essay about motivation to study

Motivation Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on motivation.

Everyone suggests other than the person lack motivation, or directly suggests the person remain motivated. But, no one ever tells what is the motivation of how one can stay motivated. Motivation means to face the obstacle and find an inspiration that helps you to go through tough times. In addition, it helps you to move further in life.

Meaning of Motivation

Motivation is something that cannot be understood with words but with practice. It means to be moved by something so strongly that it becomes an inspiration for you. Furthermore, it is a discipline that helps you to achieve your life goals and also helps to be successful in life .

Besides, it the most common practice that everyone does whether it is your boss in office or a school teacher or a university professor everyone motivates others in a way or other.

Role of Motivation

It is a strong tool that helps to get ahead in life. For being motivated we need a driving tool or goal that keeps us motivated and moves forward. Also, it helps in being progressive both physically and mentally.

Moreover, your goal does not be to big and long term they can be small and empowering. Furthermore, you need the right mindset to be motivated.

Besides, you need to push your self towards your goal no one other than you can push your limit. Also, you should be willing to leave your comfort zone because your true potential is going to revel when you leave your comfort zone.

Types of Motivation

Although there are various types of motivation according to me there are generally two types of motivation that are self- motivation and motivation by others.

Self-motivation- It refers to the power of someone to stay motivated without the influence of other situations and people. Furthermore, self-motivated people always find a way to reason and strength to complete a task. Also, they do not need other people to encourage them to perform a challenging task.

Motivation by others- This motivation requires help from others as the person is not able to maintain a self-motivated state. In this, a person requires encouragement from others. Also, he needs to listen to motivational speeches, a strong goal and most importantly and inspiration.

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Importance of Motivation

Motivation is very important for the overall development of the personality and mind of the people. It also puts a person in action and in a competitive state. Furthermore, it improves efficiency and desire to achieve the goal. It leads to stability and improvement in work.

Above all, it satisfies a person’s needs and to achieve his/her goal. It helps the person to fight his negative attitude. The person also tries to come out of his/her comfort zone so that she/ he can achieve the goal.

To conclude, motivation is one of the key elements that help a person to be successful. A motivated person tries to push his limits and always tries to improve his performance day by day. Also, the person always gives her/his best no matter what the task is. Besides, the person always tries to remain progressive and dedicated to her/his goals.

FAQs about Motivation Essay

Q.1 Define what is motivation fit. A.1 This refers to a psychological phenomenon in which a person assumes or expects something from the job or life but gets different results other than his expectations. In a profession, it is a primary criterion for determining if the person will stay or leave the job.

Q.2 List some best motivators. A.2 some of the best motivators are:

• Inspiration
• Fear of failure
• Power of Rejection
• Don’t pity your self
• Be assertive
• Stay among positive and motivated people
• Be calm and visionary

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how can i effectively express my motivation for higher education in my college essay.

I need to start working on my college essay and I'm seriously pondering over how to convey my true motivation for wanting a college education. It’s more than just getting a degree for me. How do I put this passion into words without sounding cliché?

I completely understand your desire to express your genuine passion for higher education in a way that stands out. It's important to show the admissions committee what drives you, and how your experiences have shaped your decision to pursue college education. To avoid clichés, focus on specific experiences or moments in your life that ignited your enthusiasm for learning. For example, you could write about a project or subject that you explored on your own time and how that deepened your interest in a certain field.

Additionally, you could talk about mentors or role models who have influenced your academic journey, or how particular challenges have strengthened your commitment to further education. Remember to be reflective and introspective; focus on your personal growth and development. It's not about grand statements, but about showing how your unique story connects to your educational aspirations. Tie these experiences back to your motivation for seeking a higher education, highlighting how college is a necessary and meaningful next step for you. By doing so, you'll be able to craft an essay that is both compelling and personal, clearly demonstrating your passion to the admissions committee.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Global Cognition

7 ways to improve your motivation to study (backed by science).

by Winston Sieck updated September 18, 2021

Just about everyone who has ever been in school knows what it feels like to sit in front of the computer, staring at a blank screen. Hoping their term paper would write itself.

Or tried reading a textbook only to find that they have read the same paragraph ten times and still don’t know what they read.

Or decided they would rather clean the clutter out from under their bed than study in the first place.

Bottom line, studying can be kind of a drag. When you have a hundred other things you would rather do and an overwhelming amount of work to do, it is hard to get started and even harder to finish.

Fortunately, there are some simple, scientifically proven ways you can find your motivation and keep it.

What is Motivation to Study?

Motivation comes from a Latin word that literally means “to move.” But what causes someone to be motivated to study has been a hot topic in the world of science.

Researchers believe that your motivation to study can either come from inside you or outside of you. You can be motivated by an internal drive to learn as much possible. Or, you might be motivated to study by an external reward like a good grade, or a great job, or someone promising you a car.

Recently, researchers have discovered that your motivation to study is rooted in lots of factors, many of which we have control over. Rory Lazowski of James Madison University and Chris Hulleman of the University of Virginia analyzed more than 70 studies into what motivates students in schools. They published their paper , “Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review, in the journal Review of Educational Research .

Lazowski and Hulleman found that a number of ways to improve motivation consistently yield positive results. Here, I describe seven of the techniques that you can most readily use on your own to power through your own study barriers, and move your learning forward.

1. Set Clear Goals

You may think to yourself, “My goal is to graduate and get a good job and be rich.” While that’s a fine ambition, by itself it probably won’t help you in school day-to-day.

In order to improve your motivation to study, your goals have to be a little closer to home. In fact, setting clear academic goals has been scientifically linked to higher grade point averages than students who set vague goals, like, “I’ll just do the best I can.”

Set a goal to earn an “A” on a particular test in a particular subject. Or, decide to learn everything you can about a concept because it will help you in the real world. Set a deadline for homework that will force you to finish a task before it is due so you can review it before handing it in. Whatever the goal is, be sure it is specific, relevant, and timely.

2. Don’t Just Shoot For Performance, Go For Mastery

There is nothing more frustrating than studying hard for a test only to get a grade that is less than what you were expecting. At that point, lots of students throw their hands in the air and say, “If this is what happens when I study, why study?”

Resist that urge.

The grades you receive on a test are examples of performance goals. If you set a goal to get an “A”, and stop there, you may only study the things that you think will be on the test, but not necessarily the things that will give you mastery of the concept.

Students who consistently strive for mastery , really learning what they are studying, almost always see their grades improve as a result.

Mastery goals also help with your motivation to study. If you want to learn everything there is to know, you are less likely to put off starting that process.

3. Take Responsibility for Your Learning

It’s tempting to blame your grades on other people. The teacher doesn’t like you. They never taught what you were tested on. Your homework assignment doesn’t apply. When you blame others for your performance, you are more likely to do poorly on tests, assignments and projects.

Taking responsibility for your own learning can make a world of difference when it comes to getting yourself motivated to study. Recognizing that you are in charge of what you learn can help you start studying, but it can also keep you going when other distractions threaten to take your attention away.

Next time you are tempted to stop in the middle of an assignment and do something else, pause. Take a breath. Then, say out loud, “No one is going to learn this for me.” You might be surprised at how hearing those words affect your focus.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Some people still believe that you’re either born smart (or not). And there’s not much you can do about it. However, research has shown that successful people tend to believe that intelligence is something you build up over your life. These folks have a growth mindset.

When your intelligence is challenged by hard assignments or difficult concepts, people with a growth mindset tend to think, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

Researchers found that believing your brain can get stronger when you tackle hard things not only improves your mastery of what you are learning, it also improves your grades and increases your motivation to study.

The next time you are faced by a blank screen or hard textbook chapter remember, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

5. Find the Relevance

If you ever want to annoy your math teacher, tell them algebra has no relevance in the real world. Alternatively, try to figure out how what you are studying relates to your life. Studies have shown that high school students who were asked to write down how their subject matter related to their everyday life saw a significant jump in their GPA.

Before you start studying, try jotting down a few ways this information will come in handy in the future. Making this connection will help you see value in what you are doing and get you started on an assignment or topic.

Sometimes, the connection between what you are learning and how it applies to your life is not easy to see. Try searching the web for applications of your topic to help you see the real-life relevance of what you are learning.

6. Imagine Your Future Self

Imagine what your life will be like in 10 years. Are you successful? Do you have a great career that you love? Are you living in the best city in the world?

Now, imagine how you are going to get there.

Some people automatically connect the school work they are doing now with getting into a good college or training program that will lead to their desired future. Other students have difficulty making that connection.

Having the ability to imagine your future self is a skill that has been shown to improve motivation to study. It has also been linked to higher grades, lower cases of truancy and fewer discipline problems in school.

Next time you are faced with a particularly daunting assignment, close your eyes and picture what you want your life to be like. Then, recognize that in order to have the life you want, you have to do the assignment in front of you.

7. Reaffirm Your Personal Values

What do you value most? What are the two or three most important qualities you can possibly develop? Do you strive to be honest in everything you do? Do you value kindness? Is success the most important value in your life?

Taking a few minutes now and again to reaffirm your values by writing in a journal or meditating about them can help you focus your efforts in other areas of your life.

If you value family over everything, your ability to take care of your family will motivate you to study and do well in school. If you value honesty, you will never feel inclined to cheat on a test, but will work hard to study.

Ultimately, finding the motivation to study is less about going on a treasure hunt and more about changing the way you think about learning. Even implementing a few of these seven tips can help you stay focused and keep going.

Image Credit: PublicDomainPictures

Lazowski, R. A., & Hulleman, C. S. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational research , 86(2), 602-640. DOI: 10.3102/0034654315617832

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About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

October 2, 2018 at 4:59 pm

Thanks for sharing this post. I plan to share it with my students this week. We’re implementing some growth mindset and mindfulness practices this year. This will be a good reinforcement of some of those ideas and will provide some new insight as well. I think it will be well-received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how open they’ve been to these ideas so far. Thanks again.

October 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm

That’s great, Tony. Excellent to hear the success you’re having with these ideas in your class. Thanks for stopping by..

October 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Thanks for posting this . I felt it after reading it and I think that if I prepare it today tomarow will be good . From this I’ll stay motivated .

October 2, 2018 at 6:54 pm

Thank greatly for this post. I’m studying at college at 45yrs ,sometimes want to give up studying but you came along with this great post. Great assurance and encouragement for young and old students alike.

Will have to share with my students as well,

kind regards,

clotilda Claudia Harry Solomon islands.

October 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

Yep, we all need a little motivation boost at any age. Way to keep learning, Clotilda.

November 16, 2018 at 12:08 am

Thanks for providing a resource for our children to grow in knowledge. Seems that no matter what the age, we all struggle with these issues.

November 17, 2018 at 4:39 pm

No doubt, Michael! Managing motivation is a life-long skill we can teach our kids. Good to see you here – thanks for stopping by..

October 6, 2020 at 4:23 am

Thank you so much for motivating, the point you are mentioned such as set goal and go for mastery, be responsibility for learning, etc. all these points are really very helpful and they are very useful for study thank you so much for sharing

February 3, 2021 at 5:18 am

Thank you! Without following all of these steps, it’s hard to have any significant academic success, I think. It helps me not to lose motivation with step-by-step planning: I divide the global goal into several small short-term goals and achieving even minimal results makes me happy and motivates me to try harder. Of course, there are also bad periods, when I feel exhausted and overwhelmed. But a little rest allows me to get back on track.

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Motivation Essay | Essay on Motivation for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Motivation Essay:   Motivation is important in life because it helps us gain valued results like personal growth, better well-being, enhanced performance, or a sense of confidence. Motivation is a road to improve our way of feeling, thinking, and behaving. The advantages of motivation are seen in our way of living life.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Motivation for Students and Kids in English

If you are searching for an essay on motivation, you will find below two different articles that you can use to complete your class assignments. Here is the best long essay on motivation for the students of classes 7, 8, 9, and 10. Short essay on Motivation is helpful for students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.

Long Essay on Motivation 500 Words in English

Motivation is an essential factor that changes positive thought into instant action. It switches a great idea into action and can undoubtedly affect the world around you. However, not all are born with motivation. People sometimes have disbelief in themselves; they often say, “I can’t do that” or “the timing is not right.” Being demotivated means living a life as a worn-out machine. Your life will become dull without any spark. So, to gain inner peace and satisfaction in life, you must always stay motivated.

Motivation is a force to push you closer toward your dream. If Steve Jobs lacked the motivation to launch Apple, you would not get an iPhone or iPad. It gives you a purpose to live you with a forever smile on the face. Thus, realizing and working on your self-motivation skills will make you capable of taking control of different aspects of life.

The critical elements of self-motivation are resilience and optimism. The former will help you bounce back during difficult times, whereas later, you will show you a brighter side ahead. This way, you will be able to control your emotions that are holding you back.

You need to locate the right motivation for you to get your spark back. You can find motivation from a wide range of effective sources, for example, from quotes, books, videos, parents, teachers, and even nature. Ultimately, you’ll learn rational thinking to overcome negative emotions when you are motivated in life.

Motivation also helps in making you active in life. You will struggle more to fulfill your goals. A self-motivated person always discovers a way to understand the issues hindering the path to complete a task. Moreover, they do not require other people’s support to accomplish a challenging task close to them.

Hence, motivation is one of the vital factors to be successful in any phase of your life. Whether personal or professional events both demand a person to stay positive to achieve the goals. As a motivated person, you will always try to push your limits and develop your performance level every day.

Moreover, you will continuously thrive on giving your best during every task. You will see that you remain dedicated and progressive towards the objectives of life. Lastly, your dreams and goals will come true as you always aimed.

So, always stay motivated in life without losing hope. When you stay motivated each day, it’ll push you closer to your goals. Learn to remain calm when you go through any hard day. It’s an excellent habit and must be applied in life. As a result, all your negative thoughts will start fading away.

Short Essay on Motivation 200 Words in English

No doubt, a person goes through many types of difficulties in life. Some people lose hope and think of quitting. But is this the right step? Absolutely not. Failing once does not mean there is nothing left in life. There is always a way to fight back the hard times to achieve what you desire.

Whether you’re a school-going kid or a business owner, you lose the track and feel demotivated somewhere in life. But never lose hope, you can work towards your betterment by regaining your motivation.

If anytime in life, you feel hard to fight back and lose motivation, read positive quotes, or watch motivational videos online. You can even put the inspirational quotes on your walls. All you need is positivity and motivation in life. You’ll see soon after that you start tackling challenges one step at a time. Slowly you will reach the destination of success and will feel proud of yourself.

We will typically do our best when we have enough motivation. Motivation makes us do things correctly and perform well. You have higher odds of succeeding when you are fully inspired and put effort. It’ll help you give your best during every situation of life. So always work on your motivation.

10 Lines on Motivation Essay

• Motivation is significant for the overall growth of your mind as well as personality.
• It helps you focus on your goals based on values and skills.
• Motivation is a necessary resource to improve and work productively during changing times as well as threats.
• It boosts your desire to achieve a meaningful life goal.
• You can listen to speeches, videos, read books, or quotes from inspirational people to rework on your lost motivation.
• You will learn to fight your fears and negative thoughts when you are motivated.
• Motivation helps professionals to be positive and happy while working hard to achieve goals.
• When you are motivated, you learn to organize and prioritize your life.
• Motivation help students to concentrate and work hard in the class.
• It awakens the sense of meaning in life.

FAQ’s on Motivation Essay

Question 1. Why do we need motivation in life?

Answer: Motivation is vital because it helps you achieve your goals and become the happiest person by never losing hope.

Question 2. What does motivation teach us?

Answer: You will learn to be self-confident, patient, optimistic, skills, time management, and fighting against your fears.

Question 3. How can I regain motivation in life?

Answer: You can read inspirational books, listen to seminars, and put inspirational quotes on the wall or desk to stay motivated in life.

Question 4. What are the benefits of staying motivated?

Answer: Motivation gives job satisfaction, boosts student engagement, improves relationships, and makes you successful.

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Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Personality Psychology — Motivation

Essays on Motivation

🌟 the importance of writing a motivation essay 📝.

Motivation is like that extra sprinkle of magic dust that gives us the boost we need to achieve our goals and dreams ✨✨. It's the driving force behind our actions and the fuel that keeps us going when things get tough. Writing an essay about motivation allows us to delve deeper into this fascinating topic and explore its various aspects. So, why not grab your pen (or keyboard) and let's dive into the world of motivation! 💪📚

🔍 Choosing the Perfect Motivation Essay Topic 🤔

When it comes to choosing a topic for your motivation essay, there are a few things to consider. First, think about what aspect of motivation you find most intriguing. Is it personal motivation, motivation in the workplace, or maybe the psychology behind motivation? Once you have a general idea, narrow it down further to a specific angle that interests you the most.

💡 Motivation Argumentative Essay 💪📝

An argumentative essay on motivation requires you to take a stance and provide evidence to support your viewpoint. Here are ten exciting topics to get those creative juices flowing:

• The role of intrinsic motivation in academic success
• The impact of extrinsic rewards on employee motivation
• Does social media affect motivation levels in teenagers?
• The connection between motivation and self-esteem
• How does motivation differ between genders?
• The influence of music on motivation levels
• Does money truly motivate people in the workplace?
• The effects of positive reinforcement on motivation
• The link between motivation and mental health
• How does goal-setting impact motivation?

🌪️ Motivation Cause and Effect Essay 📝

In a cause and effect essay, you explore the reasons behind certain motivations and their outcomes. Here are ten thought-provoking topics to consider:

• The causes and effects of procrastination on motivation
• How does a lack of motivation impact academic performance?
• The relationship between motivation and success in sports
• The effects of parental motivation on children's achievements
• How does motivation affect mental well-being?
• The causes and effects of burnout on motivation levels
• The impact of motivation on work-life balance
• How does motivation affect creativity and innovation?
• The causes and effects of peer pressure on motivation
• The relationship between motivation and goal attainment

💬 Motivation Opinion Essay 💭📝

In an opinion essay, you express your personal thoughts and beliefs about motivation. Here are ten intriguing topics to spark your imagination:

• Is self-motivation more effective than external motivation?
• Are rewards a necessary form of motivation?
• Should schools focus more on intrinsic motivation?
• The role of motivation in achieving work-life balance
• Is motivation a learned behavior or innate?
• The impact of motivation on personal growth and development
• Does motivation play a significant role in overcoming obstacles?
• Is fear an effective motivator?
• The role of motivation in maintaining a healthy lifestyle
• Can motivation be sustained in the long term?

📚 Motivation Informative Essay 🧠📝

An informative essay on motivation aims to educate and provide valuable insights. Here are ten fascinating topics to explore:

• The psychology behind motivation and its theories
• How to stay motivated in challenging times
• The impact of motivation on personal and professional success
• Motivation techniques for achieving fitness goals
• The role of motivation in leadership and management
• Motivation in the context of mental health and well-being
• The history of motivation research and key figures
• Motivation strategies for students and educators
• Motivation and its connection to creativity and innovation
• Motivation in different cultural and societal contexts

📜 Thesis Statement Examples 📜

Here are a few thesis statement examples to inspire your motivation essay:

• 1. "Motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, plays a pivotal role in driving individuals towards achieving their goals and aspirations."
• 2. "This essay explores the multifaceted nature of motivation, examining its psychological underpinnings, societal influences, and practical applications."
• 3. "In a world filled with challenges and opportunities, understanding the mechanisms of motivation empowers individuals to overcome obstacles and reach new heights of success."

📝 Introduction Paragraph Examples 📝

Here are some introduction paragraph examples for your motivation essay:

• 1. "Motivation is the driving force behind human actions, the invisible hand that propels us toward our goals. It is the spark that ignites the fire of determination within us, pushing us to overcome obstacles and realize our dreams."
• 2. "In a world where challenges often outnumber opportunities, motivation serves as the compass guiding us through life's intricate maze. It is the unwavering belief in our abilities and the fuel that keeps our ambitions burning bright."
• 3. "Picture a world without motivation—a world where dreams remain unfulfilled, talents remain hidden, and aspirations remain dormant. Fortunately, we do not live in such a world, and this essay delves into the profound impact of motivation on human lives."

🔚 Conclusion Paragraph Examples 📝

Here are some conclusion paragraph examples for your motivation essay:

• 1. "As we conclude this journey through the realm of motivation, let us remember that it is the driving force behind our accomplishments, the cornerstone of our achievements. With unwavering motivation, we can surmount any obstacle and turn our aspirations into reality."
• 2. "In the grand tapestry of human existence, motivation weaves the threads of determination, perseverance, and success. This essay's culmination serves as a testament to the enduring power of motivation and its ability to shape our destinies."
• 3. "As we bid farewell to this exploration of motivation, let us carry forward the knowledge that motivation is not just a concept but a potent force that propels us toward greatness. With motivation as our guide, we can continue to chase our dreams and conquer new horizons."

📄 Motivation Research Paper Outline 📄

I. introduction 🌟.

• Definition of Motivation
• Importance of Studying Motivation
• Research Questions or Hypotheses
• Objectives of the Study
• Significance of the Study
• Scope and Limitations

II. Literature Review 📖

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
• Self-Determination Theory
• Research on Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
• Studies on Workplace Motivation
• Impact of Motivation on Performance and Productivity
• Gaps in the Literature

III. Research Methodology 🔬

• Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed Methods
• Sampling Techniques
• Sample Size
• Surveys, Interviews, Observations, etc.
• Data Analysis Techniques
• Ethical Considerations

IV. Results and Discussion 💬

• Tables, Graphs, and Charts
• Interpretation of Data
• Comparison with Previous Studies
• Theoretical Implications
• Practical Implications

V. Conclusion 🏁

• Summary of Findings
• Conclusions Drawn from the Study
• Recommendations for Future Research
• Limitations of the Study

VI. References 📚

• Citations of all Sources Used

VII. Appendices 📑

• Additional Material (e.g., Survey Instruments, Interview Guides)

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Assessment of My Motivation and Values

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Motivation is the drive or desire to achieve a goal or take action. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-directed behavior.

Intrinsic, extrinsic, unconscious, and conscious.

Theories articulating the content of motivation: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg's two-factor theory, Alderfer's ERG theory, Self-Determination Theory, Drive theory.

• Motivation can come from both internal (intrinsic) and external (extrinsic) sources.
• Different people are motivated by different things, such as rewards, recognition, or personal satisfaction.
• Setting specific, achievable goals can increase motivation levels.
• Motivation can fluctuate based on external factors like stress, fatigue, or distractions.
• Motivation is closely linked to productivity and success in various aspects of life.

The topic of motivation is important because it plays a crucial role in determining individual behavior, performance, and overall well-being. Understanding what motivates people can help in creating effective strategies for personal growth, goal achievement, and boosting overall satisfaction and success. It is a key aspect of psychology, education, management, and various other fields that aim to enhance human performance and well-being.

Relevant topics

• Growth Mindset
• Procrastination

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How to Motivate Yourself and Get in the Mood for Studying

Last Updated: July 22, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jai Flicker and by wikiHow staff writer, Annabelle Reyes . Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego. There are 22 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,623,238 times.

When you have mountains of homework and studying ahead, getting started can seem like an impossible task. We’ll teach you how to get into the right frame of mind before you start studying and shake yourself out of a motivation slump. Read on to learn how to stop procrastinating, focus even when you're tired, and get into the mood for a great study session!

Silence or shut off your cell phone.

Start with the easiest task.

• Once you’ve decided what order to complete your tasks in, try writing them down somewhere. You can use an academic planner , or just jot them down on a spare piece of paper or sticky note.
• Having this to-do list will lower the effort of making decisions, and you’ll find it easier to shift from one task to the next.

Break tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks.

• Instead of trying to read a whole book for English class at once, set small daily goals. For instance, you could plan to read 1-2 chapters per day until you finish the book. [4] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
• When prepping for a test or final exam , start by reviewing your lecture notes from just the first week of the semester. Then, for your next study session, focus on your notes from the second week, and so on. This will help you dive into each specific topic without getting too overwhelmed.

Reward yourself when you complete a task.

• If you decide to reward yourself with a quick break from studying, remember that you will eventually have to get back to work.
• Set a reasonable time limit for your break, and don't listen to the voice in your head pleading for "just a few more minutes."

