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Staying Motivated – 5 Problems of Continuous Studying and How to Overcome Them

Pavle Dinic

We’ve all experienced the discouraging truth of the well known college life triangle. And when we really ponder upon it, it gets even more horrifying. The questions arise – are we willing to give up on a part of ourselves in order to succeed? What is the price that we have to pay? Are we going to be rewarded? The future is, as always, vague. In the process, however we choose, we are condemned to hardship. The price becomes apparent – the constant state of whys and hows. And there enters the doubt. So, when education becomes the unfitting replacement for social life and sleeping (because at the end, it always takes both), how to deal with it?

Note: What is about to follow are not studying tips, but some thoughts on how to cope with the difficulties of being on your own during the never-ending exam season.

1.  Living in the Study Room

In order to prepare for a long period of studying, you will have to make a couple of adjustments. The work space is a crucial segment of preparation, considering that it’s going to be your home for a while. If you are a beginner in hard-core studying, and the process is not yet familiar to you, then you should know that all of the sleeping and eating are most likely going to be done in the place you’re studying in. But keep your faith, because this kind of experience can be fun. Of a great importance is, however, that you approach it with a proper mindset.

After the mental preparation comes the real one. Since your study room is going to be where your hat is, you will have to love it. So, if you have some time, get busy with decoration. If the space in question is your new dorm room or college apartment, and you know for sure that you’re going to dwell in between those walls for some time to come, then interior design is not a waste of energy. It’s relevant to surround yourself with functional and welcoming décor. Be sure that your studying place is cozy and comfortable, and that it’s not cluttered with things that can distract you. Also, keep the furnishing simple enough, since you are not going to have much time for frequent cleaning. If possible, choose a condo with wide windows and bright lightning, because you are going to do some serious reading. In a word, find a balance between the elementary and the enjoyable.

When you’re finally satisfied with basic equipping, start creating the office. Somewhere along the way, time will become of the essence, so try to save it right from the start. Whenever you come across reasonably priced literature and books you may find useful for your field of study, spare no expense. Additional studying material is always required, and it will contribute to the economical use of time and effort, since it will save you a trip to the library. The internet can be of great help as well. In advance, learn about online libraries, bases and indexes of publications, because lots of them are old and inaccessible via browsers. With that done, arm yourself with practical office supplies like notebooks, color pens, highlighters and sticky notes. Lastly, stock up on energy food, since you are going to need a lot of it.

Some students find it helpful to create a motivational board. I say, make it a wall. Wherever there is a blank, unused and spacious surface, transform it into a big, graphic schedule. Visualizing is great for staying focused on the goal. With all of your obligations organized and evident, you will be able to rearrange your time most efficiently. Also, the motivational wall can serve you as a giant sparknote. Mind mapping is a very powerful studying method, and it includes making the information visibly connected (if you’re not informed with a concept, make sure you inform yourself, for it is unfailing). With that in mind, establish a corner in which you keep notes and important facts of the subject always in front of your eyes. Ultimately, the motivational wall can offer you some inspirational quotes and proverbs, or simply, the encouragement you wrote to yourself.

2.  Dealing with the Internet Temptation

On the Web, it is the intern joke – complaining about losing time online while we are online is the funniest little irony for modern education. But before you, once again, go online to learn how to overcome the urge to scroll that so conveniently appears when you have to study, read something about connectivism, the recent theory of studying that suggests the internet as a learning platform. It began with George Siemens’ study, Connectivism: Learning as Network Creation, and it’s a strong case for virtual classrooms. The bottom line is, it’s always rewarding to know how the internet can increase your productivity, instead of supporting your idleness.

The most common cause of time wasting online are social media chatters. When you engage in the game of aimless conversations with your friends, endless replies, retweets and picture sharing, you should keep in mind how absurd all of it really is. You have probably heard it hundreds of times, but the time wasted on Facebook can be spent with your actual friends, where you can cook for them, see them laugh and soak up their energy, and deep inside, you know that’s the right way. However, a busy schedule sometimes, to tell the truth, doesn’t allow outdoor activities. When you don’t have much time for your dearest ones and virtual connectivity is the only way to get in touch, set up a time table. Specify the exact time you’re going to spend socializing, and make it quality time.

I’m not sure procrastination even existed before the internet, and if it did as a concept, I don’t believe that it was so widely practiced. Today, as we all know it, putting off important tasks to a later time has become an art of sorts, and scrolling became its embodiment. As tantalizing as it is, it is the bottomless pit. While reaching the bottom, take a moment to remember that you’re not going to get any smarter, wittier or enlightened by doing so. And let that thought resonate for a while. As an experiment, put the computer aside for a couple of days and you will, in fact, feel liberated! The sense of accomplishment is more gratifying to the mind and soul then a hundred pins will ever be. Just try it, and you will see that it is a true story.

So, what is going to happen online that you’re not going to be a part of? Hot news and instant hits will find their way to you if they are truly relevant. Yes, the fact that you are going to be the only person on the face of the earth that has not seen the season finale of Breaking Bad is a little upsetting, but if that’s the part of the deal you’re going to make with the devil in order to get a diploma, find a job, and consequently take your loved one to Comic-Con, then to hell with it, right? Be on top of your game, and you can buy off Vince Gilligan! Exaggeration aside, the way to deal with this sticky wicket problem is to make it a treat. It will take massive self-control, but train yourself to be satisfied with one episode a day, as a reward for a successfully mastered studying session. That way, it will be even more pleasing.

