Practical Motivation – Tips for Online Students
Self-motivation is one of the leading challenges facing online college students worldwide. Unlike the traditional learning settings where you meet your classmates and interact, studying online differs. The lack of physical interaction with peers can negatively impact one’s motivation. However, it’s possible to motivate yourself as an online student. Here are some practical tips to motivate you during your online studying.
- Set Realistic Goals
Several counterproductive stereotypes surround college students’ goal-setting endeavors. However, it’s prudent to set your goals carefully. Otherwise, you could shoot yourself in the foot with ambitious goals you may not achieve. Set realistic goals you can achieve within reasonable timelines and with a limited struggle to have something on the table to motivate you to do more.
- Socialize With Fellow Students
Since your online study won’t bring you into contact with your fellow students, you need to bridge the social gap using the Net. Most colleges have online social platforms where you can bring out your social self to life. For example, you can optimize them to share your common challenges, support one another, and get new views of things. Also, such forums are critical to your social interaction to protect you from loneliness.
- Balance Your Life
Also, you ought to balance your work, family, and study life to motivate yourself. The reason is that if you tilt the scale towards one of these three areas, you could hurt yourself. Why? You will end up feeding one area while starving others. Consequently, the imbalance will affect your studies negatively, thus demotivating you.
- Self-Reward Matters
Rewarding yourself for small achievements is an excellent way of motivating yourself. After attaining your goals, do something good for yourself. For instance, take time out with your friends and family to celebrate. This way, you will have the motivation to tackle the remaining goals.
- Optimize Time Management Techniques
You should also identify all the time thieves around your online course and eliminate them. Some of the typical time thieves are texting, Facebooking, and aimless browsing. When you do this and utilize techniques to manage your time well, you will always attain your goals on time. Consequently, timely goal achievement will motivate you to do more.
- Work With a Schedule
Creating and working with a schedule is another way of motivating yourself as an online student. Therefore, create a balanced schedule. Make sure you choose the best method that will meet your needs. For example, you might hang your schedule on a fridge or use an online planner. Make sure your schedule covers your monthly and weekly assignments, examinations, social events, holidays, and all significant events. Your schedule should take care of your priorities, so you can do things when you need to do them. Such an orderly approach to issues will save you confusion that could hamper your success and hence, demoralize you.
- Maintain a Routine
Maintaining a routine is another way of maintaining your motivation while studying online. The reason is that it helps to fan your schedule’s flames. It assists you to stick to your plan so you can maximize your time. Also, maintaining a daily routine will enable you to overcome enemies of consistency, such as procrastination. Don’t forget, asking your teacher for help in this area if you are weak in it.
- Enlist Your Friends and Family into the Game
To maintain your motivation, you have to get your friends and family on your side. These two relationships are in your course because they will offer you the closest moral support you require to move forward. For example, they will stand with you when you face challenges and motivate you. Also, their well-meaning counsel can help you avoid pitfalls that could kill your morale as you study online.
- Take Care of Your Health
Taking care of your mental and physical health is another one big step towards self-motivation. The reason is that sick people don’t study; instead, they either go to a hospital or lie in bed. If you take care of your health, you will be better placed to achieve your goals on time and successfully. Therefore, avoid anything or behavior that could negatively affect your health.
- Know When to Back Off
If you want to maintain motivation in your studies, you have to know when to take time and do nothing. Taking quality time to rest will enable you to refresh your mind and body. This way, you will improve your productivity levels and your motivation to continue. Therefore, integrate rest breaks in your daily, weekly, and monthly study schedule. For example, it’s advisable to break from your studies every 90 minutes. During that short break, you can stand, walk around, or relax.
Also, you can take a cup of tea or a glass of fresh juice depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Eventually, you will resume your schedule more refreshed and rejuvenated. When you resume things, you will have reduced your stress levels and boosted your energy levels. Don’t forget that such an approach boosts your concentration.
- Create a Conducive Study Space
Lastly, you have to create a conducive study space for your online university degree. Why is it essential, anyway? It’s beneficial because all of us depend on the environment, which affects us positively or negatively. You need to create the most conducive atmosphere in your home to study online. We recommend you avoid studying in your nightdress or on your bed. This option may seem relaxing and easy, but it negatively impacts your productivity; thus, you could lose your motivation.
So, create a dedicated place where you resort to studies. This way, even your brain adapts to that environment the same way it’s conditioned to associate the dining table with food. Make sure the room is well aerated, lit, and tidy to foster your focus and studying. Also, it should be comfortable enough to let you work without any physical limitations. Lastly, your study hub should be free from all human and non-human distractions.
Closing Remarks
There you go! The ball is in your court to apply these tips to motivate yourself during your online study life. Use them wisely to catapult your career dreams to the peak.
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