Motivation

[Peanut Butter]

Sometimes I find it really hard to motivate myself to study!

Any tips or advice with this?

[lolaishappy]

Create a fresh study place, next to a window

[heids]

^ The ATAR in itself wears thin as motivation, because if all you're working for is a 4-digit number, then... well it's not actually worth much and you're so likely to be devastated at the end .

You've got to come up with something broader than that to motivate you.  Please spend half an hour just brainstorming what you actually want to get out of the year (more to the point, what you want out of life in general, and then how this year can help you get there).  Go as deep as you can, trying to figure out why it's important to you and how it will actually help you achieve your aim in life.  Find some reasons WHY working hard NOW will really achieve what you want LATER.

It will help you get a good ATAR, obviously; but why do you want that?  Bragging rights?  So you feel good about yourself and that you've achieved something?  To get into your dream course, or leave your options open?  Then ponder how getting into those courses will help you gain what's really important to you in life (e.g. money, prestige, able to help people, etc.) 
Maybe working hard now will improve your skills and knowledge to prepare you for future life.  Or satisfy yourself and your family that you've really achieved your best, so that you don't feel so worthless.  I don't know, it's different for different people.

When you lose motivation, keep thinking about this moment as your chance to either achieve what you really want in life, or to give up on it.  (I know, all this motivational twaddle is ultra-cheesy... but it works for me).

If you can't come up with anything, and decide year 12 simply doesn't matter in your life... well you might as well give up today.  Go for it, there is still high demand for tradies.

Check out responses in Motivation Issues - HELP!!!, and the Motivation Corner!  Please don't think how you're feeling is unusual, everyone struggles as the year gets on further (don't you wish you always had the motivation of week 1 ?)

All the best, anyway

EDIT: might as well copy and paste something from an English post I wrote, I don't really have a clue what it says anymore.

The evil demons, Demotivation, Fear and Procrastination

If you're like I was, English (or whatever your most hated subject is) is always on top of your to-do list... but always falls to the bottom (or off the bottom) when you actually come to doing it .

Spend a while figuring out why you want to study English.  Some suggestions:
 - want to get a good score to:

• get into my dream course
• prove other people wrong/beat others
• good ATAR, bragging rights
• make me feel good and clever (self-esteem boost)

- terrified of getting a bad score (why? – will feel worthless, people will laugh?)
 - enjoy it (yes, this is possible )
 - doing hard things is good for me (an excellent reason )
 - develop writing skills to help with uni/life in general
 - scared of what my teacher will say if I don’t hand in work/fail

Then go deeper – think about how getting into your dream course will help you achieve your aim in life; or how getting a good score will give you a real sense of achievement or satisfy your family.  When you lack motivation, keep thinking about these desires and how important this is to your life. If you have no reason, then scrap working in Eng and focus on other aspects of your life you do care about!

Also, try relating bits of English to things you enjoy/are interested in.  e.g. for Context, research examples that interest you – I love Bangladesh and its language, so always used the Bangladesh War of Liberation from Pakistan – it’s easier to research and write about.  Try applying ideas you brainstorm for context to your own life (e.g. solving your conflicts, struggles with belonging).  Choose a random word and try to fit it in each essay, or try to stick in puns (fun, and does a dead-bored examiner a favour).  Verbally analyse how authors/presenters are trying to persuade when you’re watching the news or reading a blog.

However, quoting the user KYtho, 'Motivation is fleeting, but discipline is forever'.  If you just can’t motivate yourself, then – just make yourself do.  Sometimes, you just have to say, (very very) firmly out loud, 'I will now sit up, get a pen and paper, write down the prompt, and then start writing out ideas.  I will not do anything else (e.g. check my phone, get up) until I have written 3 full paragraphs/read and annotated chapters 1-8.'  Then do it.  You are in control of yourself and what you do!  Often, if you break down the tasks small enough and have a little willpower, it really isn't that hard.

However, this takes a concerted decision - you have to recognise you are procrastinating, and make a decision that NOW, in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, I will start.  I challenge you to conquer yourself, to force your brain- and hand- muscles to do what you don't want to do! (Especially since I never have to write another essay ). But don't force yourself too far, obviously your wellbeing is far more important.

But face it openly – don’t hide it at the back of your mind, try to avoid what you don't want to do and yet not clearly admit to yourself that you're scared and avoiding it.  Openly acknowledging struggles and motives lets you conquer rather than flee!  And begin now, not tomorrow - tomorrow never comes.

[Seige]

Motivation is unreliable.
Just sit down and do the work. Make it routine.

Spoiler

But if you insist on Motivation, then I suggest a penalty game for every homework or assignment that you fail to do in time. For example, eating something you detest. For me, its chicken liver, Satan's food. Something like that, I suggest someone other than you assign you said penalty games.

[sjayne]

Timetabling is your best friend!! Seriously!
Work out a way you can do small chunks of revision and work every day and then stick to it. Also make sure to schedule in breaks. Eg. I spent about 2 hours a day on school work, more on a friday night and saturday and would use sunday as a rest day. Obviously you would need to adjust this near sacs and exam time.

Don't try and do too much at once but be consistent and you'll do fine.

Another tip is to break things down into chunks. Have an essay due? Break it down. Plan. Write the intro. Then the body. Conclusion. Studying methods? Spend one afternoon on logs. Another on derivatives. That way you can spend time on actually understanding the content and committing it to memory. And you will save what you need to do come exam time (less relearning). Don't focus on the big picture, that's what I'm trying to say.