Do you ever feel unmotivated while studying? Does studying make you tired or just blah? In this article, we explore how to get past the blah and even learn to enjoy studying!
Your Reason
Studying can be challenging. Anything from mind-boggling algebra equations that you just can’t wrap your head around, to some scientific concept that you are sure contains a typo, the challenges of studying are unavoidable.
Other times studying can just be boring. Say, you are learning the piano (which is, in fact, a study) and you have to practice a scale by playing it repeatedly, or maybe you are learning U.S. history and you have to read the U.S. Constitution, most of which you barely understand. What you need in times like those and many other similar scenarios is motivation.
Motivation is a reason or incentive to do something. It is the reason why. Let’s explore how to find your “why” to keep you going just that little bit more.
The Bigger Picture
A painter stands in front of a large canvas, brush in hand, subject of portrait in view.
“Alright, where should I begin?” he mutters to himself. “The nose? An ear? Maybe an eye?”
Whatever he chooses he knows that he will reach the other parts eventually. However, to get there he must take a step back every once in a while to get a sense of where he is within the project, and to refresh his perspective.
The same goes for studying. You must step back from time to time to refresh your perspective, to see where you are, and to process what you have learned. Take five every 20 to 30 minutes. Take a walk. Make some tea. Read your study notes to your dog.
Speaking of notes, if you are reading a large chunk of text, take a breather every few paragraphs to ponder what you read and jot down some notes. Then, every few pages pause and read your notes back to yourself (or your dog). That will help you see where you are and find that you are learning more than you thought. Such a feeling is motivation in itself!
I promise you, you’ll learn so much more by looking at the bigger picture. It may be kind of fun if you approach your study with a positive attitude, and turn the monotony into an active learning experience!
Enjoy The Process
Most people do not read novels for the ending. In fact, I dread the ending because it means the journey is over. The enjoyment is found from page to page. Living in the moment is important even in the hard portions of study.
Don’t work too hard to memorize large sections of text, or concepts and theorems. Just expose yourself to them and implement them into your life through thought, conversation, and curiosity; (or maybe even writing and vlogging like I do!)
Talk about what you learn to the people around you just like you would talk about your favorite movie or video game.
Soon enough you will find that you just know the things you are studying internally, the same way you know other things like your favorite hobby or singer. If you don’t learn to enjoy what you study to some extent it will be more challenging to internalize and subsequently more difficult to learn.
I know it may not sound easy, but learning to enjoy learning will open the door to a lot of cool discoveries and opportunities. You just have to apply your mind.
For The Wandering Mind
My last tips for staying motivated while studying are ones very personal to me as someone with a wandering mind. While I am studying my mind often wanders to stuff like my next blog post or a cool song idea. I have two ways to control that.
#1: Eliminate distractions
Number one is to eliminate distractions.
All I can think of right now is your phone–the gateway to universal intelligence. Put it in another room, turn it off, or adjust its settings to do not disturb. Anything to give what you are studying the proper respect and to leave no “outs” for your mind to venture.
If you do not eliminate distractions it will be harder to learn and you will have to study for longer. Contrarily, if you give your work the attention it requires, things will click faster and you won’t have to dread those long dull study times. Not that there won’t be long days. Just redefine the word study to mean, times in your life where you can grow your mind.
#2 Keep a Notepad
My second method for controlling the wandering mind is ironically the opposite. Instead of fighting your thoughts, just release them onto a notepad. That way your mind will have enough room to fit what you are studying!
Keep a piece of paper or a notepad by yourself and jot down the thoughts that divert you from the task at hand.
Just be careful! Don’t let it become a distraction in itself.
Work to strengthen your mental fortitude and stay focused. Internalizing your studies is also a way to keep your mind on task. Talk about the things you learn and get excited about it!
Zion’s Conclusion
Don’t view studying negatively. Learning should be reason and motivation enough to set aside time in your life to immerse yourself in the study of a particular subject.
Remember to step back to view the bigger picture, enjoy the process of learning (though it may be tough), and eliminate distractions to stay focused.
Take a deep breath, get some water, and let’s get back to learning!
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