back and think about what you’ve already done. If you’ve been stuck indoors, a quick walk and some fresh air or a catch up with friends could be all you need to reenergise yourself.

Study in chunks

To make sure you do take regular breaks, make a point of only studying in chunks of time. The average attention span is just 14 minutes[1] so revising for hours on end is unrealistic even for the most motivated of us. If a subject feels intimidating because there’s a lot to learn, break it up into bitesize pieces and tackle it in topics or themes.

Don’t doubt yourself

It’s not unusual to feel some self-doubt, especially if you’ve got mocks or resists around the corner and although it’s tempting to – don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Just because a classmate says they spend five hours a day revising, or that they feel confident – it’s not always the case. Focus on your achievements and how you feel because when it comes to your exams, it’s all that matters.

Do one thing at a time

Don’t be tempted to multitask when it comes to revising or researching and writing essays. Choose one subject at a time and concentrate on the task at hand.

Work as a team

If you’ve got friends studying the same subject, setting up a revision group can help motivate all of you. Use it as a forum where you can ask for help, exchange ideas or simply to encourage each other.

Exercise

You might not feel like you have time to do this, but exercise boosts energy and can help motivate you (as well as make you feel good). So, whether you run, walk, or enjoy doing classes, it’s a good idea to schedule in some activities.

Ask for help

If you’re really struggling to focus or don’t understand a particular subject or topic, then ask for help. Your teachers aren’t just there to tell you what to do, they’re a great resource and are subject specialists.

How we can help you

If you do feel you need extra support and help to motivate yourself with your studies, then The Community Schools can also help. We offer tuition in small groups or one-to-one and focus on an individual’s learning style enabling students to reach their full potential.  For more information about how we can help, contact us on 07747 037441 or fill out a contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/attention-span-average-british-person-tuned-in-concentration-mobile-phone-a8131156.html

Last Updated on November 18, 2020