Stay hydrated and keep a snack on hand.

• Although it’s important to eat energizing snacks, avoid studying right after a big meal; you’ll just feel drowsy and will want to relax.
• Try to avoid overly sugary snacks—these foods will give you a short energy rush that quickly turns into sleepiness.

Study during the times when you’re most productive

• Think back to past study sessions to assess which factors help and hinder your progress.
• For example, you might realize that your morning study sessions are always the most productive, while your evening study sessions are less fruitful because you’re groggier.
• The more specific and intentional you can be about scheduling out your study tasks, the more success you’ll have with your studies and improve your time management .

Tidy up your workspace.

• Consider making your home study space warm and inviting, so you look forward to spending time there.
• Decorate the walls with photos of you and your friends, place a cheerful house plant on your desk, and choose a comfy chair to sit in.

Take a break to move around.

• These activities will give you a burst of energy and boost your mood. Plus, they’ll help get your brain into a receptive state, which will make your studying more effective. [11] X Research source

Look up podcasts or videos on the topics you're studying.

• For example, if you’re having a hard time with your math homework, try searching for an explanatory video on YouTube. You’ll likely be able to find several videos that break down example problems step-by-step.
• Or, say that you’re writing an essay about a historical period, and you want to take a deep dive into the era. There are likely a ton of podcasts on the topics you’re interested in—check them out for some fascinating info!

Crank up your favorite study tunes.

• If you find songs with lyrics to be a bit too distracting, try listening to classical music, instrumental movie scores, piano covers of your favorite songs, or music ina. foreign language.
• You can also try playing nature sounds or ambient noise if music is too distracting in general. [14] X Research source
• This livestream shows an animated girl working on something at her desk, and it plays ambient music in the background.

Work with your friends or a tutor.

• In a study group, each person can volunteer to tackle a different sub-topic, and then you can all share your study materials with each other. This saves everyone time and promotes teamwork! [16] X Research source
• You can also reserve a study room, bring snacks, or gamify your studying to make the work more enjoyable.
• If you’re hoping to find a tutor, try asking around at school or consulting a private tutoring agency.

Create visual aids for a fun, efficient study tool.

• For example, rather than re-reading vocab words from your textbook, try making a handwritten, color-coded study sheet with the words and their definitions.
• Writing the information down in your own handwriting will help you retain the information better, and you’ll also have a great, visually appealing study sheet to review in the future.

Use classic study tricks to memorize facts.

• For example, you may be familiar with the acronym PEMDAS, or the expression “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.”
• These mnemonic devices represent the order of operations in math (parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add, and subtract). [20] X Research source
• If you’re having trouble coming up with your own mnemonic devices, try searching “how to remember [subject]” online for some inspiration.

Motivate yourself by making a personal connection to your work.

• If you’re hoping to attend college or earn a scholarship, think about how each small study session will get you one step closer to your dreams.

Try freewriting or journaling to identify why you procrastinate.

• Once you’ve gotten these stressors out of your system, take a deep breath and tell yourself it’s time to shift your frame of mind and get to work. You got this!

Try the Pomodoro Technique.

• Each 25-minute block is called a Pomodoro. These study sessions go by quickly, and as you complete each one, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, which can motivate you to keep going.
• You’ll also feel like you’re getting a fresh start with each new session, and research suggests that this can help you overcome a lack of motivation. [24] X Research source
• For maximum effectiveness, do something productive during the 5-minute breaks between each Pomodoro, rather than scrolling on your phone or zoning out. Instead, try taking a walk, stretching, or making a nutritious snack. [25] X Research source

Be kind to yourself about your procrastination habits.

• Avoid comparing yourself to other classmates who seem to be doing well. Everyone learns and works differently, so focus on your own needs and capabilities!
• Instead of thinking, “I can’t believe I procrastinated so much. I’m the worst student ever,” try reframing this in a more positive way.
• For example, you could think: “I have a lot to do, but I’ll persevere until I finish it all. I’m doing the best I can, and I should be proud of that.”

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• Make an effort to take good notes during class and keep them in an organized notebook or binder. Use these to help you with homework, projects, and upcoming exams. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
• Sometimes it can be about changing your perspective—try framing your thoughts as you get to study, rather than you have to study. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or professor. Visit during their office hours or ask if you can set up a time to speak with them about the subject. Make sure you ask questions in class, too. If you ask questions, it will show that you’re motivated and want to do well in their class. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Sometimes, motivation can come after you've already started studying. If you don't feel like studying, just try doing it for five minutes, and check in with how you're feeling after that.
• Be sure to get a good night's sleep to help you retain the information you’ve studied. Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Jai Flicker. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://graduate.rice.edu/news/six-strategies-staying-motivated-during-covid-19-pandemic
• ↑ https://help.open.ac.uk/study-goals
• ↑ ​​ https://hbr.org/2020/08/your-to-do-list-is-in-fact-too-long
• ↑ https://cps.unh.edu/blog/2018/10/self-care-tips-increase-your-student-bandwidth
• ↑ https://share.upmc.com/2019/08/healthy-snacks-to-power-studying/
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-case-for-finally-cleaning-your-desk
• ↑ https://www.edology.com/blog/study-and-careers-advice/effective-study-space/
• ↑ https://health.cornell.edu/about/news/study-breaks-stress-busters
• ↑ https://healthybrains.org/pillar-physical/
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/tips-studying-motivation.html
• ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21508527/
• ↑ https://www.vaughn.edu/blog/best-study-music-and-benefits/
• ↑ https://www.imc.edu.au/news-archive/8-benefits-of-studying-with-friends
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5256450/
• ↑ https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02522/full
• ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/chapter/memory-techniques/
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/lib/memory-and-mnemonic-devices#examples
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination
• ↑ https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/study-skills-tools-resources/pomodoro-technique
• ↑ https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/psychology-rewarding-yourself-with-treats

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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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If you’re having trouble getting motivated to study, find a quiet place where you won’t be distracted, and turn your phone on silent or place it out of sight so you won’t be tempted to look at it. Set concrete goals for each study session, like learning how to solve a specific math problem or reading and comprehending a complete chapter in your textbook. Reward yourself with a snack or a break when you meet your goal. For tips on making a study schedule, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• How to Study When You’ve Lost Motivation: 8 Sharp Tips to Get Back on Track

We asked a former Oxford Royale student ( Oxford Summer Courses alumni) about their approach to managing motivation:

In my opinion, two evils conspire to make revision-time miserable: the first is the stress of approaching exams, and the sense that there is an overwhelming amount of information to learn in an ever-dwindling period of time. Even spending time with friends, intended for relaxation, can just be a reminder of the exams you’ll be sitting together and the work you ought to be doing. The second is the boredom; the feeling of oppression that comes with the knowledge that the next week, or month, or six weeks, will be consumed entirely with the business of studying.

Of course, there will be days when revision is actually quite enjoyable – when you feel like you’re achieving a lot every day, piecing the different parts of your subjects together, and finally understanding things that have eluded you for months. But equally, the majority of us have just as many bad days, when we’re studying a particularly difficult topic, progress is slow or we just can’t focus. And on those days, the classic study tips seem totally redundant: personally, being ‘helpfully’ advised to make flash-cards or take regular breaks while struggling to understand the very first thing about differentiation has in the past made me feel positively murderous.

So, here are some quirky study tips, new ideas to boost your concentration and motivation as a last resort, when everything seems impossible and you’re dangerously close to just giving up and watching old episodes of Breaking Bad all afternoon. Of course, they won’t all work for you, but trying new things never hurts, especially when everything seems lost.

Remember, sometimes it can be helpful to have some group of peers to study with. I was fortunate enough to develop my group while at a UK summer school rather than studying everything on your own.

Concentrating and remembering

An old teacher of mine swore by a very particular (and in my opinion, totally mad) study habit. She said that if you read something through three times, then at the end of the third time, you would know all of the information it contains perfectly. For her, it worked – she could sit quietly reading a chapter of a textbook, and then after the third time through, answer pretty much any question about it. For me, this is the worst possible way to revise. My concentration span is that of a particularly dim goldfish. I can sit for hours, re-reading the same piece of text up to five, six, or seven times, without ever once taking in what it says. Sure, my eyes will be drifting over the words, but my mind will be elsewhere entirely – thinking about what I’m going to have for lunch, what happened on last night’s Made in Chelsea, what I’m going to revise next, or even how terrified I am about the exam. And even if I do manage to remember the general gist of the passage, by the next day any specific details have totally disappeared. If I’m going to have any chance of taking something in and remembering it for longer than ten minutes, I have to make learning an active process. Here are some ideas to do this:

Set yourself questions

In subjects like History, English, Religious Studies, Psychology, or Biology, where you’ve got to read and learn long swathes of text, make learning active by turning information into questions. Break a text down into chunks of one page, or roughly 500 words each, and for each part, write out five questions that you would ask if you were an examiner testing students on that part. Next, write out the answers. Take your time over this process – your questions should be careful and well thought-out, isolating the most important elements of a topic. You could even put your questions on flash cards, and use them to revise from in the future.

Teach each other

In groups of two, three, or four, break a subject (or some of a subject) down into parts, each go off and learn a part thoroughly, and then come back together and teach each other what you’ve learned. The ‘teacher’ could prepare a slide-show and a handout, explain how to answer past paper questions, and ask the other members of the group to work through some questions together. This method of revision works brilliantly for a few reasons: first, it’s active, forcing you to confront problems rather than skipping over them, and transform information into a form someone else will understand; second, it’s fun, and social, giving you a break from the solitary confines of your spot in the library. It can be adjusted to suit pretty much any subject: in Economics or History, you could each take an essay question, prepare a model answer and discuss it with the group; in a literature exam, you could provide readings and summaries of books or poems; in Maths or a science, teach a whole topic.

Ditch the books altogether

Some students do exceedingly well in exams without ever making revision notes or even reading through their books – instead, revision for them is a process of going through every past paper in existence, and answering all the questions there. Next, get hold of a mark scheme, read through the exemplary answers contained there, and work out how you’ve scored and where you’ve gone wrong. I used to use this method in subjects like Maths and Chemistry. My first efforts were always a total disaster, with scores in the forties and fifties – but I found it astonishing how many questions were repeated in slightly altered form from paper to paper, and how much I improved each time. What’s more, each time I would read through the answers on the mark scheme, I was learning information in the same way as I would from a text book, building confidence and becoming familiar with the particular demands of the paper – but it was easier to concentrate than if I’d used notes, because I was always comparing the answers there to my own efforts. What’s more, in my experience, if you puzzle over something and get it wrong, you’re likely to remember how to do it properly. Of course, with this system of revision it’s crucial to be alert to changes in the syllabus, and there is always a risk of missing out something important – but it’s a great way of livening up revision and can always be combined with other methods to make it more thorough. N.B. When practising, remember to keep to the amount of time you’ll have in an exam.

Try something new

There are radio shows and podcasts on basically everything these days. I revised for my Shakespeare exam at university by listening to a really useful podcast on iTunes – and a quick search confirms there are hundreds more geared towards IB, A-level, and GCSE exams. Don’t feel confined to those specifically for your course, though – you can learn new and interesting information that might boost your grade and give your exam an edge simply by searching for a topic you’re interested in. Downloading and listening to these will give you a fresh perspective, or a new way of understanding a topic – and in addition, is a more low-key method of revising – something you can do while you’re walking to school, sitting on the tube or relaxing in the evening.

Make something

I know a student who put everything she needed to know about Photosynthesis for IB Biology into a brilliant (but incredibly geeky) rap. And another student who made extravagant and actually quite beautiful posters, writing all the information she wanted to remember about World War Two on different parts of a map of Europe. If you’re especially creative, or learn well from seeing, speaking or doing, you can adapt this to suit how you learn – making acronyms, rhymes or posters – or even acting things out to remember them better.

Staying focused and motivated

Try working at a totally new time.

This is one for really desperate times, not to be used all year round: as you will see when you read on, if overused its natural conclusion is a descent into madness. When I’m having an essay crisis, or an exam is looming and I don’t feel prepared, I totally change my routine, and wake up at 3.30am to work or revise. I have real problems focusing in the evening – I find working after 6pm miserable and oppressive, and know that I work very slowly and inefficiently at that time. However, if I go to bed really early (say, 9pm), when I wake up in the small hours of the morning (and once I’ve had a very strong coffee) my brain is refreshed, and I can get loads done before the day has even properly started. What’s more, there are no possible distractions at that time of day – nothing to do, no one to meet for coffees, and Facebook slows to the merest of trickles. Plus, the feeling of intense smugness that being up and working while the rest of the world sleeps will only make you more productive. If you’re not a morning person, this one might not work for you – instead, try giving yourself a lie in, and then staying up a few hours later at night. And of course, make up the time you’ve missed in bed elsewhere.

Break it down

Now, many of you will undoubtedly be sick to death of being told to plan your revision. I personally don’t hold much love for study timetables: in my experience, they inevitably end up sitting over your desk, evilly mocking your ineptitude with each day that you get further and further behind the targets you set three weeks ago. On the other hand, though, without a sense of when everything will get learned, it’s easy to feel totally at sea with revision, with a creeping sense that you might not be learning things quickly or well enough, or that you may have missed something out. Unfortunately, then, they can be something of a necessary evil. However, one tip will make sure you keep pace with your timetable, and realise if you’ve set unrealistic goals, while also increasing your motivation and helping you stay in the library for that crucial extra few hours. Each day, break your revision down into chunks- say, at least ten. Once you’ve completed one chunk, give yourself a little reward: I have a friend who will buy a bag of Maltesers, and eat two after each chunk; another who watches one video on YouTube; a third who checks his Facebook for five minutes and a fourth who spends a few minutes punching a punch-bag! Make it a rule that before you leave the library at the end of the day, you’ve got to have completed the ten small tasks you have set yourself.

Plan daily exercise in groups

Annoyingly, for those of us who prefer an afternoon on the sofa with a movie to a walk or a game of tennis, it’s been proven a hundred times over: regular exercise boosts concentration. What’s more, whole days, weeks or even months spent in the library, working towards a single goal, with no distractions or social interaction are very bad for morale, efficiency and concentration. A great way to break revision up, see some human faces and get moving is to plan to do something active and fun once a day with friends. When I was revising for my IB, a group of us used to go swimming for an hour every day before dinner. This was a great social event (and a good chance to moan about all the work we were doing!), which gave us all something to plan our days around, and a chance to get outside and generally stay sane.

Have you got any unusual study tips that have helped you through desperate times?

Images: Man Climbing Mountain

How to Motivate Yourself to Study: 25 Effective Strategies

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Getting that studying motivation can be difficult. You start off on a high, but before long the reality of hard work sinks in.

In this ultimate guide, I show you how to motivate yourself to study by providing you with 25+ inspirational tips and strategies.

No time to waste, here’s my tips on how to get that inspiration every student needs to get motivated to study.

25 Ways to Motivate yourself to Study

1. watch this youtube video on self-discipline by will smith.

For the first 3 points, I want to get you started with some motivational videos to get you into the right headspace to build that study inspiration.

This motivational video gets you to look inwards and think about why it is you should be studying right now.

Here’s some themes Will Smith explores in this motivational video:

Self-Discipline

At the core of motivation is self-discipline.

Self-discipline is the ability to regulate your own behaviors.

It’s about convincing yourself to do things you don’t want to do because they have some longer-term value.

You need self-discipline as a student.

Self-discipline is the ability to do that studying now even if you don’t want to.

Because you’ve got aspirations to be a better you.

As will Smith argues:

“You cannot win the war against the world if you can’t win the war against your own mind.”

Self-Love is all about doing things to help yourself.

It’s about taking actions for your own good in the long run, sometimes at the sacrifice of the now.

Will Smith refers to students when he talks about Self-Love. He says:

“Self-Love is when you have a test on Monday. And I know you really want to go out with your friends but if you fail that test you’re not going to feel good about yourself. I love you too much to let you go out tonight.”

Will Smith argues that your long-term happiness is determined by your actions today. If you have the self-love and self-discipline to do the hard work now, you’ll be happier in the long run.

Self-Responsibility

Smith also talks about how you need to take responsibility for your own life.

He says it doesn’t help to think about why you’re in the situation you’re in.

If you’re poor, or having to re-do university to change careers, sure that sucks.

But your job is to take responsibility for the future because you can’t do anything about the past.

“Your heart, your life, your happiness, is your responsibility and your responsibility alone.”

You’ve got to do this. No one else can do it for you.

2. Watch this Motivational Speech about your University Degree

In this video, the speaker reminds you that you are the only one who has the power to make change.

It starts with a rough message: stop pitying yourself.

The speaker says tiredness, lack of money, or anything else are excuses. People who have succeeded have gone through the same hurdles.

The difference between success and failure is that people who succeed look inside themselves and find the strength to do the hard work.

The speaker says:

“It’s not going to come to you and fall in your lap. It’s always going to be difficult. If you want it, you’ve got to go get it.”

This video is all about digging deep. Put your head down and grind it out.

Success comes to those who earn it through hard work.

Right now, that hard work for you is to put your head down and study.

Don’t make any excuses for yourself. You can overcome the challenges. Dig deep.

3. Watch this Video about Growth Mindsets

I love the concept of the growth mindset .

What’s it all about?

It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about believing in your ability to learn.

“Failing is just another word for growing. And you keep growing. This is Learning.”

I like this video because it’s compassionate. It knows you are going to struggle and fail. And it’s message is simple: that’s okay.

Just believe in yourself and keep putting one step after another.

If you have the self-concept that you believe you can learn anything with hard work, you’re more likely dig deep and do the hard work needed to learn.

By contrast, if you’ve not got a growth mindset, you’ll blame other things. You’ll stop believing in yourself.

You need to grab hold of your growth mindset and tell yourself: “I can achieve this. I can overcome this struggle. I can ace this exam. I just need to work at it. I need to find ways to achieve it and I’ll get there in the end.”

4. Read this Book: UnF*ck Yourself

I’m suggesting you read Gary John Bishop’s UnF*ck Yourself because it’s a fast, simple read that’ll get you thinking about how to improve your own life.

It’s a simple exercise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: That is, it gets you to start sorting out your thinking.

Silence the self-defeating monologue.

It’s mean. It isn’t sympathetic. It tells you how the world is: stop thinking negative thoughts.

That negativity, those excuses, are going to bring you down.

You have struggles, and I’m sympathetic to them. But my sympathy isn’t going to solve them. And that’s what this book’s all about.

Fix the things within your power. Believe you’re capable and take the steps towards achieving what you’re capable of achieving.

The book’s by-line tells it the way it is:

“Get out of your head and into your life.”

Stop sitting around. Seriously. Just stop. If there’s more in yourself to put out there in the world, then do it.

Your life is your ultimate masterpiece. Put everything you have into it.

For you, right now, that’s studying. So get the heck off your ass and freaking study!

5. Print out Motivational Quotes and Place them around your Study Space.

The videos I provided at the start of this post are motivational. Their goal is to remind you to dig deep and try your hardest to work through the struggles you’re facing today.

But you can’t watch videos five or ten times a day. It’s just not practical.

Something that’s both motivational and practical is to select some quotes that you find inspiring.

Motivational quotes for studying might include:

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

Or how about this one:

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer

I recommend placing these quotes in visible places around your study space.

Some visible places to put your motivational quotes include:

• On your pin board;
• On your study desk;
• On your computer desktop screen

6. Remind yourself of your Long-Term Goals

You need to know where you’re going.

Do you know why you’re sitting at the computer right now, planning to study?

What was the reason you started down the path of getting this qualification you’re studying for?

It might have been:

• For a job you’re passionate about
• To get enough money to care for your family
• To prove something to yourself
• To gather enough knowledge to start a business in your topic

…Or, any other reason!

You need to dig these goals back up when you’re at a low point and lacking motivation to study.

Write them down all over again.

In the video above, the speaker talks about creating A Vision . He says he creates his vision and then he has it handy at his desk:

“I put [my goal] on one piece of paper, I put it on my desk and I review it twice a day.”

Having that long-term goal statement sitting there on your desk visible every single day keeps it close to your heart.

It reminds you that your actions are intentional.

There’s a reason behind your study session today. It’s just one of those steps towards that long-term goal.

7. Look on a Job Search Website for your Dream Job to Motivate You

If you want to envision that long-term goal even more, you might want to do some research into it.

Actually look at it!

Most students’ long-term goals is to break into a certain career.

So, why not go onto a job search website and look at that job you want?

What does it say on there to motivate you?

Take a look at:

• The salary. Does it inspire you? Hopefully it does!
• The list of minimum requirements for the position. What are they?

When you look at the minimum requirements, you’ll probably see your degree name there: “Must have an M.Sc …” It might even say “Experience required.”

That’s okay.

But if you can see that you’re on your way right now to being able to tick off that one key requirement for the job, it might give you some more motivation.

That action of looking at the specifications for the dream job might just remind you why you’re here, today, studying your heart out.

You’ll get there one day.

But today, you study.

8. Create a List of your Medium-Term Goals.

To get to your long-term goal (say, to get that dream job), you need to set yourself a list of stepping stones to get there.

Your stepping stones might be:

• Grow my GPA this Semester to 3.0
• Get a GPA of 3.3 next Semester

…Or, anything you think is achievable with a little hard work.

These medium-term goals appear achievable than the longer-term career goal.

These goals are on the horizon.

And the best thing about these goals is you can take actions today to achieve them.

Because in reality, there’s nothing you can do right now that will tangibly make that dream job land on your lap. It’s over the horizon. You’ve set your ship in the right direction, but you can’t apply for that job today.

So what can you do in the medium-term? What’s within your power? How can you set your ship in the right direction?

These medium-term goals are more achievable, so they’re more actionable.

But they’re still not enough. Once you’ve set that list of medium-term goals, let’s break them down even more .

You need to break down your list of goals so much that you have a goal today that you can achieve.

That’s why you need to write down one short-term goal for today that will be a step towards your medium-term goals.

9. Write down one Short-Term Goal for Today.

It’s hard to see how your study session today might lead to achieving your goal in the long-term future.

But every single action counts.

To prevent overwhelm, I acknowledge that what I’m doing today may only be a miniscule step towards my big life goal.

So, I break down all of my actions into small, actionable, bite-size chunks that I can achieve on a daily basis.

It feels impossible to achieve something massive. But you can achieve a whole lot of small things that build up to that one huge goal that you want to achieve.

So, what I recommend to my students who lack motivation is this:

Write down on a piece of paper one positive thing you want achieved by the end of the day.

It might be to finish taking notes on that one chapter you’re studying.

It might be to complete three practice quizzes to prepare for your test.

Sure, it doesn’t sound like much. But it gives you something to work towards today. It focuses your mind.

And 30 days of minor achievements will eventually lead to a medium-sized achievement. It might bump your GPA up just enough to get over a hurdle, improve your CV, and get you closer to that dream job.

So set yourself one actionable goal for today. Then go out there and do the grind to make today worthwhile.

Go Deeper: 101 Short-Term Goals for Students

10. Write a letter from your future self

Now that you know your goals, visualize yourself at that point when you’ve achieved them.

What will you look back at? What will you be proud of? What hurdles will you have overcome?

You can do a small exercise that’s personal, private, and that you can keep to yourself.

Take out a pen and paper and write a letter from your future self. Put yourself in the shoes of the future version of you who’s made it to the place you want to be.

Write down a letter looking back at the path to get there. What will your future self want to say to you?

Your future self might:

• Congratulate you on overcoming certain hurdles;
• Let you know how hard it is, but also that it feels worth it in the end;
• Tell you to forgive yourself for your failures;
• Tell you to have self-belief;
• Give you some tough love. ‘Future you’ might say: “Get off your backside and start studying!”

Have a think about what letter you think that future version of you will write, and have a go at writing that letter.

It might just motivate you to dig deep today.

11. Write a Letter to your Future Self

Now that you’ve completed your letter from your future self, come back to today.

What do you want to tell your future version of you? Maybe you’ll make them some promises. Let them know that what you’re doing today is for them.

You might talk about how much you want what you’re working towards. You might tell your future self to celebrate on your behalf. You could say:

“I can’t celebrate today. I’m denying myself some pleasures because I want a greater happiness for myself tomorrow. So, please celebrate your success with the family and enjoy the delayed gratification. I did this for you!”