3.  Devotion and Solitude

After a while, when your brain becomes a well-oiled machine, and you enter the subject matter so deep that you lose track of reality, it starts to get complicated. Time runs fast, and before you know it, you’ve finished your day, and it’s time to sleep. You go to bed thinking that tomorrow is going to be the exact replica of today – an endless repetition of daily tasks begins.

The first symptom of this stage is self-doubt. You are already tired, the end is nowhere near, and you’re slowly starting to grasp that this is how it’s going to be from now own. So you ask yourself: Will I endure? The comforting thought that you should always have in mind is – many before you have. The proper attitude for overcoming this problem is decisive, so start working on it. The way to do it, of course, is to breathe deeply, and have a heart to heart conversation with yourself. What can be of help is to make a list of your accomplishments so far, and remember that many of those were equally hard to achieve. When you put your current task in that kind of a perspective, it becomes clear that it is only one more step on the way to success.

During the study quarantine, the feeling of emptiness becomes so overwhelming that you’re starting to get discouraged and frustrated. In this phase, panic attacks and derangement are circadian routines. So, what to do when you start fearing of losing your common sense? When indications start occurring, slow down a bit and indulge yourself with something that makes you happy and doesn’t take your mind off work for a long time. Take a long bath, see a movie or do yoga. It’s been proven that music is good for concentration, so create a studying playlist. Instrumental music will relax you and muffle the annoying clock ticking and refrigerator buzzing sounds. In addition, it will make you feel less alone.

If we acknowledge that the most covert problem of continuous studying is solitude, you should be warned that, on the long run, this problem starts to branch. The support you receive from your closest ones can start to wear thin. If your friends, family and partner are not as occupied with work as you are, they might get dissatisfied with the amount of attention you’re devoting to them. The harsh truth that you’ll have to learn for yourself is – not all of your friendships will survive your college years, and there’s not much you can do about it. On the bright side, the friends that are going to drink the celebration champagne on your graduation day are the true ones. Those who lose interest and support when you need it the most are, unfortunately, passing affairs. That’s the balance of life for you. Mourn them quickly, for grand things are ahead of you.

4.  Me-Time

Even when the circumstances are against your odds, keep your head up! In order to stay motivated and clear-headed, however busy you get, you have to find some time for yourself. After all, a single moment of breathing will allow you to decompose and start fresh and more stimulated.

When you’re short on time, wellness control is not exactly the first thing on your schedule. Still, there are some aspects of staying healthy that you’ll have to pay more attention to. For example, your spine. While studying, you are sitting upright, and remaining in the same position for a long time. Backache can be severe and distracting. The internet is full of workout routines that are revitalizing and last for about twenty minutes. Also, continuous reading can damage your sight, so you have to be careful about lighting. Most importantly, you have to eat well. Fish, nuts and green tea improve memory and concentration, as well as blueberries and dark chocolate. And they are all as tasty as they are good for your brain.

Taking care of your brain should be your priority. Hence, the sleeping. Since an eight-hours sleep is out of the question, you’ll have to divide it into shorter portions. The art of power-napping is what’s going to get you through schooling. If you organize your time well, you can replace coffee and energy drinks with fifteen-minute naps, a couple of times a day. If that’s not enough, a sixty-minute sleep is the best boost for cognitive memory processing a. k. a. remembering facts. On a downside, after a longer nap, you’ll feel a little groggy, and will need some time to fully awake. For the increase in creativity, however, you’ll need the full sleep cycle, which lasts approximately ninety minutes. The helpful tip is to nap in a slightly upright position, because that way, you’re not going to fall in deep sleep.

Ultimately, you cannot completely deprive yourself of things that make you who you are. If the beauty of existence drives you on, and you need some time to remind yourself of it, then it’s not unimportant. A walk in the park, a great movie or a swim can reset you and keep you inspired to move onward. If you’re a book lover, you can feed your soul on audio books, since they are not going to exhaust your eyes further. Formal education and enlightenment are oftentimes separate, but they don’t necessarily have to contradict, either . And it always takes both to thrive.

5.  Conclusion: The Purpose

The final obstacle that you will come across is simultaneously the biggest one. In a string of successes and failures (and you’ll always have both), it’s not hard to lose sight of the goal. Frequently, the existential question of continuous studying is What is it all for?

A row of defeats can lead to some serious cases of depression and discontentment. Sometimes, these consequences are so acute that they trigger a complete lack of interest and motivation. They can last for months, and rob you of valuable time, not to mention energy and health. Again, the key is in weighing your prospects. Sometimes, we are overextending our potentials. Always know what are you capable of, and push your limits gradually. Be ambitious, but take your time. If you are a bit slower in achieving your goals then your colleagues are, that doesn’t mean that you won’t reach them. Never compare yourself to others and always go step by step.

The important lesson to remember is that schooling is never going to end. The common misconception that students have is that eventually, commitments will decline. On the contrary. Every grade is just a higher level on the long stairs of completion. The purpose of finishing one is not to put it to rest, but to gain mental strength, wisdom and ability for the next one. In the fullness of time, what we have to master is this – we truly do study for the sake of our own knowledge.

When all is said and done, there’s nothing else remaining than to enjoy the process. Even if we don’t get lucky enough to practice what we study, it’s always going to define what we are. Go back to the beginning and find the impulse that urged you to commit to college. It’s still there, shining bright as ever. And good luck.