Have you ever felt tired from studying? Have you ever felt that it was useless to study and did not want to carry on any further? These are all signs of burning out from your studies which can lead to you feeling overwhelmed by everything you encounter.

Why do I lose the motivation to study?

For students, it is easy to lose your motivation in many ways. For students who study excessively, it is easy to lose your motivation as you may run out of energy midway through the academic year or semester.

It is also possible to feel unmotivated when you feel that your results are not reflective of the effort you put into your studies, or you do not get the result you desire. On the other hand, students who study in moderation may think that burnouts will not affect you. That is completely incorrect!

Students who do not study excessively can lose their motivation when you encounter a stressful period in life (such as family matters or overwhelming academic deadlines), or if you have a sudden realisation that your peers are performing better than you.

What happens when I have no motivation to study?

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For those who have yet to experience a burnout, knowing the effects of burnouts can help you cope better should you encounter it, or it can also help you better advise your friends who are experiencing burnouts themselves. When you lose your motivation to study, the most definite outcome is a drop in your productivity. You are no longer able to study and complete your homework at the rate you used to, and you no longer have the energy to last through an entire day of classes.

This can take a toll on your mental health as you begin to doubt yourself and your efforts. You may also begin to feel moody and emotional as you no longer have the strength, energy, and passion to do anything. Once this happens, individuals will begin to isolate themselves from their peers and family as you find yourself needing more time and space to be alone, putting students at risk of depression in extreme cases.

Apart from that, it also affects your physical health as you begin to experience poor appetites and sleeping habits which further decreases your motivation as you now cannot focus properly due to a lack of food and sleep. This lowers your immune system which makes you more susceptible to illnesses.

6 Tips on How to Find the Motivation To Study

To stay motivated while studying, we have come up with a STABLE framework which you can use as a guideline to stay motivated while studying, especially when the end of your examinations seems so far away.

1. Simplify Tasks (S)

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Projects, assignments, and loads of homework can seem very daunting at first. This is fuel to feeling overwhelmed which can easily cause you to lose motivation. However, one way to cope with these scary-sounding projects and assignments would be to simplify the tasks at hand. Break down these big tasks into smaller tasks! For example, if you have to write an entire composition, you can break it down into smaller tasks such as:

Complete the brainstorming for the introduction and writing points
Complete my online research for examples to be used
Complete my writing (introduction)
Complete my writing (body paragraphs)
Complete my writing (conclusion)
Submission

Once you list down all the minor tasks in a breakdown format, this also helps you ensure that you complete everything you need to do without missing out on any part.

2. Design a Study Timetable (T)

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A timetable is very good for students with a very busy schedule. If you are a student having to cope with CCA sessions and family matters on top of your studies, creating a timetable can help you plan your time better, allowing you to ensure you get a healthy balance of rest and study besides your other commitments. With sufficient rest time and without neglecting your studies, this will ensure that you do not lose your motivation midway through the school year or semester!

When you create a timetable, be sure to allocate time to all your subjects as well as rest time, and try to stick to your timetable as much as possible. Some tips for creating a timetable, you can choose to do it 2 ways depending on your preference: Allocating study time on a subject basis (i.e. 1 hour for Maths, 1 hour for Science), or allocating study time on a chapter basis (i.e. 1 hour for XX Chapter in Maths, 1 hour for XX Chapter in Science).

Another tip for students is a “one-each” rule where you ensure that out of the 2 subjects you cover in a day, one is of a subject you like, and one is of a subject you are less fond of. This ensures that you get a good balance of enjoyable and less enjoyable study sessions in a day, rather than cramming all the less enjoyable study sessions in 1 day as this can easily demotivate you.

3. Explore Different Approaches (A)

Studying by reading the textbook can feel very dry and boring. While you may be able to last a week doing this, carrying it on for an entire year may result in you easily losing motivation to study along the way. As such, it is important that students try out different study methods to keep studying fun and enjoyable, even if you are not so fond of the subject.

Some methods you can consider would be:

Quizzing each other among your group of friends
Drawing mind maps
Reading online materials
Having open discussions with your friends (over call or during your recess breaks)
Doing practice questions

And many more!

4. Take Breaks (B)

While it is important to study and ensure you complete your assignments on time, it is also important to take breaks to ensure you stay healthy mentally and physically. Remember, studying is a marathon and not a sprint! As you create your timetable, be sure to allocate time for breaks, and be sure to have a range of break activities as well!

Many students tend to opt for passive break activities such as taking a power nap, or using their mobile phones. While these activities are good for a quick break, it is also good to mix in some active break activities such as exercising at home, going out for a walk, and many more! With a good combination of activities, you’ll be able to have a good mind-relaxing period, as well as have a break from blue light (if you study with electronic devices such as your laptop or mobile phones).

5. Balance your lifestyle (L)

As you pass through the academic year, it is important that you do not let studying take over your life. While some of you may have studying take up most of your time, it’s important to not let studying take up ALL of your time!

You may argue that “I do take breaks during my study sessions!”, yet one will also need social interactions to maintain a healthy level of motivation. As such, be sure to leave time for your family and friends, especially over the weekends or school holidays!

This can come in the form of a well-planned day out for recreation (such as visiting places of interests), or having a nice relaxing meal together, or simply just a short talk with each other over the phone. As you can see, there are many different activities for you to tap on in your social lifes so be sure to maintain a healthy balance for everything! It’s also good to remember that these breaks are important to keep you going, so there’s no need to feel guilty for spending some quality time with your loved ones.

6. Engage with your loved ones to de-stress (E)

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Studying can make one feel tired and unmotivated. Other than being a marathon, studying for the exams may also feel like preparing for a war. Just as a war can’t be fought alone, explore the possibilities of engaging your friends for study sessions from time to time where you can have healthy discussions and teach one another. This is also beneficial for your studies as teaching others is always the best form of learning. With the additional socialising that comes along with study groups, this then allows you to kill two birds with one stone!

Apart from friends, you can also make an effort to engage your teachers more often! Do not be afraid of them or to ask questions as they will surely welcome the enthusiasm you show in your learning. If you often have many questions as you study, take down your questions and book a consultation slot with your teachers to clarify your doubts. In some cases, you may wish to also ask your tutors for the mobile numbers or email addresses where you can reach them if you have a burning question you need to get off your chest in the middle of the night!

As you engage others, this allows you to share the stress and burden of studying which can truly help you to stay motivated.

Study Motivation Quotes to Motivate Yourself to Study

As you may encounter episodes in your school life where you lose your motivation to carry on studying, we have also included some motivational quotes that you may choose to keep in mind as you study!

Motivational quotes as the name goes, also serves a key purpose in keeping you motivated by either providing you the drive you need to push through that last stretch, or giving you the support you need when you hit a rut and cannot seem to pick yourself back up.

“I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure” - Thomas A. Edison
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” - Nelson Mandela
“The future depends on what you do today” - Mahatma Gandhi
“Failure is success in progress” - Albert Einstein
“Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success” - Arianna Huffington
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out” - Robert Collier

With that, we hope that this article has helped you stay motivated through your education journey! While there is no one solution that fits all, it is all up to you to adjust the guidelines to best meet your needs and preferences.

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