How Can You Stay Motivated and Energized for Study During College Days?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Defennder
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of maintaining motivation and energy for studying during college days. Participants share personal experiences, strategies, and differing opinions on effective methods to enhance study habits and overall well-being.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a lack of motivation and energy for studying, questioning the recommended hours of study and the feasibility of studying between lectures without fatigue.
  • Another suggests changing mindset and breaking routines, advocating for positive thinking and exercise as motivational tools.
  • A different participant notes that enjoyment of the subject matter is crucial for maintaining motivation and that forcing oneself can lead to eventual enjoyment.
  • One participant challenges the effectiveness of positive thinking techniques, viewing them as empty statements that do not lead to genuine motivation.
  • Another humorously suggests using drugs, specifically mentioning the benefits of ADD medication for increasing energy levels, while also expressing a preference for lifestyle changes over medication.
  • A participant shares their recent poor performance on an exam, linking it to fatigue and a lack of effective study habits.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of exercise for improving learning and memory, suggesting physical activity as a way to enhance study effectiveness.
  • Another discusses dietary factors, indicating that a high-fat breakfast can negatively impact daily performance.
  • There is a debate about the nature of drugs and herbal supplements, with participants discussing the origins and classifications of various substances.
  • One participant humorously suggests that positive social interactions and physical activity can significantly boost confidence and motivation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on motivation strategies, with no clear consensus on the effectiveness of positive thinking, the use of medication, or the role of exercise and diet. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing views present.

Contextual Notes

Some participants' suggestions depend on personal experiences and may not apply universally. The discussion includes various assumptions about the relationship between mental state, physical activity, and study habits, which are not fully explored or agreed upon.

Who May Find This Useful

Students seeking strategies for maintaining motivation and energy during their studies, as well as those interested in the interplay between lifestyle choices and academic performance.

Defennder
Homework Helper
Messages
2,590
Reaction score
4
I have this problem which I believe a number of posters here do as well, but I have no idea what to do to overcome it. Basically the problem is that I find that I don't have enough motivation or energy for studying during a normal school day at college. I know that it is during your twenties that you are supposed to be energetic and motivated, but somehow I just don't feel it all. There were times when I really did try my best to study in between lectures and school hours and do extra problems not assigned as tutorials, but I become so mentally exhausted by the effort that I sometimes actually fall asleep without realising it during lectures that follow. How many hours of study is recommended from personal experience during school days? Is it possible to study and do problems in between lectures without tiring oneself out?

I really envy people whom I've heard are able to work during the day and study through the night continuously. I'm not studying/working part time, so it's rather discouraging to me that these people actually manage to pull that off whereas I fail to do so as a full-time student. I thought of taking health supplements, but I don't want to be dependent on drugs. I believe it's probably possible to mentally motivate myself, but this happens quite rarely and certainly not on a regular basis. What do you guys do to energise and motivate yourself throughout the day and night? I just don't feel I have the energy of someone in their twenties, and it's supposed to get worse as I age.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You just have to change your mindset and break your routines. If you say you can't do something over and over again then it will translate to you being frustrated and wondering why you are not motivated.

Instead replace all "I can't" with "I can." Think positively about everything. And exercise if you don't already. And most important have fun with this.
 
I have a similar problem, just if I don't enjoy what I am learning I can't keep motivated, and any chance for a break I will take it. Recently I've been forcing myself, and after a while it becomes second nature and you begin to enjoy it.
 
I don't find the technique of repeatedly telling myself "I can do it" effective at all. It seems to me to be a rather empty statement desiged to psychologically "trick" myself into being motivated. Once you realize this, basically none of the "positive thinking" tricks you've heard about works.
 
Awww, c'mon man, hook yerself up with some drugs. Everybody's doing it. Do you want to be left out of the crowd and not be cool?

But seriously, if you can get yourself diagnosed with ADD, the stimulants they prescribe for that do wonders for feeling sluggish. Forget herbal supplements.
 
Last edited:
I know how you feel, I just did very bad on my Physics exam. SLAP ME NOW!
 
You know, on a personal note, I'll much rather not be dependent on drugs at all. I'm looking for some advice on lifestyle changes first. The ADD medication route would be my last resort. And I do believe if I didn't do well for an exam it's because I always felt too fatigued to study for it. So solving that problem would help my studying a lot.
 
As what said, exercise...

Exercise Improves Learning And Memory

Exercise induces depression-blocking gene

Throughout millions of years of human evolution we've had to be physically active if we wanted to stay alive - so it shouldn't come as any surprise that it's better for us to be doing things than it is for us to just sit in front of a desk.

Perhaps get some weights that you can use for a couple minutes every now and then while studying, or do some push-ups. And when you can't get up to exercise, I'd imagine that just sitting in your chair in a way that allows you to move a foot or leg in a small repetitive motion (as though you're antsy about having to sit down, or you're keeping up to a tune in your head) would be a good thing as it'd keep your blood circulation up...


Also, your diet is another important factor. For example:

A high-fat breakfast can lead to an unhealthy day
 
Last edited:
CaptainQuasar said:
drugs...Forget herbal supplements.


You're aware that most drugs come from plants, right?
 
  • #10
ShawnD said:
You're aware that most drugs come from plants, right?

An herbal supplement is not the same thing as a drug that comes from a plant. At least it's not supposed to be - although some herbal supplement manufacturers illicitly slip in drugs that aren't on the ingredient list.

As far as the amphetamine stimulants taken for ADD are concerned, I believe we only recently discovered natural amphetamines in plants and they haven't been processed into any medications yet. I'm pretty sure the amphetamines on the market are synthetic.
 
  • #11
positive people, cardio exercise, and sex with girls who tell you how hot you are! These three combined in any order will give you the confidence and motivation of a maniac frankenstein.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 102 ·
4
Replies
102
Views
9K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K