9 Ways How To Wake Up Motivated and Stay Productive In College

With school right around the corner, you know that your days of hitting the snooze button are soon coming to an end. It can be a struggle to wake up motivated, and as much as we might be excited to start studying, there are endless distractions that can easily lead us into an unmotivated rut. You’re far from the only person out there who has a billion things they would rather be doing than studying. But have no fear! You can do it. Here’s how to be motivated for school, and ensure that you will have a productive and successful journey.

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How To Be Motivated For School

1. Prepare Yourself The Night Before

Want to know how to get motivated? In order to have a successful morning, it’s important to plan ahead. This doesn’t mean that you need to invest hours in planning — even just a few minutes can make a big difference in your entire school day.

Organize the night before everything you will need for that day, such as putting assignments, books, and folders in your bag, and having everything arranged in the right place before you hit the hay.

Even choosing your clothes the night before can save you a great deal of time in the morning, and give you more peace of mind to help you wake up motivated.

Preparing your meals ahead of time can also make for a less stressful morning.

By preparing the night before, you can wake up stress-free, knowing you are ready to start your school day ahead of the game.

2. Don’t Hit the Snooze!

It’s important to get enough sleep each night, but don’t sleep in until the last minute. Try to wake up earlier — and actually get up when the alarm goes off. Don’t hit the snooze button.

Waking up early and leaving yourself time can help to avoid that frantic morning state of mind, allowing you to show up to class fully prepared without any distractions.

3. Leave Yourself Extra Time

Leaving yourself that extra time in the morning can help you be more awake in class and be better focused. You can utilize the morning time however you think will be beneficial for you, whether it means going over assignments, or even just allowing yourself to slowly drink some coffee and ease yourself into the day.

Knowing that you have a specific goal in mind for the morning can help you wake up motivated.

Organize the House

Take the extra time you’ve made for yourself to organize the house, make sure your bed is made, and that everything is clean and in order. This can set you up for a productive day with a clear mind. Waking up should be seen as a form of self care that you look forward to.

Stay Centered and Hydrate

Take a few minutes to drink a large glass of water and hydrate your body. Invest time in your morning to meditate, reflect, and even do some stretching and exercise. You can never go wrong by blasting some of your favorite music and dancing around to it before you walk out the door. That will likely ensure that you wake up motivated every morning!

4. Eat a Proper Breakfast

Our minds are more effective after being properly nourished with the energy it needs. Take the time to sit down at the table and invest the time in eating a well-balanced breakfast every morning. If you can, even try sitting down together with your roommate or family. Quality time together in the morning can help bring up your spirits, changing around the rest of your day.

Make sure that your breakfasts have a form of protein, fruit, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. A good example of a healthy breakfast would be toast with eggs, avocado, and strawberries on the side. Food provides brain power and is always such a treat to dig into it.

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5. Adjust Your Attitude

In general, students often don’t look forward to going to school. But by adjusting your attitude and perspective towards school, it can help you wake up motivated and ready to conquer the day. Attitude is key when it comes to figuring out how to be motivated for school.

Tell yourself that school is an enjoyable place to be, and really try to make it one. Aim to always have something to look forward to at school, whether it be making lunch plans with friends, a coffee date, a study session with a friend, or even just walking to/from school with a friend.

Look at school as a chance to learn lots of new things and have unique adventures every day. School is a chance to advance your future and make your dreams come true, which should give you every reason in the world to wake up motivated.

6. Be Creative With Your Calendar

Make yourself a set schedule, or write yourself out a calendar for the upcoming week after you’ve taken a good look at your goals. Make checklists or to-do lists for each day of what you plan on accomplishing, including the priority of each task.

Plan a Smart Routine

Prioritizing is key, and by knowing exactly what’s ahead of you for the week, you can plan your time accordingly based on what’s most important to you. Set yourself up with a smart morning routine so you can plan accordingly.

For example, if you see that you’ve got a busy and stressful week ahead of you, make time the weekend before to prepare healthy meals for the week.

Preparing your meals in advance means you always have healthy options on hand without having to lift a finger.

It can be helpful to experiment with your schedule until you figure out exactly what works best for you.

Balance Self Discipline and Breaks

Make sure that you are taking regular breaks and even making the time to schedule those in. Practice the skill of discipline throughout your daily tasks.

You could also try music as a way to stay more focused.

If you feel as though you’re distracted, perhaps try getting rid of social media and your smartphone for a set period of time while you focus.

Get Excited!

Having something to look forward to can help you wake up motivated. Always remind yourself what your goals and dreams are, and allow yourself to do what it takes to get there.

Give yourself the time to wind down, take breaks when you feel you need them, and always make time to do the things that you love.

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7. Be Realistic With Yourself

If you are lacking motivation every morning to wake up and go to school, constantly searching for new ways on how to be motivated for school, then perhaps it’s time to think about why this may be.

Ask yourself the right questions, such as whether or not you are enjoying what you are doing in school? Do you see a purpose in waking up every morning? Is traditional college realistic for you right now? Are there ways to be more productive and effective in your studies?

If your answers are pointing you in a different direction, then perhaps it’s time to consider other more realistic options, such as online studies. The University of the People, a US accredited, 100% online, tuition-free university, allows students to get a degree from the comfort of their own home and to choose their own hours. This is an incredible opportunity to get an accredited degree without overworking yourself with long hours of travel time and paying expensive tuition fees. Perhaps the University of the People is your answer!

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, you’ve got to decide what’s best for you on an individual level. What works for one person won’t necessarily be the right path for you. There is no magic recipe to follow to become motivated, and it won’t happen overnight. But if you want to start to wake up motivated, then you’ve already come to the right place! Just implement some of these useful tips and you’ll already be on the right path.

There are plenty of ways to psych yourself up, and it’s important to find your own morning routine. Always keep in mind what you really want from life, and let that motivate you every morning when you wake up.

You’ve got potential for constant self-improvement, so never forget that! College can be a stressful and overwhelming time in one’s life, but it’s also incredibly exciting and full of growth. So seize the day and enjoy school while it lasts!