Do you have days where you might say, “I can’t do the work assigned” or when you can’t find the motivation to pay attention in class? This is a common feeling for students in school.
If you find ways to stay motivated and keep going throughout the school year, your grades can improve while you have a more positive learning experience.
Students at Waterford High School have a variety of reasons to stay motivated.
Liliana Bordner, a junior, says, “I would spend time with my dad and my close friends because they make me happier, and even though I’ve gotten better, I still feel stuck in that hole.”
Junior, Audra Fiano, states, “Honestly I just have to tell myself stuff like ‘just make it through this class’. Then once I get through I keep thinking [about] it until the day is over. On a weekly basis, it is always ‘just make it to Friday’. It makes the days go by way faster.”
Freshman, Jace Brigham, says his friends motivate him“and knowing I get to hang out with my friends after school, and [also] hang out at sporting events.”
Junior Josephine Stachelsky says, “Mindful breathing, gratitude for everything and all the great people I have around me,” gets her through the days.
Sophomore Antonia Stefano said, “I think school can be stressful, and finding something that can keep you motivated throughout the day, and even the school year is difficult. Looking forward to things like practice or a game after school can help me obtain the motivation to get through my school day. I always tell myself, to get through the day, and then I will be ‘rewarded’ with something I like to do. Another big aspect is setting goals for myself, and raising the bar. I think setting goals for myself can pull me through a school day. Setting a goal for myself can help me feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose.”
Senior Brady Sutman says, “Having a positive mindset and having grit,” keeps him going throughout the school day.
Teachers in our school see students struggling throughout the day and are there to help.
Mr. Nolda, a physical education teacher, sees a variety of students, “some are more mature in what they are seeking at this age than others, and with that comes more motivation and drive to accomplish their goals/tasks.”
Mrs. Cacace, a guidance counselor, oversees the kids she works with daily: “There are lots of ways students cope with motivation. One example is rewarding themselves with their hobbies/interests (such as clubs, sports, family time, friends, etc.) When you finish the things you “have to do” it provides more time for the things you “want to do”.”
Mrs. Hesch, one of the history teachers, observes, “Students have a lot of distractions today and I find that those struggling with a lack of motivation do well when they set small, attainable goals. It sometimes also helps when those students meet with their teachers to make their learning more engaging.”
There are steps one can take to stay motivated.
Find time in your day and hang out with the people you love. This can be from family to friends who you are closer with that you would like to spend more time with out of school.
Try to have a positive mindset. Whether telling yourself to keep going after every class. If you have a positive mindset you look into things better and more in a positive way to not make things mentally sound harder than they already are.
Find something “rewarding” after school. Whether you love your sport and you’re happy to go to a practice or game after school. It could also be something big you’re waiting for like a party on the weekend or one of your family members coming from out of town.
Make small goals for yourself to complete things without being stressed. You can make a to-do list and write how long you want to spend on that certain thing and don’t go over that amount so you can complete things on time and efficiently. You can also make big goals that will be able to be achieved over a long period. For example, if you would like your grades to not go down you can use the small goal each day to complete your homework, and then in the long-term goal which is the overall big goal your grades would stay up.
Take time for yourself. This could be doing what you want for an hour each day or adding something to your day that makes YOU happier and wanting YOU to continue through and to push through everything.
