Hit the Books: How to Motivate Yourself to Study 

Struggling to focus on your studies? You’re not alone. 

Experts tend to recommend that students spend three hours a week preparing for each credit hour of coursework they take. So, if you have a schedule worth 15 credits, you should be hitting the books for 45 hours a week. 

The reality is that most students — perhaps yourself included — log much less time studying than that. A 2014 study found that most spent about 17 hours a week studying. 

There has to be a happy medium between the extra-high 45-hour-a-week estimate and the low-ball 17 hours that most students complete. Motivation could be the difference — here’s how to motivate yourself to study. 

1. Break Down the Task

Perhaps your problem is that you’re overwhelmed by how much you have to do. Therefore, you never start studying until the very last minute. 

Make your assignments more digestible by breaking them down into manageable to-dos. Focus on one chapter or section of your notes at a time. Master them, then move forward. 

2. Set a Tangible Goal

You want to do well on your exams or earn a certification. However, how will you measure your success along the way? A clear goal can help motivate you to study. 

To that end, you might give yourself daily targets that are easy to accomplish. If you promise yourself to study Spanish vocabulary for 30 minutes a day, you have clear parameters in place. You’ll feel more accomplished when you achieve that goal — and motivated to keep it up. 

3. Start a Study Routine

Once you get into the rhythm of studying, it will be easier to get yourself to hit the books. 

So, create a study routine. Set a time for when you’ll study in the afternoon or evening or on the weekends.

Then, switch off all distractions and focus because real life will resume when you finish. 

Once you have these study sessions blocked out, you’ll find it easier to stick to them. Not only that but seeing the results of your focused work will motivate you to study further. 

4. Switch Up Your Study Methods

You know you can get a fake diploma, but you’d prefer the real thing. That’s why studying and motivation are so important.

Spicing up your study sessions could be the spark you need to keep going. Let’s say you’ve spent the last few weeks reading and re-reading your notes. You’ve got to be bored with that study plan by now. 

If that’s the case, switch things up. Start writing vocabulary words on flashcards to help you memorize. Look online for practice questions or have a group study session wherein you practice explaining concepts to one another. 

Ask friends or even teachers for their study tips. A new method could re-ignite your motivation. 

How To Motivate Yourself to Study — It’s Up to You

In the end, there’s no one solution if you want to know how to motivate yourself to study. However, one thing is sure — it all comes down to you and the time you put into it. So, get started and push yourself to study and succeed.

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