5 ways to stay motivated in your second semester 💪🏽

Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed?

Can't remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep? Is your school library your new home? You must be in your second semester!

When deadlines are closing in, study materials are piling up, and personal commitments are getting in the way, being motivated to finish the semester is an achievable goal!

The best way to find your why is to ask questions like“Why am I here?”and “What do I hope to achieve?"

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

To remind yourself of your "why," you can...

• Make a list of your goals and motivators

• Create a vision board and place it somewhere you can see every day

In classes that are especially tough and demotivating...

• Search for your why in the people

• Figure out how you can apply class learnings to your passion

• Change your mindset so that every task you accomplish is another step towards your end goal

If you developed a habit of procrastinating over the years, it’s time to fix it.

Mark important dates such as submission deadlines and exam dates using planning tools such as:

• Google Calendar

• Notion

• Google Sheets

• Paper planner or journal

Ensure you keep track and complete your planned tasks by adapting productivity techniques such as:

• The Pomodoro Method

• Time blocking: plan out your day in advance

• Biological prime time: figure out when you have the most energy to do tasks

There's no one-size-fits-all method when it comes to planning. So, take the time to find what's right for you and stick with it.

While studying and getting work done might be your top priority at the moment, you must also learn to make time for YOU. 

Activities like catching up with friends and family, watching a movie, or doing a quick workout will get happy hormones flowing through your system and put you in a much better mood to proceed with your tasks later on.

No matter how productive it may seem to study till dawn, running on barely any sleep will affect your physical and mental health, and your studies will take a hit.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Making friends with your classmates and forming study groups can be a fun way to get work done while keeping yourself accountable at the same time.

Finding your people, whether they're friends, professors, or family members, can become a huge motivating factor, especially during tough times.

Motivation is only healthy when it's sustainable.

Don't fall into a toxic all-or-nothing mindset. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t check off everything on your to-do list every day. Try getting a good night’s sleep instead and start fresh the next day.

Getting through the second semester can be pretty tough. Keep these steps in mind to stay motivated. Cheers to ending it on a high note!