Writing this letter is your chance to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s your chance to directly think about how your sacrifices will be for the good of yourself in the future.

This is an exercise in self-love and self-discipline. You’re telling yourself clearly why you need to be disciplined today.

12. Find a Goal Setting Study Partner

If possible, set those short-term goals (from Point 10) with a study partner.

There’s nothing more powerful than a study partner whose motivations and goals match your own.

Together, you can pull each other forward and apply accountability to one another.

The ideal goal setting study partner is another person studying the same course as you. Ideally, you’ll be in the same lectures and seminars as one another and aiming for the same grade as one another.

As a pair, you can work together and put your minds together to work towards your goals.

Here’s some ways to find a study partner:

• I’d start by inviting my personal friends to study with you on a regular basis.
• Add people in your course on your social media pages. This way, you’ll be able to message them on occasion and build relationships.
• Identify people in your class with similar mindsets and start to befriend them.
• Use your course’s Facebook pace (if it has one!) to put a call out for people to join your study group.

Here’s some ways to utilize your study partner:

• Agree to compare notes directly after lectures . Comparing notes allows you to see how other people have interpreted the information presented in class.
• Set up regular formal study sessions at your house, the library or a local café
• Offer to edit one another’s work.

Be aware that you need to find people who are on the same level as you – you don’t want people who are wanting to use you for information but not support you in return.

13. Create a To-Do List

Whether working with partners or alone, each study session should begin with a to-do list.

The to-do list should include points from Step 9, where I encouraged you to set super short-term micro goals. These are goals that are achievable in just one day.

Having a To-Do list gives you another level of accountability to yourself.

You’ve noted down exactly what you expect yourself to do for the day – and now you have to follow it through.

Make sure your daily to-do list is reasonable. The tasks need to be 100% achievable in one day, so long as you put the effort into it.

Next, sort the to-do list based on priority:

• What is the most important study task to complete today?
• What is the hardest task?

You should prioritize these two types of tasks. Finish the most important and hardest tasks first, when you’re most fresh.

There’s an app for that.

A great app for creating and managing to do lists is ToDoist .

The reason I love ToDoist is that I can link it up to my accountability app in Step 16, where I can wager money on whether I have achieved the goals I’ve set in my ToDoist app.

14. Use the Reddit Accountability Thread

Accountability is one of the greatest motivators.

I’ve just asked you to create a To-Do list (see point 13). This is a great step towards accountability to yourself. Now you have actionable goals and targets that should be achieved by the end of your study session.

Now you need to take that To-Do list and make yourself accountable to others.

Recently I came across a great idea on Reddit. It’s a daily accountability thread .

At the start of each day people post the things they need to get achieved for the day.

As they complete a task, they log back on and cross out each point on the accountability thread.

This does a few great things.

I’ve found accountability threads:

• Give you a sense of community. There are people there encouraging you each day and congratulating you on your small successes.
• Give you social accountability. You feel like you want to achieve these goals because there are people out there who will see if you fail.

15. Put some Skin in the Game

To take your study accountability to the next level, you need to put some skin in the game.

How do you do this?

Put some money on the line.

Get in touch with someone you trust. It could be that study partner you have, a spouse, a friend, or a parent.

Then, give them $100. No questions asked. And tell them:

“If I don’t achieve my goal for today, you can keep my $100.”

Suddenly, studying got a whole lot more serious.

If you don’t want to lose $100, you better get to the library, put your head down, and start studying!

Don’t have anyone who’s willing to mind your $100 for you?

Try out one of the accountability apps out there on the market that are happy to hold your money for you. Here’s a few of them:

StickK allows you to wager money that you only get back if you achieve your goals.

But the great catch is this: if you don’t achieve your goals, the money goes to an ‘anti-Charity’.

What’s an anti-Charity?

It’s a charity that you really, really don’t like.

So StickK gives you the option of donating money to a charity you hate like:

• A pro-Choice charity;
• A pro-Life charity;
• A pro-Gun control charity;
• A Gun rights charity;
• A political party whose views are opposite yours.

This gives an extra incentive to motivate yourself to study.

2. Beeminder

Beeminder is similar to StickK but you can link it up to ToDoist, a to-do list app. So, it checks whether you achieved your goals by looking across at your app and checking what you’ve ticked off the to-do list for the day.

16. Try to Beat your Previous Study Records

If you’re a competitive person, this is the strategy for you.

To make this study motivation strategy work, you need to keep clear track of how much or how long you studied for the hour, day or week.

Then, you need to set yourself the goal of beating your previous day’s study record.

For example:

• Between 10am and 11am you managed to study for 35 minutes, and spent 25 minutes procrastinating;
• Between 11am and 12 noon you should aim to study for 40 minutes and procrastinate for no more than 20 minutes.

This works on a daily and weekly basis as well.

17. Remove Technology Distractions

This point is crucial.

If you want to maintain motivation for the duration of your study sessions, you’ll need to cull all distractions.

If you’re anything like me, or just about any millennial, you’re addicted to technology.

Time to break the habit.

At least, it’s time to break the habit while you’re studying.

Here’s two ways to remove technological distractions.

1. Ditch your phone.

Store your phone in a room separate to your study space. Leave it in your bedroom while you’re in your study.

If you’re studying in a library, place your phone in your backpack and turn it onto Airplane mode.

The less accessible your phone, the better.

We have a tendency to reflexively turn to our phones and start scrolling through them when we’re bored. We don’t even know we’re doing it until it’s happening!

You need to take control over your self-discipline again. To start, it’s time to ditch your phone whenever you’re studying.

2. Use website blockers on your computer.

Next, download website blocker extensions into your web browser.

Website blockers allow you to select certain websites to be blocked from access for a dedicated amount of time.

You can input the amount of time you want to study into the apps and select the websites you want to block.

Brainstorm all websites you use to procrastinate and list them in your website blocker app. These include any websites you reflexively turn to when procrastinating. Also include any news websites or sites such as BuzzFeed that you regularly procrastinate on.

Here are some examples:

Lastly, you’re probably wondering what some good website blocker software might be.

Here are a few that you could try out:

• FocusMe . This app also includes a task scheduler and a break reminder to help increase productivity.
• StayFocusd . It’s for Chrome. This one is a nice, simple, clean extension for you to use. It allows you to block all websites or only ones on your block list for a dedicated amount of time.
• Freedom . For both PC and Mac. The cool thing about freedom is that you can link up your devices to block social media on your phone and computer simultaneously.
• OneFocus . A cool thing about OneFocus is that it allows you to set a level of strictness. This means you can set it so you can just set a friendly reminder when you try to access a site, or you can totally block it. It’s a bit on the expensive side at US$9.99.
• LeechBlock . I’ve added this one to the list because it’s a dedicated Firefox plugin. It has many of the same features as the others, although I like that you can set up to 6 ‘blocks’ of time in advance. Set password blocks on sites you reflexively use to make it that little bit harder to access them.

18. Make your Study Space a Dedicated Space.

One of the best ways to achieve self-discipline when studying is to get yourself ‘in the headspace’ when it’s time to study.

To get in the headspace, I recommend having a study area that you exclusively use for studying.

This will mean your don’t use your study space for anything else. Not for reading, sleeping, eating or cooking.

If your study space is only used for study, you’ll tell yourself

“I’m here now to study. That’s what being in this room is for.”

In my current house, I, unfortunately, don’t have a dedicated study space. There isn’t room for it.

That’s why I use public spaces as study spaces. Here are my favorite dedicated study spaces:

• The café: There’s one café that I go to regularly to study. It’s literally my ‘study café’.
• The library: Libraries are purpose-built study spaces. Use them!

If you want to read more about how to find a good dedicated study space, read my post: 21+ best study spaces .

19. Prioritize University.

This is really at the heart of the issue.

If you don’t make the university a priority in your life, you’ll constantly slip into unmotivated slumps.

Your studies should be a part of your identity. For the next 2, 3 or 4 years you will be a ‘student’. This means you’ll be someone who takes learning seriously, puts this huge life project front and center in your life, and makes time for it.

In fact, you shouldn’t just ‘make time for’ studies.

Studies should be a central part of your day. You should put it before other hobbies. You need to be in the headspace that says:

“Studying is an important part of my life and who I am.”

Why? Well, because you’re a person who wants to achieve your goals. This is your priority. Make it a priority and keep in there.

20. Use Rewards and Treats to Motivate yourself.

Rewards are powerful motivators. They train you to delay gratification in order to get something important done.

Delayed gratification is at the heart of the motivation formula.

Start simple with this one.

If you’re literally struggling so hard that you can’t make it through one page of reading without getting distracted, then start with a reward per page.

But, your reward needs to be proportionate.

For example, if you’re rewarding yourself per page, your reward might be something really small like a piece of candy once you’ve finished one page.

Then, build yourself up to one candy per 2 pages, then maybe a larger candy per chapter.

Something I like about the use of a reward system is that it gives you that first little kick-start to start studying, which could really snowball.

You might force yourself to do that first few minutes of study for a small reward. But then, your next 5 minutes will be that little bit easier.

Your rewards kick-start momentum.

21. Reward yourself with that Gift you’ve been wanting for Months.

Once you’ve got in place some short-term rewards, it’s time to think of a longer-term reward to work toward.

This is something you might only have the chance to reward yourself with once per semester. It’s something that you really want but have also been denying yourself.

Maybe it’s an expensive item that you’ve been eyeing off online but haven’t pressed the ‘buy’ button on yet.

It could be a watch, a new phone, or something for your car.

A larger reward needs to be attached to a meaningful medium-term goal.

Your medium-term goal might be the attainment of a certain grade or raising your overall GPA to a certain average.

The reward needs to be hard to obtain, though. It needs to be something that you will be genuinely proud of achieving. It needs to be a reward that you think it just a little too far out of reach, but that you’ll shoot for anyway.

It also needs to be something that you’re genuinely willing to deny yourself if you don’t reach the goal. If you just throw in the towel and buy the reward even if you don’t make it to the goal, then what’s the point?

And when you don’t achieve that goal, then set a new one. In fact, if you’re constantly meeting and exceeding the goals you’ve set for yourself, they’re probably too easy. So set a lofty goal, fail, and then set another one.

Keep on striving.

22. Get an Online Coach

Online coaches are personal trainers and motivators there to show you how to motivate yourself to study. They will keep you on track for achieving your goals on a medium- to long- term basis.

This blog post has hopefully handed you some motivation. But I can’t be there on a daily or weekly basis checking-in on you.

So reading this blog post just isn’t enough. You need to take another step to get on (and stay on) your path to long-term study motivation.

A cheap option for personalized, ongoing support is an online coach.

From $15 per week, you can get someone who can coach you and motivate you on how to gain and sustain good study habits .

I recommend the study coach website coach.me .

Your coach will provide chat and messaging support as well as daily check-ins to make sure you’re sticking to your goals.

The coaches also have a range of strategies to help you prioritize certain parts of your life and weed out all of those distractions that you need gone.

Take a look at coach.me’s list of coaches where you can browse for one that looks right for you.

Give it a go with their free trial before committing to a coach.

23. Make Routine your Friend

You need to wake up knowing exactly what your study goals will be for the day.

If you’re reading this post and you’ve picked up some good ideas that you want to put in place, this tip is the one that’s going to seal the deal for you.

Write down right now your to-do list for tomorrow .

From today onward, you need to have a to-do list written before you go to bed every night.

If you wake up and you need to brainstorm what you’re going to do for the day, you’ve already started the day on the wrong foot.

You need to wake up and know exactly the path that is laid out for you for the day.

Or else, you’ll have to dig deep in the morning and muster the motivation to start studying. You don’t want to be in that situation.

Studying from the beginning of the day needs to be a routine. It needs to be automatic.

To make organization and routine your friend, you need to have a plan laid out for the next day, before the day begins.

24. Make Momentum your Friend

Once you’ve gotten day one of your new study life complete, you need to make Day 2 equally as successful.

The risk you run is that your motivation will wane after the first day or two of a new study routine.

To turn study motivation (short-term inspiration) into study routine (long-term habit), you need to embrace and capitalize on the momentum you got in day 1.

The first week might be tough, but once you’ve gotten a study routine in place, you’ll start feeling more on top of your student life.

You’ll start achieving things like:

• Completing weekly readings and study tasks ahead of time;
• Doing additional extracurricular studies to get higher grades;
• Mentoring and motivating friends to follow you on the path to top grades

25. Come Back to this Post Regularly

If this post on how to motivate yourself to study got you a little more motivated and back on track, I’d encourage you to bookmark it.

Every now and then, come back and watch the videos from the first few points in this post.

Those videos will be your reminder and kick-start to ensure you keep up the momentum that you’ll need in order to be a long-term motivated, inspired and confident student.

Good luck getting motivated!

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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Daniel Wong

How to Get Motivated to Study: 23 Tips for Students Who Procrastinate

Updated on July 14, 2023 By Daniel Wong 148 Comments

Is it hard for you to get motivated to study?

Let’s face it…

It’s so easy to watch one more video or to scroll through your social media feed one more time.

But your exams are approaching.

You have a rising sense of panic, but you don’t know where to begin. The more you panic, the harder it is to get to work.

If this is the situation you’re in, keep reading.

In this article, I’m going to explain 23 proven strategies that successful students use to motivate themselves to study.

Get ready to say goodbye to procrastination!

This article is 3,000 words long, so I’ve created a PDF summary for your convenience. Enter your email below to download it. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 7 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to motivate yourself to study.

When you’re feeling unmotivated, taking the first step is usually the hardest part.

Here are the best ways to motivate yourself, so you can study productively .

1. Discover why you procrastinate

Procrastinating on your schoolwork  is a complex problem that can have many different causes.

Here are some of the most common:

• You’ve convinced yourself that your homework is beyond your abilities
• Putting off your homework is a way of rebelling against your parents or teachers
• You’ve decided the topic is boring
• You’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start
• The task has become so overwhelming that you don’t know where to start

Understanding why you procrastinate is a key first step to getting motivated.

Spend some time reflecting on what makes you procrastinate. This will enable you to identify which of the following tips will help you the most.

2. Break the material down into chunks

A major cause of procrastination is that the task ahead seems overwhelming.

That’s when you need to “chunk down”. Break down each task into small chunks.

Assign yourself a certain number of those chunks each day. Suddenly, you’re no longer faced with a scary task, but rather a series of manageable chunks.

A chunk might be reading two pages of your textbook, completing five multiple-choice questions, or finding four reference articles on the Internet for your paper .

3. Reward yourself

Every time you complete one or two chunks, reward yourself with a short period of relaxation.

It could be five minutes on your favourite smartphone game, a short walk, or playing the guitar.

Rewarding yourself with short and enjoyable breaks is a key part of the “chunking down” technique.

4. Create a study routine

We’re creatures of habit.

Bad study habits are easy to fall into, but you can also develop good study habits to help you keep up with your schoolwork.

If it’s a challenge for you to get motivated to study, you can put this principle to work for you.

Habits are so powerful that once you develop a study routine, you’ll find it difficult to go into relaxation mode without studying.

How should you go about creating a study routine?

The first thing to do is to set up a study schedule (see Tip #14).

Be aware, however, that habits aren’t formed overnight.

Research indicates that it typically takes 20 to 30 days to form a habit. So you’ll have to put in some work before this technique pays off.

5. Be clear about why you want to get good grades

One of the best ways to get motivated to study is to be very clear about why you want to get go o d grades in the first place.

Make a list of the reasons you want to do well academically.

Here are some typical reasons:

• I want to learn more and develop myself
• I want to develop the habit of pursuing excellence
• I want to become a more focused and disciplined student
• I want to get into a good school or programme
• I want to have a meaningful career
• I want to provide well for my family and my parents in the future
• I want to know that I gave it my best shot
• I want to live with no regrets

Write down your own list of reasons for studying hard, and put the list at your study desk.

Then, when you’re feeling unmotivated, read the list one more time.

6. Use a mind map to organise the information

If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve been taught to use lists to summarise information. A classic example is to-do lists.

As such, it may seem natural to use lists to summarise the information you’re studying.

But there are times when mind maps are more effective than lists as a way of organising information.

Because mind maps mimic how the brain works.

When you create a mind map, you’re mapping out the way your brain has processed a certain topic.

This makes it easier to get a handle on the topic. It’ll also make it easier for you to retrieve that information when you need it.

You can create a mind map using pen and paper. But if you prefer to do it on your phone, tablet or computer, you can use an app like SimpleMind .

7. Make a “boring” subject interesting

When you find it difficult to study because the subject is “boring”, ask yourself:

“Is the subject really boring, or does it seem that way because I have closed my mind to it?”

As G.K. Chesterton once said: “There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”

If you think a subject is boring, try to engage with the subject by asking yourself questions.

When was this technique or theory developed?

Who developed it?

What problem did it solve?

How would the world be different today if not for this technique or theory?

If you ask the right questions, you can make any subject interesting.

8. Understand the topic, don’t just memorise it

One of the keys to effective studying is to develop an understanding of a topic rather than just memorising facts.

In some situations, rote memorisation may be necessary.

But, in general, the more years you spend in school, the more you’ll be expected to understand relationships and connections between different concepts.

This will require you to apply principles to a given set of facts or to draw conclusions from a given set of facts.

Understanding a topic is far more rewarding than memorising it. So this approach to studying is not only more effective – it will keep you motivated.

9. Look for gaps in your understanding

Try giving a mini-presentation on a topic to a friend or relative. You can do this in a formal way, or you could simply talk to them about the topic.

By doing so, you’ll deepen your knowledge.

But you’ll also realise quickly if there are gaps in your understanding of the topic.

As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

10. Study in short bursts

Research shows that we learn better when we study in short bursts.

It’s called “ spaced learning ”, and the theory behind it is that learning involves the creation of memories.

Memories are formed through links between neurons. In order for these memories to become embedded, the neurons have to be left undisturbed for a period of time.

That’s why we learn better in short bursts of studying. This approach gives the neurons time to “lay down” these new memories.

Read on to Tip #11 to learn about how to put this tip into practice.

11. Use the Pomodoro technique

If you want a system for studying in short bursts, try the Pomodoro technique.

Francesco Cirillo invented the technique in Italy in the late 1980s.

Using a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (“pomodoro” means tomato in Italian), he found he could concentrate better by studying in short stretches.

Here’s how to apply the Pomodoro technique:

• Decide on the task that you’ll work on
• Set the timer for 25 minutes
• Work on the task
• Stop working when the timer rings
• Put a checkmark on a piece of paper
• If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a 3- to 5-minute break, then repeat from Step 1
• After four pomodoros, take a 15- to 30-minute break
• Draw a line through the four checkmarks and start counting your checkmarks afresh

There are lots of apps to help you apply the Pomodoro technique and become a student who’s better at time management . Here are some of the best apps out there .

12. Don’t expect to feel motivated all the time

Strangely enough, one of the best ways to deal with a lack of motivation is to stop expecting to feel motivated all the time.

The fact is that no one feels motivated all the time.

So don’t rely on feeling motivated in order to get the work done.

Sometimes the motivation just won’t be there.

That’s why you need a study routine and study habits , because systems always beat motivation.

13. Exercise your brain

To get motivated to study, you need to train your brain. Think of your brain as a muscle.

Developing your ability to focus is like training to be a world-class sprinter.

It’s all about consistency and making gradual progress.

Continually exercise your brain, even when you’re not studying.

You can do this by reading, thinking through challenging world issues, doing puzzles, or journaling.

The greater the variety of ways in which you train your brain, the stronger and more flexible your brain will become.

There are also various websites with exercises designed to train your brain. Here are three popular ones:

• NeuroNation

Just as with a physical workout, a key part of training your brain is rest and recovery. So make sure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night (many students even need 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night).

Nutrition is another important aspect of training your brain.

The brain needs certain fatty acids in order to function optimally. You can get these fatty acids from eating nuts, avocados and salmon. Other brain foods include:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Pomegranate juice
• Dark chocolate

14. Organise your time

The act of creating a study schedule is a form of commitment, so it will help you to stay motivated.

Here are some useful steps in creating a study schedule:

• For each subject, make a list of the tasks you need to complete in order to be ready for the exam
• Download a study schedule template and block out the times you have available each day to study
• As far as possible, choose blocks of time that are the same each day (e.g. 3:30pm to 5:30pm) so that your study schedule is easy to remember
• Create a daily plan which lists the most important tasks to be completed for the day

Review your study schedule at the end of each week.

Assess whether you’re on track to reach your study goals by exam time. If you’re not, adjust your schedule by finding additional blocks of time for studying.

15. Study in a group

Many students find it motivational to study in a group.

Of course, it’s crucial that you find the right students to join the study group. These students should have the desire to learn the material well and get excellent grades .

I recommend that the study group have no more than four students. If the group is larger than four, it tends to become distracting.

Studying is more fun in a group.  It also gives everyone a sense of accountability.

When you study in a group, you can make commitments to each other related to new habits you want to develop, or bad habits you want to break.

But the benefits of studying in a group don’t stop there.

When you study in a group you can pool your notes together and get much better notes than any one person could possibly produce.

Also, studying in a group takes advantage of the fact that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. If there’s a concept you don’t understand, chances are that someone in your group will be able to explain it to you.

16. Make learning active, not passive

Passive learning is where you try to absorb information and knowledge. It’s based on the idea that you’re an empty vessel waiting to be filled.

But research shows that this isn’t the best way to learn.

We actually construct knowledge by integrating the new material with what we already know and have already experienced.

So if you want to learn a new topic quickly and effectively, use as much active learning as you can.

Examples of active learning are:

• Finding applications of the new topic in your own life
• Doing case studies where the new ideas or theories are put into a specific context
• Doing group projects
• Reviewing and commenting on the work of your friends
• Thinking of ways to apply concepts to problems you come across

17. Schedule relaxation

This may seem obvious, but when your focus is studying for an upcoming exam, it’s easy to forget that you need time to relax.

Remember Point #10 and “spaced learning”?

We learn new information by creating memories. But those memories need time to be formed. That means having gaps between learning spurts.

In short, you need to schedule relaxation to recharge and learn better.

18. Exercise regularly

When you’re focused on studying for a major exam, it’s common to overlook exercise.

But, as far as possible, get 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

This is because regular exercise is vital if you want to study effectively and stay motivated.

Aerobic activity, such as swimming, jogging or walking, sends oxygen, blood and nutrients to your brain.

This helps you to think and concentrate.

Research even shows that short periods of light exercise immediately after studying improves the recall of new information.

19. Visualise yourself doing the task successfully

If you’re having trouble with a particular task, visualise yourself completing that task successfully.

Sports psychologists have long known about the power of visualisation as a technique for accomplishing difficult tasks.

Visualisation uses the “theatre of the mind” to mentally rehearse completing challenging tasks.

It works by laying down neural pathways in the brain. When you repeatedly visualise yourself completing a task, it makes it easier to perform the task in reality.

So spend a few minutes every day visualising yourself successfully completing your various study-related tasks – especially if you find them daunting.

20. Remind yourself that this won’t go on forever

Studying for exams can seem like an endless marathon, but it does have an end date.

Remind yourself of this, particularly on days when you feel overwhelmed or unmotivated.

Telling yourself that “this won’t go on forever” will allow you to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

But it will also make you study harder, because you know that you have urgent tasks at hand.

21. Focus on the process, not the result

When you’re studying, it’s often difficult to see the fruit of your labour, especially at the beginning.

That’s why you should focus on the process, not the result.

Did you complete most of your planned tasks today? Congratulate yourself.

Did you stick to your study schedule in general today? Maintain your focus .

Did you put your phone in another room when you were studying, so you wouldn’t be distracted? Keep it up.

Remember, it’s habits that you’re trying to form.

If you get the process right, the results will follow.

22. Get rid of distractions

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many students try to study with one eye on their textbook and the other eye on their social media feed.

It’s almost as if they want to be distracted.

List all the common distractions you face when you’re studying. Do your best to eliminate every single one of them.

For example, you could:

• Turn off your Internet access
• Put your phone on flight mode
• Put your phone in another room
• Mute your group chats
• Use earplugs
• Delete all the games on your phone, tablet and computer

23. If you don’t feel like starting, set a timer for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the hardest part of anything is simply starting.

But the fear of doing something is almost always worse than the actual doing. Once you start, you’ll find it wasn’t as bad as you thought.

The same applies to the fear of learning . If you don’t feel like getting to work, set a timer for 5 minutes.

You can tell yourself that once those 5 minutes are up, you can stop work.

But, in all likelihood, you would have got some momentum going, so you’ll continue.

I hope these words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe will inspire you:

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

The keys to getting motivated to study are organising your time and work, and knowing how to use your mind effectively.

That’s what I’ve shown you in this article: 23 tips for organising your time, developing the right mindset, and using your brain in the most efficient way possible.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 7 bonus tips.)

Follow these tips for studying smart – not hard – and you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a successful student who doesn’t procrastinate!

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

April 28, 2018 at 2:41 pm

Love your ideas! especially “Break the material into chunk”, “Mind map”,”Make boring topics to interesting”, These guidelines are really effective to my studying plan. Hope you will write more books pertaining to academic excellence as I am looking forward .Kudos to you for sharing!!

April 28, 2018 at 3:06 pm

Glad you like the article!

April 7, 2019 at 11:59 pm

The article is so powerful. Great ideas Mr.Wong you’ve changed lives.

July 3, 2019 at 8:36 am

Great article, I am sure it will help me with my students.

April 26, 2019 at 9:05 pm

thank you so much this is gonna change my life

April 27, 2020 at 10:07 pm

Thank you very much am sure after reading this articles now I can say goodbye procrastination. Thanks

December 16, 2020 at 4:23 pm

August 18, 2019 at 2:57 am

Thanks a lot!

November 7, 2019 at 9:13 pm

before i used to study all day and i used to be a topper..but due to games my grades went on falling…my parents also face few business problems right now but they try their best to make me feel complete..today i felt all this and i wanted to change..so i came up to this website and went through all the tips…thanks bro and my exam are coming up..hope i do well…also before coming here i was going to open a video game but i stopped myself..i will try my best!!!

April 5, 2020 at 1:17 pm

Video games are the worst distraction 😂

April 8, 2020 at 5:29 pm

im the worst distraction

May 10, 2020 at 5:47 pm

haha..u wish!

April 23, 2021 at 1:32 pm

January 29, 2021 at 10:22 pm

Thank you so much for this content. This is the best article that I’ve read related to this subject. It is so useful.

August 8, 2020 at 1:18 am

Same here bro, I am a topper but also a pc gamer. I just don’t want to fail but I don’t want to stop playing also. But after reading this I will surely control gaming.

November 29, 2020 at 12:17 am

Hi bro do you study these days like when you read this for the first time and can you tell me some of the tips which you used to stop wasting your time

May 10, 2021 at 2:58 am

Man i have same situation, It looks you are my reflection. Reader: does it really happen in this world

July 10, 2021 at 10:24 pm

Even though i study all night i dont get good marks

April 16, 2020 at 5:11 pm

This increased interest in me to study

May 24, 2020 at 10:32 pm

this is the best thank u for helping us

October 15, 2020 at 3:04 am

January 16, 2021 at 10:42 am

Thanks.. Obviously everyone who visits this site is the one who has same issue of procrastination and wasting time.. All comments same lols

November 25, 2020 at 9:42 pm

Thanks for the guidelines, Mr. Wong.

December 15, 2020 at 10:30 pm

Wow I really liked it Thanks!

April 30, 2021 at 2:22 am

I am really thankful to you sir . This article gives me goosebumps. I hope it will definitely change my life for good

November 19, 2018 at 12:27 pm

I agree! This was very helpful and I will use it as a future reference!

November 24, 2018 at 12:52 am

July 18, 2019 at 2:43 am

Thanks a lot

March 15, 2020 at 1:17 am

Thank you much Daniel. Like a flow chart, the brain mapping is going to work wonders for connecting the subjects of my study.

November 26, 2020 at 1:31 am

Thanks for the help bro 🤜

December 11, 2020 at 8:20 pm

I became addicted to video games… soon after that my grades started falling… I’m currently in one of the best schools in the country but I’m the worst student in the class. I don’t know what to do… I literally can’t study anymore like I used to… hope this is gonna help me.

April 3, 2021 at 6:57 pm

Hi, maybe do not pressure yourself too much. I’m no pro but maybe setting your goal to get better scores than the second worst at first and then go rank higher each time, like levelling up. It can be fun and motivational.

Don’t play too much that you won’t sleep and eat properly. (Important bro) If gaming has become your life then think of your brain as a cpu and school a tryhard game and exam a high boss.

May 3, 2018 at 2:10 am

Very useful tips Thank you doctor

May 3, 2018 at 8:49 am

You’re welcome, Sulaiman.

May 13, 2018 at 5:08 pm

nice i have encouraged by you

May 13, 2018 at 10:12 pm

You’re welcome!

June 28, 2019 at 4:23 am

August 21, 2018 at 4:53 pm

Thank you doctor it will really help me

September 3, 2018 at 7:22 pm

Really this helped me a lot….thanks for your motivational tips and i loved that tip on bored subjects…Ones again thanks a lot Daniel..love you

September 17, 2018 at 1:06 pm

Nice blog, Thank you for shear this information, It’s very helpful for me and everyone.

October 16, 2018 at 3:48 pm

Love these tips….. Best ones I’ve come across so far hands down 🙂

October 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

Hi I am Hasin…and I am really struggling due to lack of concentration…I have only 5 months left for a crucial examination and I can’t seem to concentrate even a little bit…I read the article and feel somewhat motivated..But I am not quite sure whether I can actually convert myself from what I am right now…I am really very tensed…I just hope this works out well for me…

November 18, 2018 at 11:17 pm

You don’t have to worry set your mind to it and focus, you will do better than you could ever imagine.

December 14, 2020 at 12:29 am

January 21, 2019 at 4:26 am

bro…….5month due 5months ……more than enough …….dont be worried you nerd

April 23, 2019 at 6:23 pm

How did the exams go?

October 21, 2018 at 8:13 pm

I’m having intrest to study…first my friend was helping me in studies I got first class in Al the semester..but now he is too busy because he is teaching others..if I start to study at that movement I can understand..after tat my mind will b blank..only 2weeks left for my semester examz what should I do now??

July 17, 2019 at 1:00 am

No brother u dont have any intrest in study .Ur fathers pays money to the college to ask dought their to more and more educated qualified proffesor thain ur friend .u suppose clear your doughts from professor. So if u really want to study hard be regular in college logoff from social media take urself out from the comfort zone ,if u did the same from that period u dont need friend their to teach u .thanku

November 4, 2018 at 9:30 am

Don’t worry everything will be alright just focus on your study.

November 10, 2018 at 4:00 pm

nice thoughts to fight challenging problems

November 14, 2018 at 9:00 am

Needed it right now. phew. Thanks!

November 16, 2018 at 1:05 am

Arigato Doctor. It really helps🙃

November 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

I needed this. I’m quiet motivated. Thank you so much.

December 26, 2018 at 8:35 pm

Great tips! One of the most basic things that we need to understand is that each and every child has a different learning capacity and different learning style. Some child might grasp things quickly, while others may take time. In high school, more studying techniques are there which can help students to score well in exams.

December 27, 2018 at 12:26 am

I need to be a member

January 4, 2019 at 4:30 pm

Hey I’m feeling motivated by reading this. And some lf the tips are really perfect for me. I literally get fully help from this article.

January 9, 2019 at 3:43 am

Really this is very helpful I like all tips thank you so much

January 18, 2019 at 12:25 am

This feels really good and it helped me a lot too thanks much!

January 19, 2019 at 9:49 pm

Explained By Heart ! Thank You Sir..

January 25, 2019 at 9:02 pm

Thanks to your hurt opinion,Really its too good.

July 17, 2019 at 1:03 am

Yes ,I’m getting hurted as well.can u please share ur ideology. I want to write a book on that.plz😭😭😭😁😭😁😭😍

January 29, 2019 at 10:21 pm

This is really helpful…I have one of my most important exams in my life in April, but I have bit of lacks here and there. Though I know 2 months is a huge time if I try, but I was really lost about how to start, now I can see some light…..Thanks a lot, for sharing these awesome ideas.

February 5, 2019 at 4:47 pm

The best way to start the study is switched off your cell phone or handover it to your parents. Then other factors will automatically followed.

February 1, 2019 at 12:15 am

The best motivational article I have ever read.thanks and keep it up.

February 2, 2019 at 1:04 am

It is really a wonderful motivation it’ll help to those who are feeling like they can’t…I’ll surely implement this during my study holidays n I am sure that I’ll get the top most rank …tqs for motivation..

February 2, 2019 at 1:16 am

i have a studying anxiety,,,my exam wkll be in 2 months and still struggling in preparing for it 🙁 i have no motivation and start the day in the idea that i want to study but ending it the opposite and stressed all the time,,any helpful suggestions

February 8, 2019 at 5:13 am

-#9 is powerful!

February 9, 2019 at 7:49 pm

Thanks for the tips and ot was really helpfull and I hope that I get succesfull.

February 11, 2019 at 5:40 pm

Thanks for your most simple and effective ways. I feel things would be easy if one follows even 5 of the above.

February 12, 2019 at 12:09 pm

final exams coming up in 2 weeks and here i am… i re-read this article whenever i feel demotivated and it definitely shows me some light. its too late for me now, but i must say, the biggest distraction is definitely your phone. so guys just give them away to your parents or whom so ever, atleast when u r studying. and make sure u hv a nice and quiet study environment. take small breaks in between and keep ur table stocked on light and healthy snacks. dont stay up too late and get atleast 6 hrs lf sleep. i hv soo many tips from reading many articles but i fail to implement it on my own study routine. anyways, all the best u guys!!! 🙂

February 13, 2019 at 2:36 am

Really these are very helpful tips and the only thing is that we have to use these tips so that we will succeed

February 14, 2019 at 2:07 am

All of your tips are really helpfull and amazing . Thank you so much for giving us such a nice ideas to get rid of our troubles.It helps me alot .

Thanks once again.

February 22, 2019 at 10:43 pm

Hi, Good day. I thank you for the paper. But, to be honest, I can not find out exactly why I do not study. I always scored good grades, but I never remember to have a strange motive for studying. And rightly so now that I am justified by a fateful exam, I do not want to study at all I’ve gotten caught up with everything and there’s no incentive to move forward I see all my dreams and I have no interest in moving I do not know what I’m doing? Thank you, if you help me

February 24, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Thank u so much

February 26, 2019 at 1:47 pm

One of the best articles have come across!. Thank you so much sir!☺ Feeling much much better.🙏

March 4, 2019 at 2:52 am

Thank you so much for typing in such an amazing article or in fact all the helpful factors that we ever needed thank you once again.

March 5, 2019 at 2:46 am

Honestly it wasn’t really helpful for me cuz I’m studying Russian and it’s really boring but I can’t ask myself those questions to make it more interesting….

March 9, 2019 at 4:50 pm

very inspiring thoughts sir.thank you!

March 9, 2019 at 5:30 pm

for me it usually happens when i decide to miss a class or two and things pile up and i get more caught up in other things besides school. Once that point hits and midterms come around next week i have to try to cram up everything because it feels like i didn’t actually learn anything up until now, it was just memorizing for quizzes and doing small homework assignments. now even knowing what to study and having the material in front of me i don’t feel motivated at all. I am a senior in college now studying computer science. I hate trying to understand certain code or other things and I end up rereading my notes or things multiple times while thinking about something else (like how much i screwed up by taking days off class!)

March 10, 2019 at 1:52 am

Thank you so much Tip 05 wow motivated me alot… am about to start studying my books now thanks to you.

But hey I got a big problem ,I can’t concentrate when my phone is not here with me. I become disturbed cause i think of it all the time while studying what should do?

March 11, 2019 at 1:01 am

Great. All these tips are really based on real facts. thanks for sharing the details.

April 1, 2019 at 8:01 am

You’re right!

March 12, 2019 at 11:07 pm

I know that if I try I can actually good grade but i m not motivated enough to try I can’t seem to get my seldf into the mood of studying since I can’t study more than one day before cause my school gives a test every day two tests on Wednesdays and homework and above all that we are learning a new language and I’m really stressed out!! I really don’t know what to do!! Please help!!!!!

March 28, 2019 at 4:08 pm

This is the best article I’ve ever read regarding procrastination !!

April 1, 2019 at 7:59 am

Thank you for this tips. 😊

April 5, 2019 at 7:44 pm

Tq so much ,I just read it’s benefit for me ,I wish I Follow your tips ..

April 8, 2019 at 2:14 pm

Thank you sir, for your great motivation.

May 6, 2019 at 1:24 am

I LIKE THAT DANIEL WONG YOU ARE HARD WORKING.’!’

May 13, 2019 at 1:10 am

Hi,my name is Ada. i just have a month and a half left of school and they are full of exams and i just cant seem to focus i don`t know what i am doing wrong because i love studying and getting a good grade but know i just don`t care. and the worst part is i really want to become a doc but i am just not getting motivated to study

May 15, 2019 at 3:06 am

I like this . It is very helpful thx

May 17, 2019 at 3:04 am

I MUST STUDY HARD THAN THINK. IT IS GREAT SUCCES IN MY FUTURE. THANKS TO DR WONG

May 19, 2019 at 2:30 am

It was an amazing article!!!. After a long period of time i regained my motivation towards studies. Thanks for such a awesome and organized suggestion.

May 20, 2019 at 12:32 am

Lovely ideas. Feeling much more motivated

May 21, 2019 at 8:45 pm

So my exam’s the day after tomorrow and I’m sitting here reading motivational blogs…..what even is my life

June 11, 2019 at 5:17 pm

Excellent article!!! For past several weeks,I was looking up for some kind of motivation and this article helped me to regain my interest in studies.Thnks a lot

June 20, 2019 at 1:30 am

Really i thought i am not motivate by anyone but i m wrong. i m feeling pleasure at the moment this is a unique way to motivate and one of best essay in world

July 29, 2019 at 12:34 am

Although i am one of top 10 students of my own class but in routine its also hard for me to be motivated and concentrated daily. so thanks for such great advice , hope it will work.

August 20, 2019 at 2:46 am

Instead of studying I’m reading this article wow 😭

September 19, 2019 at 8:03 pm

Very interesting and effective ways….. Thank you for giving us this article…

October 1, 2019 at 4:53 am

this article will save my life

October 3, 2019 at 12:14 am

My mom doesn’t have much confidence in me so this was motivating and I really appreciate your efforts and hope I really do well this year

October 3, 2019 at 11:56 pm

Wow what an amazing article thanks for this precious article it is really helped to me a lot

November 20, 2019 at 2:16 pm

I love this read with our children. Thank you so much..

November 27, 2019 at 12:30 am

I want to study

December 7, 2019 at 1:46 am

thank you daniel for giving me wonderful information

December 18, 2019 at 11:14 pm

Before I came here, I was obsessed from playing minecraft. But my exams were going on. But after visiting here, I think I am kind of relieved now. Thanx Dr. Daniel Wong

December 20, 2019 at 2:42 pm

Such a beautiful article! Really helped !All the points are so inspirational. Thank God I found this

December 29, 2019 at 7:14 pm

Awesome article Daniel. All the points are spot on. This article is motivating to not only students,kids but also to adults as we are all students of life. Thank you .

December 31, 2019 at 8:34 pm

This article is very helpful for regular study to achieve a goal. Thanks so much!!!!

January 15, 2020 at 12:49 am

Hi Mr.Daniel ,I am Diana from Ghana. Waaaw this article is indeed a God sent to me ,and I was wandering how I’m I going to excel in my exams, but lool and behold got everything here.I really appreciate your efforts and hope that I will get good grades after my exams,God richly bless you.

January 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

Thanks sir for your help

February 2, 2020 at 11:58 pm

I love ur idea this is amazing trick…to gain intreset in studies…it also helps in making study a daily routine…..9797663167 my whatsapp no. Plz text me there if u have more ideas

February 16, 2020 at 7:36 am

I really do hope this works for me cause I find studying boring🤦‍♂️

February 25, 2020 at 12:39 pm

I am Shwazz from Embu,Kenya …i used to perform brilliantly in my form one but my grades took a nose dive while in form two due to myself indulging into unhealthy friendship and loss of interest to study…am in my final year but the work i have to cover is too large so as to prosper but am not getting that inner instinct to study…..Please come to my rescue

March 2, 2020 at 12:42 am

thanks alot it gave me a hopefull start

March 31, 2020 at 4:53 am

wow now i will study

April 14, 2020 at 9:14 am

Great article. The article helped me to know why I am procrastinating and how to start writing my term papers. Thank you :)🙋‍♂️

May 7, 2020 at 3:11 am

Thanks a lot, you are doing the god’s work!!! I was wondering how to stop procrastinating my work as the exams are near. No 5 has helped me a lot. Can’t thank you enough!!!

May 7, 2020 at 4:12 am

i used to be brilliant student but now cause of fire age and my over confidence i lose my height and be medium class student and step by step i lose moral for studying so even foe tests and finals i dont feel anything so help me to have moral to study helppppp please

June 1, 2020 at 7:23 pm

thanks, doctor

June 8, 2020 at 10:49 pm

hi,,,,im actually preparing for one of the toughest exam in the world,JEE ADVANCE..people say your future is setteled after you get into iits…but my problem is i have no intrest in studies..i have other dreams but to fulfill my dream i have to be on safer side so i need to be in iit but i dont have intrest in studying,….. i know it is irritating for you to read my comment but just imagine how would i be feeling of all these stuff happening to me.. please help me out

June 26, 2020 at 4:36 am

Thank you doctor I appreciate your had work, you really get students issues during time of study.

July 5, 2020 at 11:30 am

The article is so amazing I’m really appreciating you Thank for this Mr.Deniel Keep it Up I am also attending your webminar…

August 19, 2020 at 8:40 am

I just don’t know what to do with myself. If someone motivates me or inspires me, i will remember it for hardly one day and after that i will forget everything and will start following the excuses of not studying. Till now i watched many motivational videos and read articles but i didn’t developed at all. I m just a dumb and boring girl. I think i will never succeed in life.

August 22, 2020 at 6:32 pm

Best motivational article i have ever read………………Thank you sir…

September 14, 2020 at 9:32 pm

I never like motivational articles but this was the best one I have ever read, thanks. Quick question, how can I avoid sleeping while studying?

September 21, 2020 at 4:39 am

In this time of the coronavirus, where we all are quarantined in the house, I am so stressed out… since we are having online classes, I am getting easily distracted through the internet… how should i stop this… hoping for the best.

October 8, 2020 at 7:00 am

Thanks a lot for this article, sir! I am a very competitive student, and I recently got a bad grade on a test and have been feeling low and unproductive, though I still have to do other homework and tests. This article has motivated me to start studying again!

October 19, 2020 at 6:21 pm

I just really wanna try your ideas. Actually I was a JEE main aspirant but really these days I am getting distracted. I will try your techniques to overcome the distractions.

November 2, 2020 at 3:37 am

Carla wants to get through university, and she knows she needs the degree to have a decent life, but she’s just not that into it. She’s never thought of herself as a good student, and that hasn’t changed much at Biust. She has trouble paying attention in those big lecture classes, which mostly seem pretty boring. She’s pretty sure she can pass all her courses, however, as long as she takes the time to study before tests. It doesn’t bother her to skip classes when she’s studying for a test in a different class or finishing a reading assignment she didn’t get around to earlier. She does make it through her first year with a passing grade in every class, even those she didn’t go to very often. Then she fails the second assessment in her first first year class. Depressed, she skips the next couple classes, then feels guilty and goes to the next. It’s even harder to stay awake because now she has no idea what they’re talking about. It’s too late to drop the course, and even a hard night of studying before the final exam isn’t enough to pass the course. In two other classes, she just barely passes. She has no idea what classes to take next semester and is starting to think that maybe she should drop out for now.

What do you think went wrong with Carla’s studies? What advice would give to her?

November 12, 2020 at 12:18 pm

It’s one of the best articles I have ever read! Hats off to you brother!

November 23, 2020 at 8:17 pm

Thanks for sharing, I love this article.

January 17, 2021 at 6:49 pm

What tip do you have for me having the highest motivation, but turning to GTA Chinatown wars?

January 26, 2021 at 5:31 pm

Thanks sir for providing such a motivating and informative post. I was searching for such an article to guide me on how to study better. Finally I found it here. Good luck to you!

February 6, 2021 at 11:30 pm

I’m going to give it a try Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

February 23, 2021 at 1:43 am

Thank you it is gonna change my life

February 24, 2021 at 9:44 pm

I really think the problem is not with the students but with the education system. It kills creativity and children’s interest.

March 10, 2021 at 2:59 am

Oh thank you bro

March 24, 2021 at 5:51 am

To be honest I’m a 10th grade student who isn’t going to school for months because of many school problems and my exams are very near and I started to think that even if I study nothing gonna change everything’s going to be ruined no matter how hard I study I can’t change the result but a huge THANKS to you that your article gave me way much courage and motivation that I felt really comfortable like my half of the problems are solved Thanks again

April 23, 2021 at 4:12 pm

Thanks for the great blog!

May 5, 2021 at 11:08 pm

this is so inspirational

May 31, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Thank you sir, It’s very helpful, all the aforementioned steps are so powerful and easy to change ones habit and improves ones interest. I was so passive in the last two months that I even didn’t touch my books and waste all my precious time on social media. But after reading this article, I feel more confident and motivated . It seems hard to start for the first time but I still remember the famous saying that “go to the last mile and enjoy it.” Thank you so much!

July 9, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Thank You For Sharing Valuable Information. Really This Was Very Informative Article.

March 10, 2023 at 9:17 pm

Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

October 3, 2023 at 7:56 am

thank you very much for all this information and advice , i am sure it will help me in my studies more

October 11, 2023 at 7:06 pm

Hello. This was an amazing article. You have changed my and Amber’s lives. We will now study a lot, maybe. Thank you sooo much.

November 26, 2023 at 1:00 pm

Thank you Daniel! Bookmarked a while ago, re-reading again. You make it easy to read/digest.

May 28, 2024 at 6:15 pm

This is helpful, thank you so much

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Why I Study Psychology (10 Essays)

Why I Study Psychology  is a collection of short essays. Each student explains their motivation for choosing psychology.

Psychology students are often motivated by personal experiences and a wish for healthier, happier communities. The essays demonstrate the value from having a vision for your career – whether it’s detailed or “big picture” – before you start a psychology degree. Having a long-term goal in mind offers a reliable source of study motivation.

Why I Chose Psychology Essays

As part of a national essay competition, current and future psychology students were asked to explain their study motivation. Each student describes in 250 words or less (a) why I chose psychology as a major and (b) how I’m motivated to succeed at psychology studies. The best, most inspiring essays are published here.

1. Motivation

We all know that there will almost always be something to do that sounds much more appealing than our studies, so why do we study if there is something better? Motivation, that’s why. Everyone has their own motivating factor that keeps them in line with studying. Mine is pretty general and that is my future.

I have dreams of becoming a psychologist and helping people throughout my life. I also have a huge passion for American Sign Language. I plan to merge these two goals into one for my future career. I don’t want to be just any psychologist, I want to be a psychologist that is open to Deaf people and hearing people alike.  I want Deaf people to feel comfortable coming to me without the need of a third person interpreter who is usually a stranger . Many Deaf people feel uncomfortable visiting a psychologist because of the need for a third person. I plan to make a step towards breaking that barrier by being able to sign or speak with any patient who comes to me.

With all these huge goals I know that I have to be very on top of studies and make sure I continue to stay on track and do my best. All of these reasons put together make up my ideal future and therefore my motivation to study.

~ Hannah Reis, Palomar College

Related: Human Psychology: Study of Mind and Behavior

2. My Dream

We live in a world filled with hurt and suffering, and a place that is not equal for all. My dream is to leverage my unique set of skills, abilities, privileges, resources, and knowledge in a way that increases equality and privilege for all (not just people with white skin). I am pursuing a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology which combines psychology and business.

I feel most alive when I am volunteering with my family at The Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) which is a non-profit orphanage for children. I love working with the children there, and it hurts my heart when I see them being forced to leave once they are eighteen without any further aid or support. Consequently, after gaining work experience in applying psychology principles to the business world, I intend to establish a non-profit organization . This entity will support young adults from foster care or orphanages, providing them with essential skills and emotional support as they transition to adulthood. Once they have turned eighteen the government will no longer provide very much aid to them; I want to supply them with the additional skills and services that they need to make it in the real world, and give them the emotional support that they may not have.

One of the main services I want to provide them is taking them to do mission work because the best way to grow as a person and gain perspective is through service and travel. When college gets hard, I hold on tight to this dream because I know my studies will help me achieve this dream.

~ Alyssa Powers, The University of Akron

Related: Different Fields of Psychology Study

3. A Catalyst for Change

The incredible transformation I have experienced through the power of therapeutic relationships motivates me to immerse myself in my studies and move closer towards my goal of becoming a psychologist. Recognizing how the quality of my own life has been profoundly enhanced by self-reflection, the invaluable lesson of how to learn from suffering, and coming to a deeper understanding of who I am, encourages me to try and be a catalyst for this kind of change in other’s lives. I’m motivated to empower people to feel confident enough in who they are that they don’t feel the need to bring others down.

When life as a student feels exceptionally challenging, I remind myself of the impact that the work I wish to practice has on people’s lives and those around them. I strongly believe large scale change happens on the individual level first, and if we want to see a world where we value the earth and all the people living on it, we have to do the work with ourselves first.  I want to help people in their transformation towards becoming more unconditionally loving, tolerant, and compassionate people . I think when people are more comfortable with, and accepting of, who they are, they are consequently kinder and more loving towards those around them. Encouraging this kind of growth first on an individual level, and ultimately on a global level, motivates me to not only get through, but thrive within my program.

~ Hannah Freund, California Institute of Integral Studies

Related: What Does a Psychologist Do?

4. Reshaping Mental Health

People who are given psychiatric diagnoses experience some of the worst prejudice and discrimination. They are more likely to be the victims of violence, have a harder time securing jobs and housing, and constantly come face-to-face with the harmful stereotypes that state that these individuals are violent and unpredictable. As such, much research needs to be done to understand the cause of such distress, as well as to develop effective interventions and achieve healthy minds.

Our current mental health paradigm, which views distress as primarily biological and best treated medically, has unfortunately increased stigma and disability rates related to mental health. I was one of the fortunate few who was able to pursue a college degree despite being given a severe diagnosis and a hopeless prognosis. However, I know that much of my success has been due to luck and privilege, and  the opportunities that I have been afforded are an exception, not a rule. I am striving to change that.

It is my hope that, through increased research and advocacy, society can come to understand that extreme distress is often a message about something that is wrong in a person’s world, and as such, is profoundly meaningful and can be understood. Furthermore, by understanding the psychosocial origins of distress – trauma, poverty, inequality, etc. – we can refocus upstream and create policies that protect against these stressors in the first place.

~ name withheld, Mount Holyoke College

Related: Is Psychology a STEM Major? Science vs Social Science

5. C’s Get Degrees

It is said that “C’s get degrees”, but that isn’t enough for me. C’s show an average amount of work, an average amount of time, an average amount of effort. “Average” is not something that I want to be known as. I want to be known as the girl who kept moving forward, went above and beyond, and never looked back. My driving force is making my family proud and reaching my ultimate goal—becoming a school psychologist.

I am the very first in my family to attend college. Every time the topic of school or my future is mentioned, I can see on their faces that they are overwhelmed with pride. When I received my Associate’s degree, seeing my grandpa cry made me realize how special my academic journey is to them. They have given up so much and have supported me in every way, making them proud is the very least I could do in return.

Becoming a school psychologist has been my dream career since I was in middle school.  The thought of being able to connect and help a child grow both academically and socially is the greatest reward I could ever receive . Every time I am procrastinating typing a paper, not studying when I know I should have, or wanting to give up on a difficult problem, I think about my end goal. Making a difference to even just one child will make all of school worth it.

~ Haleigh Cordeiro, California Polytechnic State University

Related: How Long Does It Take to Get a Psychology Degree?

6. Find Your Unconscious

Psychologists have discovered reasons, stages, and correlations among our biopsychosocial make-up. Over the centuries, they have managed to explain why humans experience what occurs in everyday life. They provide answers when we have questions about ourselves; it is for this reason that I strive to major in psychology.

I believe that I can make people in my environment, as well as myself, healthier by providing some sense of clarity whenever life situations become foggy. My dream is to someday become a successful industrial-psychologist. Why not a clinical psychologist, you might ask? While working one-on-one with individuals who are struggling would definitely be rewarding, I believe I can have a greater impact by helping larger groups . This dream of mine to become an industrial-psychologist would allow me to make the environment of common day people the most comfortable and enjoyable one.

Through the study of psychology, I will be able to know what qualities are the most necessary to enrich the daily lives of people and ensure that I apply them to my work. What drives me? The fact that I have seen psychologists help my family make sense of one of the most difficult things that we have gone through. Psychologists helped my sister facing anorexia nervosa deal with her disorder and helped my family become a strong support system to aid my sister’s recuperation. I want to know that I can help other people, psychology will open the doors to this dream of mine.

~ Iridian, Cal State University of Long Beach

Related: Clinical Psychologist

7. My Dream

Over 22 million children in the United States do not live with their biological mother and father and reside with their grandparents. This means that 3 percent of children living in America face the same situation as me. My father and mother were teenagers when they had me, so raising a baby girl was a difficult task for them. Neither of my parents went to college either, so having me took a toll on their lives. For the both of them, college was an opportunity to better their education and be successful, but with me, that would have been harder for them. Living with my grandparents was the best option for me.

I am currently experiencing teenage life and I can understand why raising a child, when you are only a child yourself, is a daunting responsibility. I commend my parents for choosing to provide a better life for me, actively shielding me from adversity and their own struggles.  When I enter college, my goal is not just to pass my classes, it is to make something of myself . I know my parents would want that for me.

My dream is to work up to my doctorate and become a psychiatrist, fulfilling every opportunity and experience that comes my way. Psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung once said “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”, and through my hardship, I choose to overcome and prepare for my destiny.

~ Nina Grizzle

Related: How to Become a Psychologist

8. Art Therapy

My love for psychology began my junior year when I took the AP course. What was supposed to be a schedule-filling elective credit accidentally grew into a genuine fascination.  I found myself going above and beyond the curriculum purely out of curiosity . My interest in what we were discussing in class every day would often send me down long, thought-provoking paths that motivated me to hunt down explanations to the answers of questions I didn’t know I had. But once I had the answers, they seemed to be demanding further explanation, and I was always more than happy to oblige.

With my future education in this field, I aim to innovate art therapy techniques that directly aid individuals with mental disorders and cognitive declines. I feel that experimenting with the effects that art has on people’s brain chemistry will open up a new type of therapy that can be clinically prescribed. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 52.9 million adults in the United States suffer from mental illnesses. This new form of therapy could possibly improve the mental state of the millions of people impacted while inspiring the creation of art.

~ Taylor Himes, University of Texas San Antonio

Related: Psychology Symbol Ψ (Psi or Trident): Greek Text and Images

9. If You Put Your Mind To It

For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the world. I knew that the first step was to attend an accredited university, and that university happens to be Michigan State. I went into college with the dream of becoming a doctor, however, I had a change of heart.

At the beginning of my freshmen year, the unthinkable happened. My dad committed suicide. My world came crashing down. It was a complete shock. My dad always kept all his feelings masked. I never knew what he was going through, and everyday I regret not paying closer attention. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about him. If only I had known. I could’ve done something. That experience then motivated me to change my major to psychology.

I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and now I know exactly how to achieve that dream. I aim to support those enduring what my dad went through.  I want to be there for them, to help them overcome their inner demons. I want to let them know that their lives are worth living.  Losing a family member to suicide is one of the most detrimental events that anyone can ever endure, and if I can one day prevent someone from experiencing that, then I would have accomplished my goal; I will make a difference.

~ Kayla Harper, Michigan State University

Related: Is Psychology a Hard Major?

10. Motivated by God to Help Others

I’ve heard from so many different people how difficult college can be. Late nights, big tests, difficult and early classes, that doesn’t even sound like fun. The only thing that keeps me moving towards college is the idea of being able to help other people when I graduate.

In December of 2016 I travelled halfway around the world to the Philippines. While I was there I met 15 wonderful children with horrible backgrounds. The love these children missed out on for so many years is heartbreaking. My future goal is to study Psychology and Religion at Liberty University.

The dream that keeps me motivated to go back to school is the chance to help many , not just children, but anyone who needs a listening ear and a voice to discuss their problems. People need more people to care and who want to listen. If people would feel the love that God made for them this world would be a much better place.

~ Trinity Rake, Liberty University

Related: Difference Between Counselling and Psychology

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10 ways to generate study motivation

10 February 2020

If you have exams and essay deadlines piling up but you just can't seem to focus - here are 10 ways you can help yourself get motivated!

This is the time of the year when courseworks and dissertations are due and for some of you, exam time is looming. Sometimes having to do all that studying and catching up with reading feels like a drag. It can be overwhelming because together with the studying can come a wave of questions where you doubt yourself on a personal level with thoughts such as:

" ‘Do I even understand these readings?’… ‘Am I going to be able to write something interesting and relevant?’…  ‘Am I going to do the right thing?’… ‘Am I good enough to do this?’… ‘Others seem to be more on top of things than I am’… ‘What if I do badly?’...  

These thoughts are subtle, but can lead to difficult feelings that interfere with motivation. So try out these 10 ways that you could help yourself to generate that motivation!

• Acknowledge your resistance and difficult feelings with motivation. It may be helpful to write these feelings or thoughts down and then leave these on the side so you can then study.
• Do not run away. Avoiding work can make you feel deflated. This is emotionally more draining than having to go through the frustration of reading for your paper.
• Do not blame yourself for procrastinating now and then. Try to become aware of the habit and gently make yourself to go back to the task sooner rather than later. 
• Try to understand your studying style better. What will make it easier for you to work? We are all prone to pleasant experiences and it is natural that we tend to avoid uncomfortable, dry chores and duties.  So try to make your study experience as interesting as possible.
• Don’t question your abilities.  Don’t put yourself down by comparing yourself to others.
• Visualise yourself starting. Make yourself sit down and work even if this is for just 20 minutes. See starting as a parallel process like a plane on a runway. You may start slow but you will still take off! 
• Focus on the task at hand and prioritise the most important tasks.  Avoid multitasking.
• Communicate to others any difficulties and/or what you intend to do. This can help you engage with the process and identify the important tasks. Communication / externalisation can help you to commit with immediate goals and you could also find out others points of view and tips. 
• Take a time limited approach in which you schedule your tasks.  Ask yourself  ‘how much can I achieve in the next 2 hours?’ instead of ‘Can I complete all tasks?’ In this way you do not get as easily overwhelmed by the volume of study you need to do.  

By Zoi Kontakou, Counselling Psychologist in UCL Student Support and Wellbeing 

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Motivation comes and goes. Learn how you can increase and maintain your motivation to study.

Motivation and study

Motivation feels good, energising, and drives us to get things done. But it doesn’t always come naturally, and we all face challenging or slow periods when motivation feels hard to come by. During these times, we can find it difficult to attend class, complete assignments, or study for exams.

Strategies to improve motivation

Fortunately, there are many effective ways to increase and maintain motivation to achieve what we want to while studying at university.

Reconnect with your 'why'

One of the most powerful ways to find motivation is to reflect on the reasons why you chose to study in the first place. You could:

• Write a list of the 3 main reasons you decided to study this course and stick it on your wall
• Write a list of your values and remind yourself of them regularly
• Imagine your life in the future and how your degree will help you (e.g., job, skills, opportunities). Keep this future version of you in your mind and use it to motivate you now (e.g., “I don’t enjoy statistics, but I need to develop these skills so that I can effectively do research" ).

Understand different types of motivation to make it work for you

Positive motivation focuses on the positive things that can happen from taking action. This might look like: “In the process of writing this essay, I’m learning new things that will be useful in the future.”

Negative motivation focuses on the negative consequences that might happen from not taking action. For example, “My parents will be disappointed in me if I don’t get a certain mark.”

Positive and negative motivations can be effective in different circumstances. Try and notice the effects of different motivators on you. Generally, it can be easier to pursue a goal that you are genuinely interested in or enjoy, rather than to avoid a negative outcome, which can make us feel helpless or overwhelmed.

Act first and motivation will follow

Many people fall into the trap of thinking that we need to feel “motivated enough” before doing something. Psychological research shows the converse -  it’s action that leads to motivation , which in turn leads to more action . This means that at times, we need to start even if we don’t feel ready, trusting that motivation will follow, which will then enable us to take more action.

Set goals that motivate you

Starting before you feel motivated is easier said than done, but there are strategic ways that we can set up our goals to help us generate and keep motivation.

• Break down big tasks into tiny steps. Instead of telling yourself to ‘write your essay’ , a tiny step could be that ‘review one relevant journal article and note two or three points you want to cover in the first paragraph’ . Taking one step at a time can help us focus and feel less overwhelmed.
• Set specific, measurable, and time-limited goals. Being as clear as possible about what you want to achieve can go a long way in increasing your chances of following through.
• Be realistic. Making goals as realistically achievable as possible is important so that you don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Try asking, “How much can I achieve in the next hour?” instead of “I need to complete all these tasks.”

Create an encouraging work environment

Some people study better with a routine, whereas others need change and variety to stay motivated. Consider trying a new study location such as the library, your favourite café, or experiment with different methods such as listening to instrumental music while studying or the Pomodoro Technique . See what works for you.

Remember that you don’t need to do it alone – if you are someone who feels motivated by working with others, join a study group or surround yourself with supportive friends who encourage (rather than distract!) and help you keep on track.

Balance your life

• Celebrate the small wins. Planning small rewards (a break or a treat) after you’ve accomplished a task can help keep your spirits up. It can also make it easier to get back to studying after a brief, refreshing break, and to anticipate another reward around the corner after you get the next thing done.
• Prioritise self-care. We all know that if we don’t plug in our phone to charge, it will run out of battery. It’s the same for us. So take time to recharge – schedule regular breaks, time to meet friends, exercise, listen to your favourite song, or get enough sleep. You may feel like you don’t have the time, but you’ll be surprised how much clearer you can think and work after a restful or fun break.

What can I do next?

• Feeling unmotivated can lead to procrastination. If this is getting in the way, read more about what can help you overcome procrastination .
• Explore resources on developing your study skills at Academic Skills . You can also attend workshops or make an appointment with an Academic Skills Adviser.
• Speaking to a CAPS counsellor can help you develop individualised strategies to address low motivation. We also offer workshops to develop a range of skills to enhance your learning throughout the semester.

If you'd like more support, come along to one of our workshops or make an appointment for individual counselling.

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Home Essay Samples Psychology

Essay Samples on Motivation

What motivates me as a student.

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Motivation: Learning What Motivates You

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Motivation Of People Seeking For Revenge

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Application Of Motivation Models In Employee Engagement

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The Promising Advantages of Honor Codes for the Student's Future

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How My Favorite Author's Work Has Changed Me

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How Motivation and Dedication Helped Me to Find My Goal in Life

When you have motivation, it helps you build determination to achieve your goals and do things that exceeds your limits. It is hard to strive for success and happiness when there is no motivation in the air. You need it to keep you from failing...

How to Succed in College and Avoid Dropping Out

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Finding the Motivation to Focus on One Objective

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Selfishness as an Integral Part of Human Nature

“It is truth universally acknowledged that humans are selfish and self – centered. Selfishness is not a characteristic only a bad person has, but is part of our human nature. Despite most human being’s perspectives, “selfishness is the driving force behind everything we do.”(Richard) We...

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Who Moved My Cheese: Overcoming the Obstacles

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Child Development Theories: The Narratives and Application

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The Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as the Motivational System of Achievements

The Maslow's hierarchy of needs is one of the best-known theories of motivation. According to humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow, our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs. Abstract: Maslow believed that each individual has a hierarchy of needs, consisting of physiological, safety, social,...

The Loss of Motivation in Professional Chess

It is very unfortunate that players go from the pristine state of 'What can I learn?' to 'How can I improve my rating?'. And when it comes to kids, parents (and I am a parent of a chess player) are guilty of that shift in...

High Motivation and Obstacles to the Peak Performance 

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Health Coaching: Motivating Lifestyle Change

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The Social Network: Motivation of Facebook's Founder

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How Motivation Helps Overcome Academic Challenges

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My Interest In Clinical Psychology As A Future Career

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Physiotherapy – The Best Career Option For Me

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The Reasons I Choose To Study Natural Sciences At University

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The Reasons I Choose To Study Philosophy, Politics And Economics (PPE) Course

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The Importance of Students’ Motivation for Their Academic Achievement – Replicating and Extending Previous Findings

Ricarda steinmayr.

1 Department of Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany

Anne F. Weidinger

Malte schwinger.

2 Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Birgit Spinath

3 Department of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

Associated Data

The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

Achievement motivation is not a single construct but rather subsumes a variety of different constructs like ability self-concepts, task values, goals, and achievement motives. The few existing studies that investigated diverse motivational constructs as predictors of school students’ academic achievement above and beyond students’ cognitive abilities and prior achievement showed that most motivational constructs predicted academic achievement beyond intelligence and that students’ ability self-concepts and task values are more powerful in predicting their achievement than goals and achievement motives. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the reported previous findings can be replicated when ability self-concepts, task values, goals, and achievement motives are all assessed at the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria (e.g., hope for success in math and math grades). The sample comprised 345 11th and 12th grade students ( M = 17.48 years old, SD = 1.06) from the highest academic track (Gymnasium) in Germany. Students self-reported their ability self-concepts, task values, goal orientations, and achievement motives in math, German, and school in general. Additionally, we assessed their intelligence and their current and prior Grade point average and grades in math and German. Relative weight analyses revealed that domain-specific ability self-concept, motives, task values and learning goals but not performance goals explained a significant amount of variance in grades above all other predictors of which ability self-concept was the strongest predictor. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for investigating motivational constructs with different theoretical foundation.

Introduction

Achievement motivation energizes and directs behavior toward achievement and therefore is known to be an important determinant of academic success (e.g., Robbins et al., 2004 ; Hattie, 2009 ; Plante et al., 2013 ; Wigfield et al., 2016 ). Achievement motivation is not a single construct but rather subsumes a variety of different constructs like motivational beliefs, task values, goals, and achievement motives (see Murphy and Alexander, 2000 ; Wigfield and Cambria, 2010 ; Wigfield et al., 2016 ). Nevertheless, there is still a limited number of studies, that investigated (1) diverse motivational constructs in relation to students’ academic achievement in one sample and (2) additionally considered students’ cognitive abilities and their prior achievement ( Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ; Kriegbaum et al., 2015 ). Because students’ cognitive abilities and their prior achievement are among the best single predictors of academic success (e.g., Kuncel et al., 2004 ; Hailikari et al., 2007 ), it is necessary to include them in the analyses when evaluating the importance of motivational factors for students’ achievement. Steinmayr and Spinath (2009) did so and revealed that students’ domain-specific ability self-concepts followed by domain-specific task values were the best predictors of students’ math and German grades compared to students’ goals and achievement motives. However, a flaw of their study is that they did not assess all motivational constructs at the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria. For example, achievement motives were measured on a domain-general level (e.g., “Difficult problems appeal to me”), whereas students’ achievement as well as motivational beliefs and task values were assessed domain-specifically (e.g., math grades, math self-concept, math task values). The importance of students’ achievement motives for math and German grades might have been underestimated because the specificity levels of predictor and criterion variables did not match (e.g., Ajzen and Fishbein, 1977 ; Baranik et al., 2010 ). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the seminal findings by Steinmayr and Spinath (2009) will hold when motivational beliefs, task values, goals, and achievement motives are all assessed at the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria. This is an important question with respect to motivation theory and future research in this field. Moreover, based on the findings it might be possible to better judge which kind of motivation should especially be fostered in school to improve achievement. This is important information for interventions aiming at enhancing students’ motivation in school.

Theoretical Relations Between Achievement Motivation and Academic Achievement

We take a social-cognitive approach to motivation (see also Pintrich et al., 1993 ; Elliot and Church, 1997 ; Wigfield and Cambria, 2010 ). This approach emphasizes the important role of students’ beliefs and their interpretations of actual events, as well as the role of the achievement context for motivational dynamics (see Weiner, 1992 ; Pintrich et al., 1993 ; Wigfield and Cambria, 2010 ). Social cognitive models of achievement motivation (e.g., expectancy-value theory by Eccles and Wigfield, 2002 ; hierarchical model of achievement motivation by Elliot and Church, 1997 ) comprise a variety of motivation constructs that can be organized in two broad categories (see Pintrich et al., 1993 , p. 176): students’ “beliefs about their capability to perform a task,” also called expectancy components (e.g., ability self-concepts, self-efficacy), and their “motivational beliefs about their reasons for choosing to do a task,” also called value components (e.g., task values, goals). The literature on motivation constructs from these categories is extensive (see Wigfield and Cambria, 2010 ). In this article, we focus on selected constructs, namely students’ ability self-concepts (from the category “expectancy components of motivation”), and their task values and goal orientations (from the category “value components of motivation”).

According to the social cognitive perspective, students’ motivation is relatively situation or context specific (see Pintrich et al., 1993 ). To gain a comprehensive picture of the relation between students’ motivation and their academic achievement, we additionally take into account a traditional personality model of motivation, the theory of the achievement motive ( McClelland et al., 1953 ), according to which students’ motivation is conceptualized as a relatively stable trait. Thus, we consider the achievement motives hope for success and fear of failure besides students’ ability self-concepts, their task values, and goal orientations in this article. In the following, we describe the motivation constructs in more detail.

Students’ ability self-concepts are defined as cognitive representations of their ability level ( Marsh, 1990 ; Wigfield et al., 2016 ). Ability self-concepts have been shown to be domain-specific from the early school years on (e.g., Wigfield et al., 1997 ). Consequently, they are frequently assessed with regard to a certain domain (e.g., with regard to school in general vs. with regard to math).

In the present article, task values are defined in the sense of the expectancy-value model by Eccles et al. (1983) and Eccles and Wigfield (2002) . According to the expectancy-value model there are three task values that should be positively associated with achievement, namely intrinsic values, utility value, and personal importance ( Eccles and Wigfield, 1995 ). Because task values are domain-specific from the early school years on (e.g., Eccles et al., 1993 ; Eccles and Wigfield, 1995 ), they are also assessed with reference to specific subjects (e.g., “How much do you like math?”) or on a more general level with regard to school in general (e.g., “How much do you like going to school?”).

Students’ goal orientations are broader cognitive orientations that students have toward their learning and they reflect the reasons for doing a task (see Dweck and Leggett, 1988 ). Therefore, they fall in the broad category of “value components of motivation.” Initially, researchers distinguished between learning and performance goals when describing goal orientations ( Nicholls, 1984 ; Dweck and Leggett, 1988 ). Learning goals (“task involvement” or “mastery goals”) describe people’s willingness to improve their skills, learn new things, and develop their competence, whereas performance goals (“ego involvement”) focus on demonstrating one’s higher competence and hiding one’s incompetence relative to others (e.g., Elliot and McGregor, 2001 ). Performance goals were later further subdivided into performance-approach (striving to demonstrate competence) and performance-avoidance goals (striving to avoid looking incompetent, e.g., Elliot and Church, 1997 ; Middleton and Midgley, 1997 ). Some researchers have included work avoidance as another component of achievement goals (e.g., Nicholls, 1984 ; Harackiewicz et al., 1997 ). Work avoidance refers to the goal of investing as little effort as possible ( Kumar and Jagacinski, 2011 ). Goal orientations can be assessed in reference to specific subjects (e.g., math) or on a more general level (e.g., in reference to school in general).

