Q: How can students deal with having no motivation?
X responds: Feeling unmotivated sucks, since there tends to be a ton of work to do but no energy to do it.
One way to gain back your motivation can be to first remember why you have to complete your work. Maybe you don’t want to fail the class. It helps to have a driving force in order to complete your work. Another way to retrieve motivation is to envision the end results of completing or not completing the task. Failing to complete the task could result in a decrease in your grade percentage or a call to your parents. On the other hand, if you complete the task it will result in an improved grade. It’s also important to create a supportive environment. Having friends or parents motivate you is a good way to encourage yourself to do work. Having a “study session” with your friends can also help generate the energy to complete your assignments, so letting them motivate you is important.
While it’s essential to finish work for school, make sure to take breaks when needed, because feeling “burnt-out” will also lead to a lack of energy to complete a project.
Q: How can I find good summer programs?
Y replies: It is great to look for educational programs to engage in over the summer. Not only does it give you something to do, it allows you to stay mentally sharp during the summer. Various summer programs can help expand your knowledge of a certain field, craft, workplace, etc. and give you useful experiences to add onto your resume.
Here are some suggestions on how to find an exciting summer program:
- Do a Google search for programs that fit your interests and that will hone your talents. For example, if you want to do science research, you can look up “science research programs for high school students”. Then, check all of the sites and find a program that suits you.
- Check all of the requirements that are needed for you to apply. Some programs ask for essays, recommendation letters, and other important documents. Make sure you submit everything that’s requested before the deadline.
- Check where the summer program will take place. Some programs could be out-of-state or even out-of-the-country. So, if you are attending a program that is outside your home state, make sure you know how to get there, and how long you are going to stay.
- Some educational programs are free, while others require payment of a program fee. For programs that ask students to pay to participate, you can try to contact the administrators to see if they will offer any scholarships or fee waivers.
Q: I spend way too much time on TikTok. How do I find a balance between social media and my normal life?
Z says: Personally, I can relate. I used to spend hours scrolling through TikTok which caused me to fall behind on homework. However, I was able to tone down the amount of time I spend on that app. After returning home with school assignments, It’s best to get straight to work, and to keep your phone away from you. Try placing your cell phone all the way across the room or turn it off. I prefer to keep it on “do not disturb” to avoid checking every single notification I get. Let’s face it, checking our phone soon turns into a 2 hour break.
It’s all right to take small breaks here and there, but make sure to limit them, so there’s more work time than phone time. Sometimes it’s best to get the work out of the way so you’ll be able to scroll through social media knowing that that is your free time. From my own experience I would feel so relieved to be able to be on these apps knowing there’s no other work to do. Or leave checking your feed until the afternoon. Fight the temptation to check social media! It gets easier over time and the habit will soon go away!
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Slideshow Image: Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels