Hi Everyone,
Today I’d like to talk about how to get and stay motivated while you’re taking online courses. Sometimes it can be tough to feel motivated to do anything, and finding that motivation might require you to find different things to motivate you. Sometimes, you just want to get a good grade. Sometimes, you just want to avoid a bad grade. Sometimes, you just need to get stuff done so you can relax! If you’re having trouble getting motivated to complete a task, try thinking about different angles of the task at hand and what it means to you in the short term and the long term. Here’s a couple of methods to get motivated from Time magazine:
https://time.com/2933971/how-to-motivate-yourself-3-steps-backed-by-science/
At the very least, aim to be more motivated than Peter in this clip from Office Space:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgg9byUy-V4
You could also try making sure that your workspace is clean and tidy, and that there are as few distractions as possible. Find some music with no distracting vocals to play quietly in the background, and eliminate online distractions with tools such as Cold Turkey (https://getcoldturkey.com/) and Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/) to remove those pesky electronic interruptions that it’s so easy to fall prey to.
OK, I’m motivated, now what? Power through and learn EVERYTHING, right? Wrong! Research shows (https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/science/article/pii/S0010027710002994) that taking breaks can actually help you to focus better. Try using one of the suggestions in the link below to remind you to take breaks every so often while studying:
https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-apps-to-help-remind-you-to-take-a-break/
And here are a few suggestions for things to try while you’re taking those breaks:
https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/energizing-study-break-ideas-what-to-avoid
Good luck, and have fun staying motivated!