Part I: Setting the Right Attitude
1. Identify what interests you naturally
Discovering your interests and focusing on them can enhance your overall interest in school. Intrinsic motivation, driven by a natural attraction to specific subjects, is key to increasing success in academics.
2. Put classes you don’t like into perspective
If you try, you can become interested in a subject even if you don’t think you like it. Try thinking about the purpose of the classes you are taking, and why you need to take them. This is called finding extrinsic motivation.
3. Relate what you are studying to your daily life
Sometimes, you might lose interest in your studies when you can’t see why a subject is important or relevant to your life outside of school. Understanding some of the fun and interesting ways that school can be relevant can take the boredom and dreariness away.
4. Examine your beliefs about school
If you are convinced that a subject isn’t fun or useful, or if you are generally not interested in school, think about whether any beliefs are holding you back. If you can identify these negative beliefs and remove them, you are more likely to be motivated for school.
5. Identify stresses
Loss of interest in school can be caused by academic challenges or lack of interest in a subject. Other stress factors like appearance concerns, social issues, or bullying can also contribute. Seeking support from trusted individuals and addressing these stressors can help regain interest in studies.
6. Don’t be overly competitive
Some amount of friendly competition can be fun and a motivation to learn. However, too much competition produces anxiety, which can take away from learning. Focus on doing well for yourself and to achieve your goals.
7. Write down what you do and don't like
Sometimes, getting things out on paper can help you figure out how to make yourself more interested in your studies. Take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the one side, write "Things I Don't Like," and on the other side, write "Things I Like."
8. Talk to your parents, family, and friends about school
When you have a support group of people who care about you and want you to do well in school, you are more likely to be interested in it. Talking about what you are learning about and doing in school keeps it on your mind in a positive way. Your parents, family, and friends can be great listeners.
Part II: Establishing Good Habits
1. Establish a set routine
If you fall behind in your schoolwork, or don’t set aside enough time to do your homework, it can create all sorts of problems that can drag you down. On the other hand, if you set aside specific times each day to study or do your homework, you’ll stay on top of things and be more likely to be interested in your studies. Plus, you’ll feel great about accomplishing what you need to do!
2. Prioritize your school tasks
Focus on doing high-impact activities (those that are most important or interesting) first. This will help you build momentum and stay interested in your studies. For instance:
If you have a big exam coming up that counts for a large percentage of your grade, studying for that might come before proofreading an essay you’ve already written for another class.
Prioritize tasks based on importance or preference to maximize motivation. For example, start with a chapter in a subject you enjoy before tackling less appealing tasks, or use enjoyable activities as a reward for completing essential work.
Try to avoid studying for multiple challenging subjects all on the same day. Instead, spread them out over multiple days so you don't get discouraged.
3. Break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.
If you have a big project or exam to study for, it can seem daunting, and make you lose motivation and interest. However, if you break the task down into smaller parts, you will feel like you are accomplishing something and stay interested.
4. Look for ways to create variety in your schoolwork
If you feel bored with the schoolwork you are doing, remember that you may not always have to do things in the same way. A little variety will keep things interesting. For instance:
If you have to write a book report each month, and you have been writing on autobiographies, perhaps try writing on a novel next month.
Instead of writing yet another essay in your U.S. history class, see if your teacher will let you make a recording in the style of an old-time radio news show. You could even make a series of podcasts instead of a series of essays.
Instead of just reading Shakespeare aloud in your English class, see if you can perform a scene, record it, and share it online on a video streaming site for others to enjoy and comment on.
You could practice your geometry studies by building a scale model of a famous building or other object.
5. Study with friends
Being part of a group of people all working on the same thing can be a motivator to get schoolwork done; you can quiz each other, help each other out on difficult problems or topics, etc. If you want to study with friends, however, make sure that everyone stays on task and doesn’t get distracted.
6. Ask for feedback
If you are struggling in school, or just want to know how you are doing, ask your teachers for feedback. You can meet with them, and get help with a specific assignment or ask for general feedback. Most teachers are glad to help, and talking informally about your schoolwork can help you feel more at ease in school and stay interested in your studies.
7. Ask your teachers to let you take part in learning and planning
You’ll be more interested and care more about your studies if you’re invested in them. Your teachers might be willing to incorporate ideas you have for learning or structuring lessons to make them interesting. Let them know about your learning style, and the things you find interesting.
8. Reward yourself for your effort and successes
When you try hard, do well in school, or achieve a goal, see if there is someway to reward yourself. While you might not want to make tangible rewards be your primary motivation for doing well in school, a reward now and then can keep you interested in your studies.
