As my last year of high school has quickly approached, I have noticed that with anticipation and excitement for a new year also comes unmotivated. Our “last first day” was filled with joy as everyone was ecstatic to see their friends again after a long summer. However, as the day progressed, I heard people in my classes talk about “how they want to graduate already” or how they “don’t feel like going to school anymore.” These words stem from the declining motivation students get as they start to become a senior and get burnt out from all of the hard work they put into school the past three years, so here are some ways to stay motivated. 

One way to stay motivated is by having a positive mindset. Instead of always being so hard on yourself when you make a mistake, focus on how your efforts will help you progress to eventually finish your goal. While it may seem easy to complain about how hard a class is or how you think you failed a test, you can think about how rewarding it will be to have finally finished the assignment or think of ways to study to improve your grades. 

Another way is to set goals for yourself and keep track of them. For example, if you are planning on finishing a big project for a class, it may be daunting to think about how much work you need to put in to finish it, and over time, you may lose motivation to put your best effort into it. A solution for this is to write down different days you want to work on this project and what you will accomplish that day. It will help reinforce the importance of the project and hold you more accountable. Oftentimes, a reason people feel unmotivated to complete their goals is because they are set at an unrealistic standard (healthdirect).