McClelland et al. (1953) distinguish the achievement motives hope for success (i.e., positive emotions and the belief that one can succeed) and fear of failure (i.e., negative emotions and the fear that the achievement situation is out of one’s depth). According to McClelland’s definition, need for achievement is measured by describing affective experiences or associations such as fear or joy in achievement situations. Achievement motives are conceptualized as being relatively stable over time. Consequently, need for achievement is theorized to be domain-general and, thus, usually assessed without referring to a certain domain or situation (e.g., Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ). However, Sparfeldt and Rost (2011) demonstrated that operationalizing achievement motives subject-specifically is psychometrically useful and results in better criterion validities compared with a domain-general operationalization.

Empirical Evidence on the Relative Importance of Achievement Motivation Constructs for Academic Achievement

A myriad of single studies (e.g., Linnenbrink-Garcia et al., 2018 ; Muenks et al., 2018 ; Steinmayr et al., 2018 ) and several meta-analyses (e.g., Robbins et al., 2004 ; Möller et al., 2009 ; Hulleman et al., 2010 ; Huang, 2011 ) support the hypothesis of social cognitive motivation models that students’ motivational beliefs are significantly related to their academic achievement. However, to judge the relative importance of motivation constructs for academic achievement, studies need (1) to investigate diverse motivational constructs in one sample and (2) to consider students’ cognitive abilities and their prior achievement, too, because the latter are among the best single predictors of academic success (e.g., Kuncel et al., 2004 ; Hailikari et al., 2007 ). For effective educational policy and school reform, it is crucial to obtain robust empirical evidence for whether various motivational constructs can explain variance in school performance over and above intelligence and prior achievement. Without including the latter constructs, we might overestimate the importance of motivation for achievement. Providing evidence that students’ achievement motivation is incrementally valid in predicting their academic achievement beyond their intelligence or prior achievement would emphasize the necessity of designing appropriate interventions for improving students’ school-related motivation.

There are several studies that included expectancy and value components of motivation as predictors of students’ academic achievement (grades or test scores) and additionally considered students’ prior achievement ( Marsh et al., 2005 ; Steinmayr et al., 2018 , Study 1) or their intelligence ( Spinath et al., 2006 ; Lotz et al., 2018 ; Schneider et al., 2018 ; Steinmayr et al., 2018 , Study 2, Weber et al., 2013 ). However, only few studies considered intelligence and prior achievement together with more than two motivational constructs as predictors of school students’ achievement ( Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ; Kriegbaum et al., 2015 ). Kriegbaum et al. (2015) examined two expectancy components (i.e., ability self-concept and self-efficacy) and eight value components (i.e., interest, enjoyment, usefulness, learning goals, performance-approach, performance-avoidance goals, and work avoidance) in the domain of math. Steinmayr and Spinath (2009) investigated the role of an expectancy component (i.e., ability self-concept), five value components (i.e., task values, learning goals, performance-approach, performance-avoidance goals, and work avoidance), and students’ achievement motives (i.e., hope for success, fear of failure, and need for achievement) for students’ grades in math and German and their GPA. Both studies used relative weights analyses to compare the predictive power of all variables simultaneously while taking into account multicollinearity of the predictors ( Johnson and LeBreton, 2004 ; Tonidandel and LeBreton, 2011 ). Findings showed that – after controlling for differences in students‘ intelligence and their prior achievement – expectancy components (ability self-concept, self-efficacy) were the best motivational predictors of achievement followed by task values (i.e., intrinsic/enjoyment, attainment, and utility), need for achievement and learning goals ( Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ; Kriegbaum et al., 2015 ). However, Steinmayr and Spinath (2009) who investigated the relations in three different domains did not assess all motivational constructs on the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria. More precisely, students’ achievement as well as motivational beliefs and task values were assessed domain-specifically (e.g., math grades, math self-concept, math task values), whereas students’ goals were only measured for school in general (e.g., “In school it is important for me to learn as much as possible”) and students’ achievement motives were only measured on a domain-general level (e.g., “Difficult problems appeal to me”). Thus, the importance of goals and achievement motives for math and German grades might have been underestimated because the specificity levels of predictor and criterion variables did not match (e.g., Ajzen and Fishbein, 1977 ; Baranik et al., 2010 ). Assessing students’ goals and their achievement motives with reference to a specific subject might result in higher associations with domain-specific achievement criteria (see Sparfeldt and Rost, 2011 ).

Taken together, although previous work underlines the important roles of expectancy and value components of motivation for school students’ academic achievement, hitherto, we know little about the relative importance of expectancy components, task values, goals, and achievement motives in different domains when all of them are assessed at the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria (e.g., achievement motives in math → math grades; ability self-concept for school → GPA).

The Present Research

The goal of the present study was to examine the relative importance of several of the most important achievement motivation constructs in predicting school students’ achievement. We substantially extend previous work in this field by considering (1) diverse motivational constructs, (2) students’ intelligence and their prior achievement as achievement predictors in one sample, and (3) by assessing all predictors on the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria. Moreover, we investigated the relations in three different domains: school in general, math, and German. Because there is no study that assessed students’ goal orientations and achievement motives besides their ability self-concept and task values on the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria, we could not derive any specific hypotheses on the relative importance of these constructs, but instead investigated the following research question (RQ):

RQ. What is the relative importance of students’ domain-specific ability self-concepts, task values, goal orientations, and achievement motives for their grades in the respective domain when including all of them, students’ intelligence and prior achievement simultaneously in the analytic models?

Materials and Methods

Participants and procedure.

A sample of 345 students was recruited from two German schools attending the highest academic track (Gymnasium). Only 11th graders participated at one school, whereas 11th and 12th graders participated at the other. Students of the different grades and schools did not differ significantly on any of the assessed measures. Students represented the typical population of this type of school in Germany; that is, the majority was Caucasian and came from medium to high socioeconomic status homes. At the time of testing, students were on average 17.48 years old ( SD = 1.06). As is typical for this kind of school, the sample comprised more girls ( n = 200) than boys ( n = 145). We verify that the study is in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Approval by an ethics committee was not required as per the institution’s guidelines and applicable regulations in the federal state where the study was conducted. Participation was voluntarily and no deception took place. Before testing, we received written informed consent forms from the students and from the parents of the students who were under the age of 18 on the day of the testing. If students did not want to participate, they could spend the testing time in their teacher’s room with an extra assignment. All students agreed to participate. Testing took place during regular classes in schools in 2013. Tests were administered by trained research assistants and lasted about 2.5 h. Students filled in the achievement motivation questionnaires first, and the intelligence test was administered afterward. Before the intelligence test, there was a short break.

Ability Self-Concept

Students’ ability self-concepts were assessed with four items per domain ( Schöne et al., 2002 ). Students indicated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree) how good they thought they were at different activities in school in general, math, and German (“I am good at school in general/math/German,” “It is easy to for me to learn in school in general/math/German,” “In school in general/math/German, I know a lot,” and “Most assignments in school/math/German are easy for me”). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) of the ability self-concept scale was high in school in general, in math, and in German (0.82 ≤ α ≤ 0.95; see Table 1 ).

Means ( M ), Standard Deviations ( SD ), and Reliabilities (α) for all measures.

Task Values

Students’ task values were assessed with an established German scale (SESSW; Subjective scholastic value scale; Steinmayr and Spinath, 2010 ). The measure is an adaptation of items used by Eccles and Wigfield (1995) in different studies. It assesses intrinsic values, utility, and personal importance with three items each. Students indicated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree) how much they valued school in general, math, and German (Intrinsic values: “I like school/math/German,” “I enjoy doing things in school/math/German,” and “I find school in general/math/German interesting”; Utility: “How useful is what you learn in school/math/German in general?,” “School/math/German will be useful in my future,” “The things I learn in school/math/German will be of use in my future life”; Personal importance: “Being good at school/math/German is important to me,” “To be good at school/math/German means a lot to me,” “Attainment in school/math/German is important to me”). Internal consistency of the values scale was high in all domains (0.90 ≤ α ≤ 0.93; see Table 1 ).

Goal Orientations

Students’ goal orientations were assessed with an established German self-report measure (SELLMO; Scales for measuring learning and achievement motivation; Spinath et al., 2002 ). In accordance with Sparfeldt et al. (2007) , we assessed goal orientations with regard to different domains: school in general, math, and German. In each domain, we used the SELLMO to assess students’ learning goals, performance-avoidance goals, and work avoidance with eight items each and their performance-approach goals with seven items. Students’ answered the items on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree). All items except for the work avoidance items are printed in Spinath and Steinmayr (2012) , p. 1148). A sample item to assess work avoidance is: “In school/math/German, it is important to me to do as little work as possible.” Internal consistency of the learning goals scale was high in all domains (0.83 ≤ α ≤ 0.88). The same was true for performance-approach goals (0.85 ≤ α ≤ 0.88), performance-avoidance goals (α = 0.89), and work avoidance (0.91 ≤ α ≤ 0.92; see Table 1 ).

Achievement Motives

Achievement motives were assessed with the Achievement Motives Scale (AMS; Gjesme and Nygard, 1970 ; Göttert and Kuhl, 1980 ). In the present study, we used a short form measuring “hope for success” and “fear of failure” with the seven items per subscale that showed the highest factor loadings. Both subscales were assessed in three domains: school in general, math, and German. Students’ answered all items on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (does not apply at all) to 4 (fully applies). An example hope for success item is “In school/math/German, difficult problems appeal to me,” and an example fear of failure item is “In school/math/German, matters that are slightly difficult disconcert me.” Internal consistencies of hope for success and fear of failure scales were high in all domains (hope for success: 0.88 ≤ α ≤ 0.92; fear of failure: 0.90 ≤ α ≤ 0.91; see Table 1 ).

Intelligence

Intelligence was measured with the basic module of the Intelligence Structure Test 2000 R, a well-established German multifactor intelligence measure (I-S-T 2000 R; Amthauer et al., 2001 ). The basic module of the test offers assessments of domain-specific intelligence for verbal, numeric, and figural abilities as well as an overall intelligence score (a composite of the three facets). The overall intelligence score is thought to measure reasoning as a higher order factor of intelligence and can be interpreted as a measure of general intelligence, g . Its construct validity has been demonstrated in several studies ( Amthauer et al., 2001 ; Steinmayr and Amelang, 2006 ). In the present study, we used the scores that were closest to the domains we investigated: overall intelligence, numerical intelligence, and verbal intelligence (see also Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ). Raw values could range from 0 to 60 for verbal and numerical intelligence, and from 0 to 180 for overall intelligence. Internal consistencies of all intelligence scales were high (0.71 ≤ α ≤ 0.90; see Table 1 ).

Academic Achievement

For all students, the school delivered the report cards that the students received 3 months before testing (t0) and 4 months after testing (t2), at the end of the term in which testing took place. We assessed students’ grades in German and math as well as their overall grade point average (GPA) as criteria for school performance. GPA was computed as the mean of all available grades, not including grades in the nonacademic domains Sports and Music/Art as they did not correlate with the other grades. Grades ranged from 1 to 6, and were recoded so that higher numbers represented better performance.

Statistical Analyses

We conducted relative weight analyses to predict students’ academic achievement separately in math, German, and school in general. The relative weight analysis is a statistical procedure that enables to determine the relative importance of each predictor in a multiple regression analysis (“relative weight”) and to take adequately into account the multicollinearity of the different motivational constructs (for details, see Johnson and LeBreton, 2004 ; Tonidandel and LeBreton, 2011 ). Basically, it uses a variable transformation approach to create a new set of predictors that are orthogonal to one another (i.e., uncorrelated). Then, the criterion is regressed on these new orthogonal predictors, and the resulting standardized regression coefficients can be used because they no longer suffer from the deleterious effects of multicollinearity. These standardized regression weights are then transformed back into the metric of the original predictors. The rescaled relative weight of a predictor can easily be transformed into the percentage of variance that is uniquely explained by this predictor when dividing the relative weight of the specific predictor by the total variance explained by all predictors in the regression model ( R 2 ). We performed the relative weight analyses in three steps. In Model 1, we included the different achievement motivation variables assessed in the respective domain in the analyses. In Model 2, we entered intelligence into the analyses in addition to the achievement motivation variables. In Model 3, we included prior school performance indicated by grades measured before testing in addition to all of the motivation variables and intelligence. For all three steps, we tested for whether all relative weight factors differed significantly from each other (see Johnson, 2004 ) to determine which motivational construct was most important in predicting academic achievement (RQ).

Descriptive Statistics and Intercorrelations

Table 1 shows means, standard deviations, and reliabilities. Tables 2 –4 show the correlations between all scales in school in general, in math, and in German. Of particular relevance here, are the correlations between the motivational constructs and students’ school grades. In all three domains (i.e., school in general/math/German), out of all motivational predictor variables, students’ ability self-concepts showed the strongest associations with subsequent grades ( r = 0.53/0.61/0.46; see Tables 2 –4 ). Except for students’ performance-avoidance goals (−0.04 ≤ r ≤ 0.07, p > 0.05), the other motivational constructs were also significantly related to school grades. Most of the respective correlations were evenly dispersed around a moderate effect size of | r | = 0.30.

Intercorrelations between all variables in school in general.

Intercorrelations between all variables in German.

Intercorrelations between all variables in math.

Relative Weight Analyses

Table 5 presents the results of the relative weight analyses. In Model 1 (only motivational variables) and Model 2 (motivation and intelligence), respectively, the overall explained variance was highest for math grades ( R 2 = 0.42 and R 2 = 0.42, respectively) followed by GPA ( R 2 = 0.30 and R 2 = 0.34, respectively) and grades in German ( R 2 = 0.26 and R 2 = 0.28, respectively). When prior school grades were additionally considered (Model 3) the largest amount of variance was explained in students’ GPA ( R 2 = 0.73), followed by grades in German ( R 2 = 0.59) and math ( R 2 = 0.57). In the following, we will describe the results of Model 3 for each domain in more detail.

Relative weights and percentages of explained criterion variance (%) for all motivational constructs (Model 1) plus intelligence (Model 2) plus prior school achievement (Model 3).

Beginning with the prediction of students’ GPA: In Model 3, students’ prior GPA explained more variance in subsequent GPA than all other predictor variables (68%). Students’ ability self-concept explained significantly less variance than prior GPA but still more than all other predictors that we considered (14%). The relative weights of students’ intelligence (5%), task values (2%), hope for success (4%), and fear of failure (3%) did not differ significantly from each other but were still significantly different from zero ( p < 0.05). The relative weights of students’ goal orientations were not significant in Model 3.

Turning to math grades: The findings of the relative weight analyses for the prediction of math grades differed slightly from the prediction of GPA. In Model 3, the relative weights of numerical intelligence (2%) and performance-approach goals (2%) in math were no longer different from zero ( p > 0.05); in Model 2 they were. Prior math grades explained the largest share of the unique variance in subsequent math grades (45%), followed by math self-concept (19%). The relative weights of students’ math task values (9%), learning goals (5%), work avoidance (7%), and hope for success (6%) did not differ significantly from each other. Students’ fear of failure in math explained the smallest amount of unique variance in their math grades (4%) but the relative weight of students’ fear of failure did not differ significantly from that of students’ hope for success, work avoidance, and learning goals. The relative weights of students’ performance-avoidance goals were not significant in Model 3.

Turning to German grades: In Model 3, students’ prior grade in German was the strongest predictor (64%), followed by German self-concept (10%). Students’ fear of failure in German (6%), their verbal intelligence (4%), task values (4%), learning goals (4%), and hope for success (4%) explained less variance in German grades and did not differ significantly from each other but were significantly different from zero ( p < 0.05). The relative weights of students’ performance goals and work avoidance were not significant in Model 3.

In the present studies, we aimed to investigate the relative importance of several achievement motivation constructs in predicting students’ academic achievement. We sought to overcome the limitations of previous research in this field by (1) considering several theoretically and empirically distinct motivational constructs, (2) students’ intelligence, and their prior achievement, and (3) by assessing all predictors at the same level of specificity as the achievement criteria. We applied sophisticated statistical procedures to investigate the relations in three different domains, namely school in general, math, and German.

Relative Importance of Achievement Motivation Constructs for Academic Achievement

Out of the motivational predictor variables, students’ ability self-concepts explained the largest amount of variance in their academic achievement across all sets of analyses and across all investigated domains. Even when intelligence and prior grades were controlled for, students’ ability self-concepts accounted for at least 10% of the variance in the criterion. The relative superiority of ability self-perceptions is in line with the available literature on this topic (e.g., Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ; Kriegbaum et al., 2015 ; Steinmayr et al., 2018 ) and with numerous studies that have investigated the relations between students’ self-concept and their achievement (e.g., Möller et al., 2009 ; Huang, 2011 ). Ability self-concepts showed even higher relative weights than the corresponding intelligence scores. Whereas some previous studies have suggested that self-concepts and intelligence are at least equally important when predicting students’ grades (e.g., Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ; Weber et al., 2013 ; Schneider et al., 2018 ), our findings indicate that it might be even more important to believe in own school-related abilities than to possess outstanding cognitive capacities to achieve good grades (see also Lotz et al., 2018 ). Such a conclusion was supported by the fact that we examined the relative importance of all predictor variables across three domains and at the same levels of specificity, thus maximizing criterion-related validity (see Baranik et al., 2010 ). This procedure represents a particular strength of our study and sets it apart from previous studies in the field (e.g., Steinmayr and Spinath, 2009 ). Alternatively, our findings could be attributed to the sample we investigated at least to some degree. The students examined in the present study were selected for the academic track in Germany, and this makes them rather homogeneous in their cognitive abilities. It is therefore plausible to assume that the restricted variance in intelligence scores decreased the respective criterion validities.

When all variables were assessed at the same level of specificity, the achievement motives hope for success and fear of failure were the second and third best motivational predictors of academic achievement and more important than in the study by Steinmayr and Spinath (2009) . This result underlines the original conceptualization of achievement motives as broad personal tendencies that energize approach or avoidance behavior across different contexts and situations ( Elliot, 2006 ). However, the explanatory power of achievement motives was higher in the more specific domains of math and German, thereby also supporting the suggestion made by Sparfeldt and Rost (2011) to conceptualize achievement motives more domain-specifically. Conceptually, achievement motives and ability self-concepts are closely related. Individuals who believe in their ability to succeed often show greater hope for success than fear of failure and vice versa ( Brunstein and Heckhausen, 2008 ). It is thus not surprising that the two constructs showed similar stability in their relative effects on academic achievement across the three investigated domains. Concerning the specific mechanisms through which students’ achievement motives and ability self-concepts affect their achievement, it seems that they elicit positive or negative valences in students, and these valences in turn serve as simple but meaningful triggers of (un)successful school-related behavior. The large and consistent effects for students’ ability self-concept and their hope for success in our study support recommendations from positive psychology that individuals think positively about the future and regularly provide affirmation to themselves by reminding themselves of their positive attributes ( Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000 ). Future studies could investigate mediation processes. Theoretically, it would make sense that achievement motives defined as broad personal tendencies affect academic achievement via expectancy beliefs like ability self-concepts (e.g., expectancy-value theory by Eccles and Wigfield, 2002 ; see also, Atkinson, 1957 ).

Although task values and learning goals did not contribute much toward explaining the variance in GPA, these two constructs became even more important for explaining variance in math and German grades. As Elliot (2006) pointed out in his hierarchical model of approach-avoidance motivation, achievement motives serve as basic motivational principles that energize behavior. However, they do not guide the precise direction of the energized behavior. Instead, goals and task values are commonly recruited to strategically guide this basic motivation toward concrete aims that address the underlying desire or concern. Our results are consistent with Elliot’s (2006) suggestions. Whereas basic achievement motives are equally important at abstract and specific achievement levels, task values and learning goals release their full explanatory power with increasing context-specificity as they affect students’ concrete actions in a given school subject. At this level of abstraction, task values and learning goals compete with more extrinsic forms of motivation, such as performance goals. Contrary to several studies in achievement-goal research, we did not demonstrate the importance of either performance-approach or performance-avoidance goals for academic achievement.

Whereas students’ ability self-concept showed a high relative importance above and beyond intelligence, with few exceptions, each of the remaining motivation constructs explained less than 5% of the variance in students’ academic achievement in the full model including intelligence measures. One might argue that the high relative importance of students’ ability self-concept is not surprising because students’ ability self-concepts more strongly depend on prior grades than the other motivation constructs. Prior grades represent performance feedback and enable achievement comparisons that are seen as the main determinants of students’ ability self-concepts (see Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2002 ). However, we included students’ prior grades in the analyses and students’ ability self-concepts still were the most powerful predictors of academic achievement out of the achievement motivation constructs that were considered. It is thus reasonable to conclude that the high relative importance of students’ subjective beliefs about their abilities is not only due to the overlap of this believes with prior achievement.

Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research

Our study confirms and extends the extant work on the power of students’ ability self-concept net of other important motivation variables even when important methodological aspects are considered. Strength of the study is the simultaneous investigation of different achievement motivation constructs in different academic domains. Nevertheless, we restricted the range of motivation constructs to ability self-concepts, task values, goal orientations, and achievement motives. It might be interesting to replicate the findings with other motivation constructs such as academic self-efficacy ( Pajares, 2003 ), individual interest ( Renninger and Hidi, 2011 ), or autonomous versus controlled forms of motivation ( Ryan and Deci, 2000 ). However, these constructs are conceptually and/or empirically very closely related to the motivation constructs we considered (e.g., Eccles and Wigfield, 1995 ; Marsh et al., 2018 ). Thus, it might well be the case that we would find very similar results for self-efficacy instead of ability self-concept as one example.

A second limitation is that we only focused on linear relations between motivation and achievement using a variable-centered approach. Studies that considered different motivation constructs and used person-centered approaches revealed that motivation factors interact with each other and that there are different profiles of motivation that are differently related to students’ achievement (e.g., Conley, 2012 ; Schwinger et al., 2016 ). An important avenue for future studies on students’ motivation is to further investigate these interactions in different academic domains.

Another limitation that might suggest a potential avenue for future research is the fact that we used only grades as an indicator of academic achievement. Although, grades are of high practical relevance for the students, they do not necessarily indicate how much students have learned, how much they know and how creative they are in the respective domain (e.g., Walton and Spencer, 2009 ). Moreover, there is empirical evidence that the prediction of academic achievement differs according to the particular criterion that is chosen (e.g., Lotz et al., 2018 ). Using standardized test performance instead of grades might lead to different results.

Our study is also limited to 11th and 12th graders attending the highest academic track in Germany. More balanced samples are needed to generalize the findings. A recent study ( Ben-Eliyahu, 2019 ) that investigated the relations between different motivational constructs (i.e., goal orientations, expectancies, and task values) and self-regulated learning in university students revealed higher relations for gifted students than for typical students. This finding indicates that relations between different aspects of motivation might differ between academically selected samples and unselected samples.

Finally, despite the advantages of relative weight analyses, this procedure also has some shortcomings. Most important, it is based on manifest variables. Thus, differences in criterion validity might be due in part to differences in measurement error. However, we are not aware of a latent procedure that is comparable to relative weight analyses. It might be one goal for methodological research to overcome this shortcoming.

We conducted the present research to identify how different aspects of students’ motivation uniquely contribute to differences in students’ achievement. Our study demonstrated the relative importance of students’ ability self-concepts, their task values, learning goals, and achievement motives for students’ grades in different academic subjects above and beyond intelligence and prior achievement. Findings thus broaden our knowledge on the role of students’ motivation for academic achievement. Students’ ability self-concept turned out to be the most important motivational predictor of students’ grades above and beyond differences in their intelligence and prior grades, even when all predictors were assessed domain-specifically. Out of two students with similar intelligence scores, same prior achievement, and similar task values, goals and achievement motives in a domain, the student with a higher domain-specific ability self-concept will receive better school grades in the respective domain. Therefore, there is strong evidence that believing in own competencies is advantageous with respect to academic achievement. This finding shows once again that it is a promising approach to implement validated interventions aiming at enhancing students’ domain-specific ability-beliefs in school (see also Muenks et al., 2017 ; Steinmayr et al., 2018 ).

Data Availability

Ethics statement.

