Ways to Stay Motivated Throughout the Semester

Around the middle of each semester, it’s common for your sense of motivation to drop. You lose the excitement you felt at the beginning of the semester and your classes may become more challenging. However, it’s extra important to stay motivated and push through to the end to do well on your finals. Here are several ways you can regain your motivation.

1. Be Realistic About How Much You Can Achieve

When creating a to-do list or schedule for the week, rein in your expectations. It’s frustrating to realize you’re unable to achieve everything you intended, and you may lack time for the most important tasks if you try to do too much.

2. Make Time for Relaxation

You may feel overwhelmed by the amount you need to study and the approaching due dates for assignments. However, concentrating all your attention on these things and neglecting your wellbeing will only make it harder for you to stay productive. You need to take breaks to allow your mind to relax. Make sure you spend at least a few minutes each day doing an activity you enjoy, such as listening to music, meditation, or working on an art project.

3. Remember That You’re Not Alone

There’s always support available to you. If you feel that you’re unable to talk to friends and family about your lack of motivation, reach out to an academic advisor. You’re far from the first person struggling, and your university will undoubtedly have support systems in place to help you.

4. Become More Organized

It’s easier to stay motivated when you’re also organized. Invest in a planner where you write your weekly schedule, deadlines, and other commitments. You should also make a note of how much you want to have achieved by a certain date when you have a large project due.

5. Create a List of Goals

Working toward goals can be particularly motivating. Your goals don’t all need to be related to academics — they could include working out more, getting enough sleep, or becoming more social. When you reach a goal, give yourself a reward.

6. Focus on the Good Things in Life

Avoid dwelling on whatever is making you stressed. University may be stressful at times, but it’s also likely to be one of the most fun periods of your life. Focus on what you like about university, including the people, activities, and perhaps even some of your favourite classes.

7. Take Advantage of Office Hours

It’s normal to find that you don’t fully understand all of the material you cover in class. Whenever this happens, visit your professors during office hours for clarification. You may also like to ask for more detailed feedback about an assignment or test to find out where you went wrong and how you can do better next time.

8. Avoid Distractions

There may be countless things you’d rather be doing than tackling a difficult assignment, but wasting time on distractions will only make tasks take much longer. Turn off the notifications on your phone and don’t open any unnecessary websites on your laptop while you should be studying.

9. Think About Graduating

Remember why you’re at university: to graduate. Think about how great it will feel to attend your convocation and the opportunities that will be open to you thanks to your credential.

One more way to stay motivated is to search for new housing in student apartments. Waterloo students can move into the community at MyRez. You’ll have your own private, fully-furnished bedroom as well as access to great amenities like study spaces, a games room, and a grocery market. Book a video tour to see the apartments and facilities for yourself.