How to stay motivated when you're struggling with a school subject

Isaac S.

 

Not doing well in a certain subject at school can be extremely discouraging for everyone, especially if you’re used to having good grades overall or if you’re required to maintain a certain average in order to keep a scholarship. It is normal for students to wish to be better and exceed expectations that people like our families could have about us. And it is also a normal occurrence to lose motivation and feel like giving up on a subject we just can't seem to do well on. However, not doing well should not be the reason to lose determination and drain your motivation. This is why I have here 5 tips for how to stay motivated when struggling with a school subject:

 

1. Change your perspective

 

First of all, you need to get rid of the “I’cant do it” mentality. You need to remind yourself that struggling is part of learning. It is not that you can’t do it why you're struggling, you’re struggling because you’re learning it. Struggling is part of learning and understanding something new, not a reflection of how smart, intelligent, or capable you are.

 

1. Don’t compare yourself

 

Comparing your progress or knowledge with someone else’s is one of the worst things you can do. You need to take into consideration that everybody has different abilities, different qualities and different contexts. It is not a fair comparison neither for you, nor for the person you’re comparing yourself with. 

 

1. Ask for help

 

Sometimes for whatever reason, we’re not able to fully understand and pay attention to what the teachers are explaining to us, and this is why most schools offer tutorings after classes. These can be a very useful resource to utilize when in need. Or simply ask a classmate if they could help you understand better, as well as asking the teachers for doubts at the time of the class.

 

1. Focus on progress, not perfection

 

It is important for you to celebrate small wins like understanding a tough concept or improving your score even if it's so slight. Because learning and improvement are all about patience and small steps, and even setbacks. You will not succeed in understanding everything at the first try, and that is okay.

 

1. Take care of yourself

 

Last and most important, whenever we are struggling with school, it is common to forget about our well being or put it on pause or to the side. When you might be thinking this is saving you time because you will finish first and then take care of yourself, you're wrong. You're only making your overall health worsen and this makes you even more unable to pay attention and understand what you're trying to study. Things like eating, sleeping, drinking water and stretching, are key elements of balanced study habits and important things that can improve your learning immensely.