In Germany, institutional approval was not required by default at the time the study was conducted. That is, why we cannot provide a formal approval by the institutional ethics committee. We verify that the study is in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Participation was voluntarily and no deception took place. Before testing, we received informed consent forms from the parents of the students who were under the age of 18 on the day of the testing. If students did not want to participate, they could spend the testing time in their teacher’s room with an extra assignment. All students agreed to participate. We included this information also in the manuscript.

Author Contributions

RS conceived and supervised the study, curated the data, performed the formal analysis, investigated the results, developed the methodology, administered the project, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. AW wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. MS performed the formal analysis, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. BS conceived the study, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Funding. We acknowledge financial support by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Technische Universität Dortmund/TU Dortmund University within the funding programme Open Access Publishing.

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How to Motivate Students to Learn Essay

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How to Motivate Students in the Classroom: Essay Introduction

How to motivate learners to learn, how to motivate students: essay conclusion, works cited.

Wondering how to motivate students in the classroom? Essay examples like this one will help you find the answer! Learn here about lack of motivation in college students, the importance of addressing this issue, the role of a teacher in motivating students, and factors influencing motivation.

It is not quite strange to see many schoolchildren and students eager to learn. However, many of these learners require or anticipate their teachers to hearten, challenge, and stimulate them to learn. In the contemporary learning environments, many distracters prevent the learners from effective learning both inside and outside classroom.

Thus, the ability of schoolchildren and students to learn effectively depends on the teacher’s capability to preserve the enthusiasm, which brought learners to their learning environment. It does not matter the level of motivation the learners bring into the classroom because the occurrences within the classroom affects motivation of learners, positively or negatively.

Regrettably, there is no solitary modus operandi of motivating learners. Among the very many factors that affect the motivation of learners, include interest in a given area, an aspiration to achieve, self-confidence, doggedness, expediency of knowledge and determination.

The motivating factors such as principles, wishes, needs and wants vary from on student to another meaning. For example, to some, endorsement of others is the biggest motivation, while to others, winning is a motivation factor (Barbara, p.1).

Motivation is an act of promoting power in students so that they engage in useful learning activities. In most cases, motivation falls into two classes: extrinsic and intrinsic. A new teacher can find these two types of motivation so challenging. However, as a person trained to impart knowledge into students, a teacher is the primary source of motivation.

For example, when a teacher gives a token to a troublesome student in exchange of reverential behavior, we call this extrinsic behavior. Research shows that teachers can motivate students by giving learners some tokens. Under extrinsic motivation, the teacher uses anticipation as a factor to motivate students.

On the other hand, intrinsic motivation involves the inner longing of a student to perform well and follow rules. Thus, intrinsic motivation does not rely on material things in order to motivate students.

Although material things can motivate students to learn, research show that it is not long lasting. Thus, teachers should develop intrinsic modalities of motivating students to learn. For example, in order to motivate students to learn, a teacher should praise students whenever they perform well or portray excellent behavior and ethics, particularly before other students.

Although this appears like an extrinsic motivator, it provides a positive feedback that is imperative in boosting the student’s echelon of intrinsic motivation. Thus, new educators should praise students effectively in order to motivate them to learn. (Brophy, 40-44).

Teachers should ensure that they create lesson plans that increase intrinsic motivation in students. For example, before engaging in a new concept, a teacher should take some time to dwell on the previous learnt concepts.

This will enable students to connect their individual lives with the reading materials. Additionally, teachers should use recognizable examples whenever they engage in new concepts thus, making learning so interesting to students.

Another way that a teacher can apply to motivate students to learn is by encouraging students discover new ideas and ask questions on what they did not grasp well. Sometimes, students fear asking questions in class fearing embarrassment. Clearly, this affects the intrinsic motivation of students negatively.

Thus, teachers should create a good classroom environment where learners feel free to ask questions that will motivate them to learn. Do not tolerate malevolent comments and nasty hilarity in the classroom, as some students feel embarrassed. Moreover, teachers should cultivate a sense of unity among students, which will enable them learn from one another whenever they get involved in learning activities (Brophy, 45-48).

Research shows that teachers have a positive impact in motivating students to learn. Thus, the motivation of students to learn largely depends on educators. From the instructor’s zeal to relevance of materials to organization of the course, teachers can motivate students to learn and achieve better grades.

Barbara, Gross. Motivating Students. 1999. Web.

Brophy, Jere. Synthesis of Research for Motivating Students to Learn. Educational Leadership, 45(2), 1987, 40-48.

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Staying Motivated When Studying

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Some people say that the hardest step in studying is to get started. Once you have taken the first step, the rest is easy, they suggest.

Other people, however, find it difficult to stay motivated when studying, especially when the end seems a long way away.

This situation arises, for example, when you are revising for exams that are still some months away. It can also be difficult to keep up the motivation with a long or extended piece of work, such as an extended essay or dissertation, or even a professional qualification.

This page provides some advice to help you remain motivated while studying, and can also be used by parents to help motivate young people and children studying for exams.

A Strategy for You

There is no single strategy that will work for everyone in supporting ongoing motivation.

However, there are plenty of options that you can try, to see if they work for you. If they do, you should incorporate them into your ongoing strategy. If not, then put them aside and try something else.

The important thing is whether your strategy keeps you motivated, not whether other people agree with you.

Here, therefore, are our top tips for staying motivated.

1. Break the task down into manageable chunks

A big task, such as writing a dissertation, or revising for an extended period, can be demotivating because it seems so big.

Breaking the task down into manageable chunks can therefore help make it seem less daunting.

For example, if you are undertaking a piece of research leading to a dissertation, you might set yourself a period of time to do your literature review. After that, you would plan to develop a proposal for your research methods within a certain period, then do the research. As you start to pull together your results, you may realise that you need to do more research, so that part might be iterative. The point is to have clear sections and tasks to do, to make it simpler.

You may find our pages on Project Planning and Project Management helpful here.

2. Keep your end goal in mind—but also use interim goals on the way

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to remember why you are studying in the first place.

‘ Getting good exam results ’ is not necessarily very motivating. Instead, you need to look beyond that to what the exam results will get you, whether that is a place at your chosen school or university, or a new job. The more detail you can provide for your goal, the easier it will be to keep in mind.

However, even an end goal may not be enough to keep you going, especially over a long period.

A system of interim goals and suitable rewards may also be needed. This is likely to be particularly true for children and young people who are starting a long period of study for the first time, and who may find it harder to see the end point, but also applies to others. You will need to work out whether you are better with a small reward daily, or after each task, or a rather bigger reward saved up for the week or month.

Suitable rewards include time off, treats and visits, but should be things that you really want, to keep you motivated. Set yourself a budget ahead of time if necessary.

For more about this, see our pages on Setting Personal Goals and Perseverance .

3. Get into a study routine

It is generally easier to stay motivated if your studying becomes part of your everyday life and routine.

For example, you might choose to get up an hour earlier, and spend that hour studying each day, or work every other evening, or perhaps study for one day a week. That way, it is easier to avoid being distracted during your study time, because you know that it is set aside for a purpose. Your friends and family will also get to know when your study time happens, and hopefully avoid you then.

You should also ensure that when you start your study period, you minimise distractions. For example, put away or switch off your phone, so that you are not tempted to check it.

For more about this, see our pages on Time Management and Minimising Distractions .

4. Try different study approaches

Especially when you first start studying, you will not necessarily know what works for you.

It is therefore worth trying different approaches, to see which you find most productive.

It is also worth varying your studying to keep you interested. Some days you may want to look at one subject, and try another on a different day. You may also find it helpful to vary your style of working. You could, for example, try working in different places, and varying whether you work alone or with friends.

You could also try different types of activities. Options include reading over your notes, writing a mind map or drawing pictures, making up songs or poems to help you remember facts, doing practice questions, or even teaching something to your friends, and having them teach you something you find difficult. Meeting as a group to share and discuss exam answers prepared by each person can give you a helpful critique of your own answer, and also help you think of other ideas.

It all helps to keep you interested and motivated, and stop you getting stale.

This need for variety is another reason to break your studying down into tasks, so that you can start a new one if you are finding one especially hard to manage.

For more ideas for different ways to study, try our Top Tips for Studying , and our page on Learning Styles .

5. Don’t let your studying take over your life

When you start a long course of study, whether a degree course or a period of study for professional exams, it can feel like it is all-important. This is especially true when exams loom.

However, it is important not to allow your studying to take over your life.

Especially when you are going to be studying for some months, or even years, you need to make sure that you build in time for family, friends, and exercise, to keep you feeling healthy in mind and body.

For more about this, see our pages on Personal Skills for Mind and Body .

There is no ‘one size fits all’

There are plenty of people to tell you that they have the answer to staying motivated while studying. They may have the answer for them , but only you can work out the answer for you.

This page may, however, provide some ideas to help you work out a strategy that will work for you. You may also find our quick quiz, How Self-Motivated are You? helpful.

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Essay 1.1 What Is Motivation, Where Does It Come from, and How Does It Work?

• Published: January 2023
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Motivation is the process that drives, selects, and directs goals and behaviors. Motivation typically arises out of the person’s needs, and it then comes to life through the person’s specific goals. In this essay, the authors examine the concept of “needs” as the crucible from which motivated behavior arises because all individuals are born with needs that jump-start the goal-oriented, motivated behaviors that are critical to survival and thriving. These are both physical needs (such as hunger and thirst) and psychological needs (such as the need for social relationships, optimal predictability, and competence). The aim of motivation is therefore to bring about a desired (need, goal) state. Motivation underlies and organizes all aspects of a person’s psychology. As it does so, motivation “glues” a person together as a functioning individual in their culture and context.

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As you write a motivation essay you get to explore the concept of motivation. The word itself comes from the Latin word “movere”, which means “to move”. Motivation essays define Motivation as: an encouragement to action; a person's ability to satisfy their needs through certain activities; a dynamic psychophysiological process that controls a person’s behavior and determines his level of organization, the orientation of actions, and activity. Authors of essays on motivation note such types of motivation: external/internal, positive/negative, stable/unstable, etc. There is much to discover about motivation. You can view our motivation essay samples for some more facts about this concept, which will help perfect your essay. You can find all the essay samples below.

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The Behavior of Lateness at Work The behavior I would like to apply the two-factor model on is the lateness at work. Lateness at work is a behavior that can adversely affect the company. It is essential for the management to identify the cause of the behavior, so as to be...

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The workplace may at times tend to be very stressful, leading to a negative effect on the output and general performance of an organization. However, an employer should always try to find suitable ways to motivate employees to avoid this kind of situation. To achieve the above, managers strive to...

How Achievement Motivation is affected by Socioeconomic Background, Race, and Family Structure Motivation is defined as the driving force behind an individual s actions, which can facilitate achievement of goals. People tend to take risk and perform dangerous activities to meet their needs and fulfill their interests. One expects negative and...

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Larry has been a great asset and highly valuable worker, who has been able to accomplish his daily work by even going an extra mile to deliver the job done. On the same note, Larry’s performance might have been changed due to his experience in the company having worked with...

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• Open access
• Published: 19 September 2024

Comparative analysis of factors and barriers intervening in research participation among romanian and international medical graduates from one romanian medical faculty across three generations

• Andreea Iulia Pop 1 &
• Lucia Maria Lotrean 2  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  1028 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

This study focuses on the factors that encouraged engagement in research activities, as well as the barriers that restricted their involvement, until the final year of study at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Medicine. The main objectives of this study are to investigate potential disparities in research culture and student engagement in various research opportunities between Romanian and international medical graduates, as well as to conduct an examination of the observed patterns across various graduating years (2021–2023).

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional investigation was conducted among graduate students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. From 2021 to 2023, all graduate students from the Romanian and international programs of the faculty were asked to participate in the study by filling out an anonymous online questionnaire. The final sample included 572 participants, of whom 392 were students from the Romanian section and 180 were students from international programs.

Motivation and personal interest drive research engagement, according to over half of graduates. For over one-third of graduates, institutional elements like financial support and education also play a major role, as does the desire to enhance their curriculum vitae. More than 25% of graduates value community influence, 70% of graduates attended medical congresses, 12–15% presented papers at medical conferences, 23% wrote medical articles, 10–15% published at least one scientific paper in medical journals, and 20% participated in medical school research projects. Comparative analysis showed that Romanian students start research earlier, attend more medical conferences, present posters, collect data for studies, and are more interested in publishing graduation thesis data in scientific journals. To encourage international students to participate in research, the study found that colleagues’ examples were more important, and both time and funds were key barriers. The research also shows that 2022 and 2023 graduates will organize more scientific conferences. According to the study, 2022 graduates began their research earlier than others.

Conclusions

To increase student engagement in research activities, medical schools should prioritize the promotion of positive factors, minimize common barriers, offer customized support and resources, encourage collaborative research activities, and facilitate cross-cultural learning.

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Introduction

Medical schools play a crucial role in providing professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their careers and contribute to the healthcare system [ 1 ]. The conventional medical education structure has created skilled and scientifically grounded healthcare professionals, but it is essential to adapt learning methods to align with new technological advances, diagnostic strategies, and medical treatments [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. As healthcare environments change, medical education must advance to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare professionals. To stay informed about medical innovations, medical students must develop practical skills, synthesize information, and analyze vast amounts of information. They should also maximize interprofessional learning possibilities and balance the risks and benefits of various treatment options to provide the best possible patient care [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Currently, the requirement for enhanced competence in evidence-based medicine and concerns regarding the declining representation of physician-scientists have emphasized the necessity of promoting and encouraging research in medical education [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].

Research involves data collection and analysis, gathering key information, and then analyzing and interpreting that information according to academic and professional procedures. This suggests that research helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for healthcare practitioners, and it is essential to actively involve and motivate the upcoming generation of physician-scientists from earlier stages [ 12 , 13 ]. Throughout the years, medical students have produced important innovations that have had a significant influence on current medicine through the adoption of evidence-based practice. Students made notable progress in several areas, such as the discovery of heparin, Raynaud’s disease, brachial plexus palsy, the atrioventricular node, ether anesthesia, penicillin, and insulin. Those historical examples play a crucial role in sustaining students’ motivation and developing their enthusiasm for excellence [ 14 ].

Scholarly research training programs help undergraduate medical students critically assess new information, communicate, and share research findings, making valuable contributions to the advancement of medical knowledge [ 15 ]. According to Yin et al., medical schools must prioritize research by offering enough opportunity, motivation, and assistance for student engagement [ 16 ]. Previous studies have investigated the training and participation of medical students in curricular and extracurricular research activities. Since the 1960s, some medical schools, such as Duke University and Stanford University, have offered research programs that accompany traditional education, widening students’ scientific knowledge and recruiting them to academic medicine [ 17 ]. Many medical schools nowadays offer students either mandatory or optional research alternatives that enhance their research skills. The Bologna process contributed to a restructuring of the medical undergraduate degree in Europe. It was launched in 1999 by several European countries with the goal of improving the acceptance and quality of higher education qualifications in the region. According to the Bologna process, European universities must evaluate scientific training and include research in their undergraduate medical degrees. As a result, medical students must complete a research project in order to graduate [ 8 , 18 ]. To promote supervised research, Asian universities have implemented graduation requirements, which generally require undergraduate participation for a semester or academic year, either individually or with the support of the government [ 19 ]. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) conducted a survey among 147 medical schools in the United States between 2017 and 2018, which revealed that 65 of them mandated medical students to conduct research [ 20 ]. On the other hand, extracurricular research programs (ERPs), such as summer research programs, Honours programs, or any other student research organizations worldwide, such as Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association, Cambridge University Students’ Clinical Research Society, and John B. Graham Medical Student Research Society, have been set up by many medical schools to encourage students to do research, develop an academic mindset, and become future doctors who are also scientists [ 21 , 22 ].

Although the level to which medical graduates participate in research activities is influenced by a variety of factors and obstacles. Prior research has identified that to encourage and sustain the engagement of medical students in research, it is imperative to identify the fundamental factors that motivate their research efforts throughout the early years of their medical education [ 23 ]. In their study, Ommering et al. investigate the motivation of medical students to conduct research, and their findings suggest that students may have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. For extrinsic motivations, medical students may engage in research to enhance their training and career opportunities, such as securing a competitive residency. Furthermore, there is proof that students can be really interested in research and contribute out of satisfaction, as regards intrinsic motivations. Self-efficacy, curiosity, and challenge, prior training in scientific research, supportive teachers, and an environment that encourages research are the valuable motivational variables [ 23 , 24 ]. While there is a tendency to refine involvement in research during medical school, the literature highlights both institutional and non-institutional barriers to successful participation. Previous studies have found several common barriers to research involvement, such as time constraints, insufficient funds, insufficient support from mentors, and a lack of knowledge and experience. Thus, Andrea and Sarah Cuschieri found that medical graduates often receive inadequate assistance and direction from faculty members and mentors, insufficient resources for carrying out research, minimal opportunities to participate in scientific initiatives, and a lack of motivation [ 25 ]. Griffin and Hindocha also highlighted barriers perceived by medical students to publishing, such as a lack of opportunities to conduct research, insufficient support from seniors, limited education on writing manuscripts, limited time, insufficient knowledge of publication standards, and insufficient research infrastructure [ 26 ]. Stone et al. also demonstrated the existence of institutional and non-institutional barriers to conducting research during undergraduate medical school. These barriers include time constraints, a lack of mentors, inadequate support, limited access to resources, curriculum design, a lack of skills and self-efficacy, awareness and motivation, funding, internet access, and gender and cultural issues, all of which hinder medical students’ engagement in research activities [ 9 ]. Furthermore, in prior studies, the unequal attainment gap among ethnic groups begged serious concerns about performance differences, therefore affecting medical education and the medical profession. The ethnicity of medical students often influences learning and performance due to limited educational resources, unadapted curricula, and medical school populations [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].

According to our knowledge, little is known about the practices, factors, and barriers affecting research engagement among medical graduates, especially when comparing national and international students. There are no other studies on medical undergraduate research in Romania, except for our previous study, which examined the first-time research perspectives and behaviors of students in their third and fifth years of study. The previous findings indicated that Romanian medical students value research possibilities, which promotes institutional attempts to support their curricular and extracurricular research [ 30 ]. This present study can be considered a continuation of the first investigation, as it aims to examine the factors that influence the engagement of undergraduate medical students in research, as well as the research practices performed by graduates until they complete their final year at the Faculty of Medicine of Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca. This is one of the most prestigious medical universities in Romania. The university’s Faculty of Medicine admits three cohorts per year, and there are programs offered in various languages: Romanian, English, and French. The student selection process varies between programs. The Romanian program selects students for admission through a written exam. International applicants to the English and French language programs are admitted based on their academic performance and personal accomplishments. Although they share clinical areas and classrooms, local and foreign students do not show up to attend the same seminars. Every cohort has different clinical rotations and class schedules, so their academic activities never cross. Each year, the university’s Faculty of Medicine admits a specific number of students into the medical program. For example, in the last ten years, the admitted number of students per year varied between 500 and 600 students per year, until recent 4 years, when the university admitted approximately 800 students per year into its medical programs. The proportion of students has an equal distribution of 50% Romanian students and 50% international students [ 31 ]. The Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Medicine offers six-year undergraduate medical education that includes, in the first year’s curricula, a module on medical biostatistics and, in the second year’s curricula, a module on scientific research methodology. Until the final year, the students must prepare and present a demanding scientific report known as a graduation research thesis in accordance with the Bologna process. Teachers also offer guidance and support throughout extracurricular research.

This study aims to investigate the factors that encourage student engagement in research, as well as the barriers that limit their decision to participate in research. Furthermore, in terms of practices, behaviors for both mandatory and optional research activities have been followed. Furthermore, socio-demographic aspects were examined. This research would be valuable in creating an overview of the research motivation, barriers, and best practices for fostering research involvement in the current situation, while there is a persistent pedlary for medical students to become physician-scientists in the context of the physician-scientist deficit worldwide. This research seeks to provide insights into the research culture, resources available, and levels of student involvement in a medical school, along with potential differences between Romanian and international students in three graduating cohorts (2021–2023). Furthermore, examining the trends across graduation years may shed light on how medical education and research opportunities are evolving. If we understand students’ perspectives, we may use evidence-based ways to increase medical students’ interest and ameliorate barriers in research to prepare the future generation of physician-scientists.

The current research aimed to use a survey with 5-point Likert scales and multiple-choice questions to evaluate factors influencing research involvement and scientific activities among graduates from 2021 to 2023, along with exploring their socio-demographic characteristics. This study provided a focused examination of the following research objectives:

Identification of socio-demographic indices: gender, section, and year of faculty graduation.

Evaluation of factors that encourage student participation in research activities: personal influence, community influence, educational influences, and financial influences.

Evaluation of the barriers that limit medical students research participation: personal influence, educational influences, and financial influence.

Identifying research behaviors: the year of debut, complexity of research activity, contributions, participation in scientific congresses, participation in the process of writing a scientific article, aspects of publishing graduation thesis data in a scientific journal, and interest in participating in research activities after graduation.

Comparing factors for involvement in research and scientific activities between Romanian and international students and analyzing them throughout time from 2021 to 2023.

Material and methods

Study sample and data collection.

This research is a component of a larger study centered around evaluating the engagement of medical students in research and voluntary activities. The project received ethical approval from the Ethics Commission of Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy under Approval Number DEP27/03.11.2021.

A cross-sectional investigation was conducted among graduate students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. From 2021 to 2023, all graduate students from the Romanian and international sections of the faculty were asked to participate in the study by filling out an anonymous online questionnaire (a total of 1878 students were invited). We chose to investigate the Romanian and international cohorts separately in order to learn more about how their educational and cultural backgrounds influence their research attitudes and practices. We separately looked at these groups to identify their unique requirements and obstacles in order to create focused strategies to increase student research participation. The questionnaire was distributed using the Microsoft Teams platform, which is commonly used by all affiliated members of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu. The students received an invitation explaining that participation was voluntary, and they agreed to participate by filling out the questionnaire. Those who did not wish to participate did not complete the questionnaire.

Instrument for data collection

For this research project, we specifically designed an online survey to evaluate socio-demographic factors (age, gender), academic aspects (section, year of graduation), opinions about factors that encourage or limit involvement in research, and the research practices of undergraduate medical students. To identify common themes and factors reported in previous studies, we conducted a thorough literature review, which helped us derive the motivating factors and barriers related to student involvement in research. This influenced the development of our survey questions. Factors that encourage medical students involvement in research are the following: personal influence (motivation and personal interest, curriculum vitae improvement motivation), community influences (example of other colleagues), educational influences (teacher presentation of research participation options, teacher mentoring and support, medical research student courses or training), and financial influence (the existence of research grants for undergraduate students, monetary remuneration); The response choices were presented on a five-point scale that varied from “not at all” to “to a very high extent.” The barriers to medical students’ involvement in research are as follows: personal influence (lack of time caused by required medical training courses or internships during medical studies, lack of interest or lack of motivation for research), educational influences (difficulty finding a research coordinator, team, or research project), and financial influence (lack of or insufficient financial compensation for work done). The response choices were presented on a five-point Likert scale that varied from “not at all” to “to a very high extent.” Additionally, the questionnaire examined the research practices of medical students as follows: the year of study when students started their research activity, if they had been engaged in research projects only for their graduation thesis, or if they performed more complex research activities till graduation. The questionnaire asked about the contributions of students to research activities (data review of scientific literature, development of research ideas and hypotheses, research methodology and protocol, data gathering tools, statistical analysis, laboratory experiments, abstract and presentation development for scientific conferences, and writing medical articles). Moreover, the questionnaire asked about students’ involvement in medical congresses, if they had presentations such as oral or poster presentations (the response choices were presented on a four-point scale that varied from “not at all” to “more than three times”), if they had been involved in writing scientific articles (the response choices were presented on a four-point scale that varied from “not at all” to “more than three times”), or if they were publishing various types of scientific articles (publishing editorials or letters to the editor, reviews, original articles, clinical case presentations), and if they were first authors or co-authors. The students were asked if they had participated in research projects during medical school (the response choices were presented on a four-point scale that varied from “not at all” to “more than three times”). Additionally, the questionnaire asked about the interest in publishing graduation thesis data in a scientific publication. The questionnaire also evaluated interest in enhancing knowledge of proper scientific article writing, interest in better comprehension of abstract writing, and interest in understanding the publishing rules of a scientific paper. The questionnaire aimed to gather data on motivation and interest to participate in research activities after completing medical studies (with response options being ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ or ‘I do not know’). Students received the questionnaire in Romanian, English, and French, and the average time to complete it was 15–20 minutes. We assessed the reliability of the questionnaire using internal consistency and found Cronbach’s alpha for each index. We found that the Research Involvement Index, which included 6 items, had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74; the Index of Factors Encouraging Student Research, which included 9 items, had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.71; and the Research Involvement Barriers Index, which included 5 items, had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70. Each of the three indexes indicates good internal consistency. Our previous study, which examined the perspectives and behaviors of medical students in their third and fifth years of study for the first time, also tested the questionnaire. We made minor revisions to align with the actual research questions, thereby enhancing the questionnaire’s comprehensibility and reliability.

