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What can I do if I lose my motivation?



QUESTION: Often by the second semester, I completely lose enthusiasm to do homework and everything associated with school. I just get so sick of it. Even the classes and activities I like the most, I end up dreading. I lose all my desire, and my goals become blurry. As a result, I try to enjoy my weekends but then my grades drop. Is there any way that I can boost my energy for the second semester? Signed, Limited Motivation

Dear Limited Motivation: The good news is that you recognize when your enthusiasm begins to wane. Now the challenge is to figure out why.

Are you involved in too many activities? Take a look at the extracurricular activities in which you are involved. Maybe by the middle of the school year you are too burned out from being overly active.

Are your classes challenging enough? Or are they too challenging? Maybe you are getting bored in your classes because the work is not difficult enough. Or, you could get frustrated because the classes are over your head. In either case, ask your instructor for help. Explain your situation, and ask for advice.

When you begin to feel sapped, ask friends to help. Form study groups and partner up with a friend in activities. This will at least keep you on task to maintain your grades. Also, you'll know that you aren't facing everything alone.

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Gen & Kelly Tanabe

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the founders of SuperCollege and the award-winning authors of 11 books on college admission, financial aid and scholarships. Together they were accepted to all of the Ivy League colleges and won more than $100,000 in merit-based scholarships to graduate from Harvard debt-free.