Mid-Semester Madness: Staying Motivated!
Mid-Semester Madness:
Staying Motivated During the 1st semester!
The first semester of the year flies by, that’s a fact! It’s almost as if one day you’re anxiously prepping for the first day of class and then with the blink of an eye, you’re looking at progress reports and anticipating ways to improve academic performance before the end of the nine weeks. It can feel overwhelming! But with half of this term still waiting for you and 3 marking periods after that to go, there’s no time to feel drained or distraught! Here’s a list of tips to help you stay motivated and choose positive behaviors to help decrease anxiety and enhance academic performance!
Get Inspired!
What inspires you? Who inspires you? If you’re having difficulty with inspiration, check out some TED talks, podcasts or read up on someone you respect or find motivational.
Revisit your semester goals.
It’s key to identify academic and personal goals early on and hold yourself accountable keeping true to those goals. Remember at the start of the semester when you told yourself you were going to study hard, never skip class, and stay on top of your assignments? The problem is, we often only think about these goals at the beginning of the term. Take the time to remember what you promised yourself for a boost of motivation. How will your current actions help you achieve your goals?
Work on time management.
If you’re not managing your time well, you’ll find it hard keeping up with all your responsibilities. You can enhance your time management skills by sticking to a planner, prioritizing tasks and re-thinking your schedule if it doesn’t currently work for you. A useful tip for time management regarding test taking is to time yourself answering practice questions and learn to pace yourself accordingly. If you have projects, plan how much time you’ll need and make sure to start early!
Schedule “me” time.
Academics and clubs are very important, but so is self-care. Make sure you schedule time for yourself to get back into the groove of things. Find a time when you can clear your schedule of responsibilities, enjoy being a kid and get in some much-needed relaxation and fun. You’ll feel energized and ready to go and this will help you avoid academic burnout!
Utilize the Resources Around You!
Resources include your families, teachers, coaches, counselors and friends. Lean on your friend and family, they are the ultimate support system. They give us pep talks when we need it and make us laugh when we’re looking for a bit of positivity. True friends won’t judge you but will rather help you regain focus and point you in the right direction. Also consider joining a peer study group! Sometimes you may feel like you need to seclude yourself and just crack down on studying, rather than goofing off or studying in a group. That’s okay too. But make sure to include time with friends into your schedule, it might be just what you need to regain focus and stay motivated.
