Lifestyle Opinions

April 28, 2023

by: Alyssa Velasquez

The spring semester is usually the hardest to finish during the school year because summer break is just right around the corner.

Usually during this point of the semester, most students either have the “C’s get degrees” mindset or give up on academic achievement entirely.

At one point in our school careers, we’ve all had this mentality, but there are ways to boost your motivation…or at least somewhat minimize your procrastination. 

1. Put the phone down.

I know as I write this, putting your phone away is way easier said than done. Our generation is addicted to our phones, so it is a challenge most of us face when it comes to concentrating on our work.

I’m not saying to put the phone away the whole day,

Just minimize your screen time.

What I have done personally to stay off my phone for studying is putting my phone on Do Not Disturb.

Now I know what you must be thinking,

“What if my Mom calls me?” 

“What if my boyfriend/girlfriend is texting me?” 

 “What if I miss an important phone call?” 

Well, fear not my people, 

I got a semi-solution to that problem. 

If you have an iPhone, you can set certain contacts as “Emergency Bypass On” and no matter what, those contacts will be able to contact you.

Here are links to websites that explain the steps on how to turn this setting on.

IPhone: Emergency Bypass

Android: Emergency Bypass

If you are waiting for an important phone call and there is no set time, just either put your phone across the other side of the room or if you are in a public place, put it in your backpack/ bag and zip it up so you are not so tempted to be on it.

This helps me during my homework/study time to concentrate at least within those hours.

As a reward, I usually study for an hour and a half before I go on my phone for 30 minutes and then repeat the process two or three more times. 

2. Go to bed at a decent time or take phat naps

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

A teenager/young adult on average needs about 8- 9 hours of sleep to “function properly.”

I’m a victim of not getting enough sleep and though it is funny to be saying at 8:00 am:

“I need a coffee because I’m running on 4 hours of sleep (lmao)”,

when that alarm goes off at 6 am when you went to bed at 2 am,

It ain’t funny.

No one is laughing.

In some circumstances, I understand there are some who can’t sleep early, whatever the reason may be.

That’s why they invented the word “naps”.

It is said that the most effective naps are either less than 20 minutes or sleep for more than an hour, nothing in-between.

According to the CDC article, anything between that will cause “sleep inertia”.

Nap Duration: Link to the CDC Article

I think the best time to take a nap is after class or work.

If not, whenever you find 20 minutes of your time, instead of scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram, put on an alarm for between 20-30 minutes and just rest your eyes and relax your body. Trust me, it is more efficient than you think.

3. Positive Affirmations

When you are running off of a negative, fixed mindset, it’s hard to find motivation.

If you have low self-esteem like me, being hard on yourself is one of the most torturous things you can do, especially during a hectic period of the school year.

Saying positive affirmations can be difficult.

I know for a fact I can’t look at myself in the mirror every morning and say something positive to myself, but there are “loopholes” that help me get around that.

I’ll read a post on Instagram,

I’ll remember something positive someone once told me,

I’ll remember a song lyric or a quote from a book or movie,

Or I’ll even set a positive goal. When I feel like everything is falling apart, I’ll tell myself:

“I just need to get through this, then it will all be over and I can move on to the next thing”.

It’s not the most positive thought, but it’s simple and it motivates me to finish whatever the goal setting is. Usually behind all that hard work, a reward is granted for the dedication I have put myself through.

This concept works differently for each individual.

Take the time to find what works best for you.

I’m sure there are many other ways you can keep yourself motivated to end the school year other than the three I listed above, but I definitely believe in giving those tactics a chance if nothing else is working for you

Whether it’s your first or last spring semester of school, finishing strong will pay off in the long run.