It’s difficult to focus and perform well at school if you don’t feel motivated.
Studying should be seen as our “job” (a professional task that has to be done responsibly), just as an actual job will have to be done in the future.
Feeling motivated about the studied subject gives the following advantages, among others:
- It makes studying interesting and useful.
- Improves concentration and comprehension levels.
- Improves concentration and makes things easier to understand.
- The subject becomes more interesting.
- School performance improves.
To succeed when studying, it’s necessary to reflect on the reasons that lead you to take that class, because if you know your motives, it will be easier to reach your goals.
E.g..: Why do I study? ……… What will I get if I pass this class? ……….. What’s positive about it? ………… How will it help me? …………. What can it do for me?
To study, it’s necessary to:
- DO: have the minimum “abilities” necessary (intelligence and aptitudes)
- WANT: there must be enough “motivation” to start, guide and maintain the studying. “He who wants does more than he who already can”.
- KNOW: develop the necessary “study habits and techniques”.
It’s necessary to immerse yourself in a good environment, in conditions that facilitate studying and concentration; you must control the internal and external stimuli before, during and after the studying session, in order to obtain an ideal performance.
In regards to types of stimuli, there are some conditions that can cause a positive or negative effect in studying, and they’re worth considering. On the one hand, we have environmental stimuli, and on the other hand, we have personal stimuli.
Just as a doctor looks for a well-equipped hospital with good sanitary conditions, and a football player looks for a field with grass that’s well taken care of, studying requires specific environmental conditions that can help you do your best.