Data analyses

The prevalence and mean values were calculated for the investigated topics separately for the Romanian section and international section, as well as for graduates from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 generations. Chi2 tests and t-tests were used to analyze differences among students in the Romanian and International sections, as well as among graduates from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 generations. Three types of indexes were developed to provide greater clarity into the factors influencing involvement in research and research practices.

An index of encouraging student research factors was developed by summing the scores (to a very high extent, coded + 2, to a high extent, coded + 1, I do not know, coded 0, to a low extent, coded − 1, not at all, coded − 2) of the following criteria: motivation and personal interest, curriculum vitae improvement motivation, examples of other colleagues, teacher presentations of research participation options, teacher mentoring and support, medical research student courses or training, the existence of research grants for undergraduate students, and monetary remuneration. The minimum value was − 16, and the maximum was + 16.

An index of research involvement barriers was developed by summing the scores (to a very high extent, coded + 2, to a high extent, coded + 1, I do not know, coded 0, to a low extent, coded − 1, not at all, coded − 2) of the following criteria: lack of time caused by required medical training courses or internships during medical studies, lack of interest or lack of motivation for research, difficulty finding a research coordinator, team, or research project, and lack of or insufficient financial compensation for work done. The minimum value was − 8, and the maximum was + 8.

An index for the involvement of medical students in research (research involvement index) was developed by summing the scores of involvements in the following research activities: participation at medical congresses, presenting papers at medical congresses (oral or poster presentations), participation in writing a scientific article, article publications, and participation in research projects. The available responses for each issue are 0 (no) and 1 (yes); therefore, the minimum value obtained for each participant was 0 and the maximum value obtained was 5.

We used forward selection in two stepwise multivariate linear regression analyses to find out what factors influenced the variations in the Research Involvement Barriers Index and the Index of factors that encourage student research. The dependent variables were the index of factors that encourage student research and the research involvement barriers index. For both, the independent variables were age, gender (coded 1–males, 2–females), and sections (Romanian section, international section). The analyses were performed separately for each index. Another stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted using forward selection to determine factors that contributed to the variation in the research involvement index. The dependent variables were the research involvement index, and the independent variables were age, gender (coded 1–males, 2–females), sections (Romanian section, international section), the index of factors that encourage student research, and the Research Involvement Barriers Index.

The data were analyzed using SPSS 22 statistical software, and significant findings are presented at a significance level of 0.05.

Sociodemographic characteristics

The final sample included 572 participants, which represents a response rate of around 30%. Of the participants, 215 (37.6%) were male and 357 (62.4%) were female, aged between 22 and 54 years (mean 25.25, SD 2.1). Ranking them according to the study section, 392 (68.5%) were students from the Romanian section and 180 (31.5%) were students from the international sections. Ranking them according to the years of graduation, 232 (40.5%) students graduated in 2021, 172 (30%) in 2022, and 168 (29.5%) in 2023.

Opinions on research and comparative analysis of graduate students from Romanian and international sections of different generations

Both Romanian and international students emphasize motivation, personal interest, and teacher mentoring and support as significant factors in research participation. Romanian students, in proportion to 67%, value motivation and personal interest, and 59% value teacher mentoring, while international students, in proportion to 58%, value motivation and personal interest, and 47% value teacher mentoring. Over one-third of Romanian students highlight CV improvement, research opportunities presented by teachers, and research training. Also, among international students, 40% report research training as influential, with around one-third citing CV improvement, examples of colleagues, and student research grants. The major barriers identified by Romanian students are as follows: 53% mention a lack of time and difficulty finding a research coordinator; 41% mention a lack of interest or motivation; and 20% mention insufficient financial compensation. Regarding the international students, 63% report difficulty finding a research coordinator, and 56% cite a lack of time, with a considerable proportion also noting financial constraints. The index of factors encouraging student research shows that Romanian students have a calculated score that varies between − 14 and + 16, with a mean of 8.38, whereas international students have a score ranging from − 4 to + 16, with a mean of 7.98. No statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups. The research involvement barriers index scores for Romanian students vary between − 6 and + 8, with a mean of 3.43, and for international students, they vary from − 4 to + 8, with a mean of 4.11. No statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups. Table  1 reports detailed information about the factors and barriers that could affect Romanian and international students’ participation in research activities.

Analyzing the answers of all students in the three graduating cohorts, several key factors emerged as influencing their involvement in research activities. The students consistently identified motivation, personal interest, teacher mentoring, and support as significant factors. Between 60% and 67% of all graduates attributed high importance to these factors. Teaching staff’s presentations of research opportunities, CV improvement, and the availability of student research funds enhanced the interest of about 40% of all cohorts of graduates in research. Colleagues’ examples and financial rewards significantly influenced the engagement of about 30% of 2023 graduates and one-third of 2021 and 2022 graduates. Throughout the years, barriers to research involvement remained consistent. Around half of students in all graduating cohorts identified a lack of time and difficulty finding a research coordinator, team, or project as major obstacles. Around 40% of graduates reported a lack of interest or motivation. Between 25% and 33% of graduates identified insufficient financial compensation as a significant barrier. However, the 2023 graduates placed more importance on the influence of examples from colleagues compared to the 2022 graduates. Furthermore, 2022 graduates emphasized the lack of funds as a barrier in comparison to 2021 graduates. The index of factors encouraging student research showed mean scores of 8.45 for 2021 graduates, 7.69 for 2022 graduates, and 8.57 for 2023 graduates, with no statistically significant differences between the groups.

The index of factors encouraging student research shows that 2021 graduates scored between − 7 and + 16, with a mean of 8.45. In comparison, 2022 graduates scored between − 14 and + 16, with a mean score of 7.69, while 2023 graduates scored between − 8 and + 16, with a mean score of 8.57. There was no statistically significant difference observed between the two groups. The Research Involvement Barriers Index scores for 2021 graduates range from − 6 to + 8, with a mean of 3.44; for 2022 graduates, the scores range from − 4 to + 8, with a mean of 3.78; and for 2023 graduates, the scores vary from − 3 to + 8, with a mean of 3.77. There was no statistically significant difference observed between the groups. Table  2 provides detailed information about the factors and barriers that could affect the students’ participation in research activities in the three graduating cohorts (2021–2023).

Practicies on research and comparative analysis of graduate students from Romanian and international sections of different generations

Around one-third of students from both sections began participating in research during their sixth year, with Romanian students starting earlier on average (t-test, p  < 0.01). About 70% of Romanian and over 80% of international students engaged in research linked to their graduation thesis, with a significant difference between groups (chi-square, p  < 0.05). Less than 20% performed more complex research. Romanian students more frequently participated in data collection compared to international students who preferred performing literature reviews (chi-square, p  < 0.01). Around 80% of Romanian and less than half of international students attended medical conferences (chi-square, p  < 0.01). In proportion, 36% of Romanian and 21% of international students were on the scientific meetings organization staff (chi-square, p  < 0.01). Approximately 12% of Romanian and 5% of international students presented posters at scientific conferences (t-test, p  < 0.05). One-quarter of Romanian and 20% of international students contributed to the writing of medical research papers, with Romanian students having a higher co-authoring rate (chi-square, p  < 0.05). A proportion of 29% of Romanian and 20% of international students were interested in publishing their research data (chi-square, p  < 0.05). Overall, 7% of international students and 6% of Romanian students have published their graduation thesis output. The research engagement index was higher for Romanian students (mean 1.53) compared to international students (mean 1.06) (t-test, p  < 0.01). Over 80% of students showed interest in improving their skills in scientific writing, with higher interest among Romanian students (chi-square, p  < 0.05), and around 60% were interested in post-graduation research activities. Table  3 provides detailed information about research practices and comparative analyses of Romanian and international graduates.

Approximately one-third of each cohort began research in their sixth year, with 2022 graduates starting earlier on average (t-test, p  < 0.05). Over 70% of graduates from all years participated in thesis-linked research, while less than 20% conducted more complex research. Around 31–38% of participants reviewed scientific literature, 25% developed research ideas and methodologies, and 28–37% performed data collection. More than one-third of 2021 graduates, as well as 40% of 2022 and 2023 graduates, performed statistical analysis. Most students attended medical congresses, with 12–15% presenting papers, 9% presenting posters, and 6.5–9.9% giving oral presentations. A quarter of 2021 graduates, 42% of 2022 graduates, and 30% of 2023 graduates were on the scientific meetings organization staff, with higher engagement in 2022 and 2023 (chi-square, p  < 0.05). Around 23% of graduates contributed to writing medical research papers. About 29% of 2021 graduates and 25% of 2022 and 2023 graduates were interested in publishing their research data, while 6% of the three graduating cohorts had accepted or published articles. Approximately 20% of graduates engaged in faculty research projects, with a mean of 1.3 regarding the research index scores. Interest in improving scientific writing skills was high. Over 79% of graduates showed interest in improving their skills in scientific writing, with higher interest among 2022 and 2023 graduates (chi-square, p  < 0.05), and around 60% were interested in post-graduation research activities. Table  4 provides detailed information about practices in research and comparative analysis in the three graduating cohorts (2021–2023).

Regarding aspects associated with involvement in research, the multivariate linear regression findings show that the index of positive factors was higher among female students (standardized beta 0.146, CI = 4.715–7.322, P  < 0.01). Additionally, the negative factor index was shown to be higher among female students (standardized beta 0.144, CI = 0.363–1.308, P  < 0.01) and in international sections (standardized beta 0.131, CI = 0.296–1.282, P  < 0.01). Also, the research index was higher among the Romanian section (standardized beta − 0.174, CI = -0.688–-0.251, P  < 0.01).

This study investigates the research factors and practices of students in their final year at Cluj-Napoca’s Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty of Medicine.

The concept of originality is related to the evaluation of the aspects perceived by medical students regarding the factors that encouraged engagement in research activities, as well as the barriers that restricted their involvement, until the final year of study. It also refers to determining potential disparities in research culture and in student involvement in different types of research opportunities among Romanian and international medical graduates. Furthermore, performing an analysis of the patterns observed across different graduating years (2021–2023) may provide valuable insights into the dynamic nature of medical education and the potential for research advancements.

Factors encouraging and maintaining interest in medical student research

Ommering et al. found that to encourage and maintain the interest of medical students in research, it is necessary to understand the motivations that drive them to engage in research as well as the specific factors that contribute to their motivation for research [ 23 ]. In this light, our study’s results indicate that personal interest, which represents intrinsic motivation, is the most important factor that significantly encourages student engagement in research. Additionally, the authors of the previous cited study found that students may undertake research for future educational and professional options, such as a desired residency position [ 23 ]. However, our study reveals that the improvement of the curriculum vitae, a representation of extrinsic motivation, appears to have a less significant impact on students’ involvement in research. It’s possible that the lower significance achieved by improving their CV is due to the fact that, in the Romanian medical system, training possibilities and jobs post-graduation are based primarily on exams rather than CVs [ 30 ]. The absence of observed discrepancies between both sections is intriguing because this aspect was anticipated to have a greater impact on students from the international sections as the curriculum vitae continues to have significant importance in the residency applicant assessment process for most graduates globally [ 32 ]. Thus, according to our findings, medical schools should prioritize their students’ personal interests and curiosity in research. This might entail both research classes and practical research activities as part of the teaching program, which should promote curiosity and foster intrinsic motivations early in medical education.

Institutional factors influencing research involvement

In this study, educational influences, such as the presentation of research participation options by teachers, their mentoring and support, and the organization of medical research student courses or training, have a significant impact on students’ involvement in research. According to Abu-Zaid, teachers who encourage research have a substantial impact on students’ views towards this area and their aspirations for future careers [ 33 ]. However, the significance of teacher mentorship and assistance is perceived to a greater extent by students in the Romanian section. The observed disparity between the sections is unexpected, as both Romanian and international students interested in medical research receive the same guidance and assistance for research participation. This is due to the fact that the “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy actively promotes research activities across all fields and departments. One potential reason for this disparity could be cultural differences in the perception of mentorship. Given their different origins, international graduates could have different expectations and mentorship experiences. Although the university strives to provide comparable mentoring, the increased perceived value of teacher interaction among Romanian students indicates underlying reasons needing further investigation.

Furthermore, when considering financial factors, it is observed that students view the presence of research grants as a significant and favorable factor that encourages their engagement in research. Similar findings were also expressed by Australian students, who said that one of the main elements motivating research activities throughout medical school is financing [ 34 ]. Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy ranks first among Romanian medical universities in the number and value of competitive research grants due to the extraordinary effort of teaching staff collectives, the institutional frame improved by creating the Department for Research and Development, and the more generous financing programs. Most research funding comes from grants and contracts [ 35 ]. However, the results of the present investigation showed that Romanian students expressed a stronger belief that the existence of funds has a higher impact on their engagement in research. Romanian students probably view financing as more significant because of their connections with local funding sources, prior expertise in financially sponsored research projects, cultural and socioeconomic issues, and favorable experiences with financed research. To enhance research engagement, it should provide customized support and resources, encourage collaborative research efforts, and promote cross-cultural learning and idea exchange.

Community influences

The benefits of collegiality and collaboration, knowledge acquisition, and career-mindedness for medical students were highlighted by Yin et al. in their investigation that examined the effects of graduates’ research experiences on their medical undergraduate colleagues. [ 16 ]. The current study found that the example of other colleagues influences their involvement in research, and the findings vary between the groups under investigation. International students place a higher importance on this factor, probably because they could be more collaborative with their colleagues in the context of their smaller number of colleagues than in the Romanian section. Thus, they could have more chances to work together on research projects and influence each other by personal example. Additionally, the cohort of 2023 graduates showed stronger confidence that the influence of their colleagues’ examples has a greater effect on their research engagement compared to the 2022 graduate cohort. This might be the result of more peer cooperation, more group research projects, or a developing university culture of common academic interests.

Barriers to research participation

The outcomes of our study correspond closely to the available literature; many of the findings regarding barriers are comparable to the results of previous investigations. Key barriers to undergraduate research participation include a lack of knowledge and skills, limited faculty support and funding, as well as structural barriers like time constraints, limited research facilities, and a lack of motivation [ 36 ]. Our findings highlighted that the time constraints caused by time-consuming internships or mandatory medical training courses are the most significant obstacle impeding students’ engagement in research activities. According to our findings, “lack of time” has a greater impact on international students, who may have less time to do research because they must adapt to new educational systems and learn a new language. It is already known that medical curricula are often too rigorous to include sufficient time for extracurricular study [ 37 ]. Siemens et al. also identified a lack of time as a major obstacle to conducting research, citing a demanding school schedule [ 38 ]. Most students perceive the challenge of finding a research coordinator or team and a research project as a significant obstacle. Similar studies on the importance of research mentorship for medical students mirrored our findings [ 38 , 39 ]. In addition, their lack of interest in research and lack of or insufficient financial remuneration are perceived as minor barriers by respondents. Hegde et al. and Kumar et al. also demonstrated similar results, describing barriers such as lack of interest, funding, and poor availability of research mentors that can hinder undergraduate participation in research [ 39 , 40 ]. Developing flexible curricula, enhancing mentoring programs, developing research skills, offering time management support, and improving funding possibilities will help students participate in research without compromising their clinical training or academic responsibilities.

Integration of research into medical curricula

The Boyer Commission’s report on undergraduate medical education emphasizes the importance of integrating scientific research training into medical curricula. This trend has evolved, and currently, research-based learning is widespread. Medical schools engage students in undergraduate research in various ways. Research-driven courses, extracurricular activities, and graduate research projects are examples [ 24 , 41 ]. Medical students at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty of Medicine participate in both compulsory research and extracurricular activities. Table  5 summarizes the main activities. These activities should improve abilities in critical literature evaluation, study objectives, methodology, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and oral presentation [ 30 ]. Incorporating scientific research in medical education at an early stage improves both cognitive and practical abilities, develops intellectual skills, encourages evidence-based learning, promotes the production of publications, stimulates future research, and facilitates career progression [ 33 ]. Although there are different opinions about compulsory research in the faculty. According to Abu-Ziad et al., this could lead to bad research practices that harm universities and research organizations.

Student involvement in research activities

The findings of the investigation indicated that most students commenced their research activities at a later stage, predominantly during their fifth and sixth years of study. This research commencement coincides with the most common timeframe for starting graduate research. Furthermore, the proportion of students who participated in more complex research activities varied from 12 to 18%. However, their research roles have been vast. These include a data review of scientific literature, the formulation of research ideas and hypotheses, the development of research methodology and protocol, the creation of data collection tools, data gathering in various environments, including hospitals, communities, and organizations, and data statistical analysis. The percentage of students engaged in activities such as conducting laboratory experiments, writing medical articles, and developing abstracts and presentations for scientific conferences was considerably lower. Romanian students were more involved in data collection, while international students focused more on literature reviews. The language barrier could be the key to these results, as international students could perform review-type research more easily than gathering data from local patients, while Romanian students were expected to collect information more easily due to their access to patient data and their improved interactions with local patients.

Data dissemination

Romanian students and international students have significantly different participation rates in medical conferences. Events like conferences, workshops, seminars, and symposiums offer unique learning opportunities. These events encourage medical staff to remain current on research, discuss best practices, and learn new skills, developing safety and quality [ 42 ]. Romanian students have a higher percentage of presentations, with around 15% presenting their work, while international students have around 10%. Posters were more common among Romanian students, while oral presentations were more common among international students. Our findings align with a previous study conducted in the United Kingdom, which showed that 17% of students had submitted an article for scientific meetings, which refers to their participation in poster and podium presentations [ 26 ].

Between 20% and 25% of students from the studied groups have contributed to writing medical publications at least once, while between 10% and 15% of participants published papers as authors. The Romanian section had a higher percentage of students who co-authored papers. Students from both sections contributed reviews, original articles, and clinical case presentations. Similarly, a previous investigation conducted among students from Dutch universities showed that 12% of the participants had published one or more papers either prior to or during their year of graduation [ 43 ]. In their study, Barbosa et al. showed that investigations conducted at the medical-degree level are an unexplored resource of scientific knowledge. Active participation in scientific research holds significant value in terms of enhancing one’s personal knowledge. However, it is equally crucial to share this knowledge to advance the medical field and, subsequently, improve healthcare outcomes [ 8 ]. More than one-quarter of students expressed interest in publishing their graduation research data, with Romanian students showing more interest. This may be due to the fact that most international graduates do not continue their training in Romania after graduation, making it difficult to work with the research team to disseminate graduation study results. Currently, there are international students with at least one paper at the peer review stage. Also, under 10% of students have articles approved or published already. Therefore, the publication rate for research graduation theses was lower than that of other European studies, with rates of 10.4% in Portugal, 17% in France, and 23.8% in Finland [ 8 ]. To contrast, our study exposed data collected around graduation, while these studies revealed data collected years after graduation [ 8 ].

Importance of research writing skills and career motivation

Previous investigations showed that medical students need expertise in writing papers and abstracts. Teaching these abilities would be valuable, and medical schools should provide information and knowledge about writing scientific articles and abstracts to help students develop a solid foundation for their postgraduate medical careers [ 26 ]. Our findings demonstrated that almost all the students want to improve their scientific manuscript writing (writing of the scientific article, abstract) and publishing guidelines. The 2022 and 2023 graduates were more interested in learning how to write a scientific article and abstract writing, while the Romanian students were more interested in improving their scientific manuscript writing and publishing guidelines.

According to Waaijer et al., positive experiences can drive student motivation in a research career. Thus, the present investigation showed that over half of participants express a desire to continue conducting research after graduation, and they are probably likely to have had favorable experiences related to research throughout their medical school studies [ 43 ]. Moreover, a systematic review focused on career choice demonstrated that obtaining a medical degree or participating in a fellowship program is linked to a professional path in the field of research medicine. Also, the completion of research projects and subsequent dissemination of findings within the context of medical school and residency have a strong connection to a career path in the field of research medicine [ 44 ].

Strengths and limitations of the study

There are several limitations associated with this study. The first limitation could be the fact that the study provides valuable insights into research participation among Romanian and international medical graduates; the findings could be comparable only with those of other medical schools under the Bologna process that adopt similar curricular and extracurricular research activities. Furthermore, the research sample includes exclusively medical graduates from one Romanian medical institution, so the findings could restrict the representation of many points of view and experiences in the larger community of medical graduates. Moreover, participants who are more interested in research may self-select, which could influence the findings. Another possible limitation of our study is the low response rate observed. We also observed declining participation rates over successive years. Survey fatigue, demographic changes, methodologies, perceived relevance, privacy issues, benefits, and societal trends all could help to explain declining survey participation rates. Also, uncontrollable factors such as socioeconomic status, prior research experience, or personal motivations can complicate the relationship between identified variables and barriers to research participation, thereby complicating the ability to establish causal relationships. Moreover, the cross-sectional design of the study may restrict its ability to capture changes in research participation. It is very difficult to observe patterns and experiences over time or across different stages of medical education. However, a strong point of this study can be considered a continuation of the first investigation, as it aims to examine the factors that influence the engagement of undergraduate medical students in research in their third and fifth years of study, who graduated in 2021 and were part of the study’s sample.

The findings of this study offer important perspectives into the involvement of medical undergraduates in research during medical school, as well as the factors and barriers that interfere with research participation. The results demonstrate that intrinsic motivation is the primary factor driving student engagement in research, while institutional factors, such as educational, financial, and community influences, also have a substantial impact on research involvement. Lack of interest and time restrictions are the two main barriers. Furthermore, observed were financial issues, difficulties finding a research coordinator or team, and securing a research project. Also, this study revealed the existence of research culture differences between Romanian and international students and underlined the dynamic character of medical education. This work could be used as a foundation for future research to explore methods for removing these obstacles and fostering factors that may impact research engagement. These results could be adapted by teaching staff about practical medical education to offer effective strategies for encouraging undergraduate research field involvement and promoting cross-cultural learning. Also, universities and policymakers could utilize these findings to concentrate their initiatives on reducing the main barriers to achieving high-quality research. Overall, this study not only advances academic understanding but also offers tangible benefits to all parties involved, fostering a collaborative approach to encourage research participation among medical undergraduates.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets utilized and analyzed in the present study are accesible upon resonable request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the students who participated in the survey.

This research was funded through a research project by the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Internal grant—Doctoral Research Project with registration number: 1032/49/13 January 2021.

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Department of Community Medicine, Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania

Andreea Iulia Pop

Department of Community Medicine, Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable, Development Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, 400012, Romania

Lucia Maria Lotrean

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Contributions

A.I.P. conducted data collection, performed data analysis and interpretation, and wrote the article. L.M.L. developed the methodology, provided supervision, offered valuable insights regarding data analysis and interpretation, and contributed to the article’s writing. The authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Andreea Iulia Pop .

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Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The study was approved by the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ethics Committee (Approval No. 27/03.11.2021).

The need for written informed consent was waived by the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ethics Committee due to the nature of the survey, which did not collect any personally identifiable data.

All students were informed that participating in the study is voluntary and that they can choose not to participate by not completing the anonymous survey. The students who completed the survey expressed their agreement with their involvement in the study.

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Not applicable.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Pop, A.I., Lotrean, L.M. Comparative analysis of factors and barriers intervening in research participation among romanian and international medical graduates from one romanian medical faculty across three generations. BMC Med Educ 24 , 1028 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05939-5

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Received : 07 April 2024

Accepted : 21 August 2024

Published : 19 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05939-5

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