As the spring semester begins to close and finals season begins, students everywhere are faced with the daunting question of “How do I get motivated?” Many struggle with staying motivated through stressful situations, and finals season is no different, with the various amounts of papers and exams keeping so many students busy. With this article, we will explore students’ perspectives, what motivation means to them, and how they navigate the demanding nature of finals week.
Speaking to multiple students of all ages, majors, and classes, it was found that most students feel more crushed by the weight of the spring semester rather than the fall semester. When asked why they think this is, one student said, “I find that spring semester feels so overwhelming because it starts to feel real. Now I really start to stress because the grades get that more serious, everything is due, and I start to lose touch with my personal life.” This student describes a feeling of running out of time and a struggle to balance personal life goals with school goals. How can we keep motivated when it feels like the walls are closing in?
As many students feel overwhelmed by the tasks of the spring semester, they draw motivation from their peers who are on the same path and share similar goals: “I’ll look at others around me who are also working towards their goals and get motivation from that,” said a statistics major when asked how he keeps motivated in the face of a test that was causing his motivation to wain. When asked what advice he could give students in similar situations, he said, “Just remember why you’re working as hard as you may be; there’s always a reason.” This advice can help if you begin to feel crushed by the balance of personal life and academic obligations. Reminding yourself why you are working this hard and wanting to achieve your goals can help you maintain that work/life balance.
Many struggle to balance virtual classes with in-person commitments without a break. Liberty Browne, a psychology major, speaks out about juggling virtual classes and how she keeps up the motivation to do so: “I have a much stronger drive when it comes to in-person classes,” Liberty said, mentioning that when she is virtual, she feels like all she has is free time and no drive to keep up her work, “It’s a lot easier when you see the professor in person and you have to face them when you don’t turn in your work.”
Finding motivation can be tough, especially when you feel scattered or overwhelmed with work. This is common during finals season as you finish tests, papers, and even pesky missing work. Asking a class what advice they could give during finals week, I got mixed answers ranging from “I have zero motivation to do anything” to“Since the school year’s ending, I always tell myself to end on a good note.”
Whatever the answer, just remember that it’s okay if you’re not motivated immediately. Take breaks and minutes to breathe, and remember that motivation takes work and time—it especially helps if you’re not stressed!
