So I think that many of us have reached that point of the year when we are tired of school and we significantly place a lot less effort in our work. I admit school can be pretty tiring sometimes but I will give you 4 tips that will make sure that you are staying motivated and up to date with your homework!
- Form Study Groups
You have probably heard this thousands of times from your teacher, but I can not stress enough how beneficial they really are. I am a person who is generally pretty independent and I like to study on my own, do my work on my own, and all in complete silence. However, this generally is not a very good idea. When you learn alone you simply have one perspective and you only learn one side of something. By forming study groups you hear diverse opinons that come from people of all walks of life.
It is important to remember that you generally shouldn’t form studying groups with the wrong people. Studying with friends is fun but they are generally not a good idea. Remember you are in a study group to study and not to talk, so pick people that you know you can work with! It’s also a great way to learn about people and even make friends!
2. Do not learn for other people, learn for yourself.
A couple years ago, I won the “overall top academics” award in my school. It was the first time that I really got recognized for my schoolwork. It gave me a sense of pride knowing that my work had been appreciated. It also gained the respect of my peers. After then, I started working even harder. However, I did this for all for the wrong reasons. The reason I studied so aggressively was because I wanted the best grades out of everybody. I did it because I wanted to be the best. I didn’t study because I just wanted to learn. This caused me to quickly forget the material after I studied it and it did not do me any good.
It was not until 2 years ago that I realized that we should learn for the knowledge and not just for grades. Grades are merely numbers and they do not define if you are intelligent or not. In fact, I find that when you study for yourself you are generally even MORE successful.
3. Learn beyond the material
Sometimes we are just not in the mood to study. We tell ourselves its fine and it doesn’t matter because it’s only one grade. This is our brain playing tricks with us! Always study even if it is for 5 minutes.
We all know that if we don’t like something then we tend to not want to do it. However, once you get started and you start your work it seems enjoyable. Reading about the subjects for your own pleasure is always beneficial. You can never have too much knowledge. So read ahead and learn your material in depth if you want to enjoy yourself more.
4. Extra Curriculars!
Sometimes I think that my extra curriculars are the only things that are keeping me sane. It is good for your brain to have breaks and have fun every once and a while. So make sure you try many extra curriculars that YOU enjoy. Don’t do something because it looks good on a resume, do it for yourself.