Quick Tips

Make a small start.

Make helpful choices.

Remind yourself why it matters.

Even just 15 minutes will help you out. Starting makes the project feel less scary and gets you into the right mindset for later.

Remember what you have control over. Choose topics that interest you, and pick times and locations for studying that work best for you.

Forcing yourself to do something is hard when there's no reason. Remind yourself why you're studying and what you'll be able to do as a result.

Make yourself be positive.

Get help from friends.

Celebrate the smallest wins. Hype yourself up. It might feel silly, but it'll help you feel better about your own abilities, even when it's hardest.

Sit next to a friend while you both do work. Take scheduled breaks to talk and unwind. It might make focusing easier and you'll feel more supported.

The Research

This page references self-determination theory (SDT) - a widely-used and well-evidenced theory of motivation. It also makes use of the motivation and engagement wheel, which identifies adaptive and maladaptive forms of motivation and engagement. Further information can be found in the following papers:

Ryan, R. M., Duineveld, J. J., Di Domenico, S. I., Ryan, W. S., Steward, B. A., & Bradshaw, E. L. (2022). We Know This Much Is (Meta-Analytically) True: A Meta-Review of Meta-Analytic Findings Evaluating Self-Determination Theory. Psychological Bulletin, 148(11–12), 813–842. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000385

Self-Determination Theory

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Motivation & engagement

Liem, G. A. D., & Martin, A. J. (2012). The motivation and engagement scale: Theoretical framework, psychometric properties, and applied yields. Australian Psychologist, 47(1), 313. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-9544.2011.00049.x

Basic Needs

When it comes to motivation, all humans have three basic needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When you have these needs met, you can be motivated, engaged, productive, and happy. When you don't, you feel the opposite.

Ways to meet these needs are discussed below. You might want to think about which need you're not getting and focus on the tips from that; for example, if you feel lonely or disconnected, you might try some things from the relatedness section. If you don't know where to start, you can just try things that seem like they might work for you.

Autonomy

Autonomy happens when you feel like you're doing what you choose. It's important for you to have choice because it lets you feel like you have control over your life. When you're forced to do things you don't want to do, it can make you feel helpless and depressed.

As university students, we often don't get a choice over certain things - we have to watch lectures, attend tutorials and labs, and complete assignments, or we fail. We can still give ourselves feelings of autonomy though.

To feel autonomy:

• Remind yourself why what you're doing is important. Why did you enrol in your degree? Is there something about it that feels personally important? And how does your assignment relate to your goals? Autonomy doesn't just come from when you make choices - you also feel it when you're doing things that you feel like you would choose anyway.

• Remember what you have control over. You can choose where, when, and how you study. Your assignment might also have choices for what you write it about or what format you use. If you're not feeling motivated, try making choices that feel more important and useful to you rather than what will get you marks.

Competence

Competence is the feeling of being able to do difficult things. If you don't feel competent, you might feel like it's pointless to try because it won't work anyway.

You feel more competent when you succeed at a difficult task, when you see others succeed, and when you're told you can do it. You might feel less competent if you feel overwhelmed with stress.

To feel competence:

• Hype yourself up. This feels silly, but it works. Say things to yourself like, 'I can do this', 'It'll be over before I know it', 'I'll feel better after I'm done', and 'It won't feel as bad as I'm feeling like it will'. Even if you don't believe it right away, getting yourself in a good mindset will make it easier to start.

• Think of difficult things you've done before. You've probably already done really hard things in high school or university. If you can remind yourself of the difficult things you've succeeded at in the past, you'll feel better about doing difficult things now.

• Make a start. It doesn't have to be big - even just fifteen minutes will help. The task will feel less scary if you've already done a bit of it.

• Get help if you need it. Nobody can do everything they need to do without help. Lecturers and tutors are happy to help you. Your friends, family, and classmates are also good people to turn to if you need it.

Relatedness

Relatedness is about connection to others, like friends, family, and your wider community. When you don't feel it, you might feel lonely and disconnected.

Feeling relatedness is all about increasing your connection to other people.

To feel relatedness:

• Form a study group. It helps if you're doing similar things because you can ask each other about it, but you can be doing totally different things too. Sitting down and working alongside people you know in the same space helps you feel focused, social, and accountable.

• Talk to friends. Try to do this in person if you can, but online is fine too. It's hard to find motivation if you feel lonely.

• Start a conversation in class. Say hi to the person next to you, introduce yourself, ask for their name, and try to remember it for next week's class. You can talk about what you find difficult in this subject, what other subjects they're doing, if they've started their assignment, or what they did on the weekend. If they don't want to talk, that's alright - they might just feel tired or shy. Even if you have an accent or you don't feel confident with English, most people are patient and will try their hardest to talk with you.

• Remind yourself what your work does for others. Feeling like a positive part of your community helps motivate you. For example, if you're doing an education degree, you can think about how you'll be able to help others with your new knowledge and skills.

Types of Motivation

There isn't just one type of motivation. There's actually four, five, or six, depending on how you count it. While some types of motivation might be better for you than others, you can make use of all of them to do what you need to do.

This guide is in order of which types of motivation will make you feel best and last the longest. We suggest working down the list, seeing whether you can use a certain type, and moving to the next if you can't. It's alright if you need to rely on things lower down on the list - everyone does at some point.

Intrinsic

Meaning: Doing things for their own sake.

Build it by:

• Finding things you find interesting, and that you are curious about.

• Turning the task into a game. For example, you could compete with your friends on who can get the most questions right, or make a points system with goals.

• Finding satisfaction in doing things well. Be proud of the skills you've built and the quality of your work.

Integrated

Meaning: Feeling personally connected to what you're trying to achieve.

Build it by:

• Thinking about how the task relates to your goals. If you can focus on why the task is important for you to succeed in, you'll feel more motivated. The skills you use might be important for your career, they might help you help others, or they might be a stepping stone to things you're aiming towards.

• Changing the task to fit your goals. If you have choices in the task, choose to focus on things you want to get better at, or that you might need in the future.

• Using 'I am' statements. Try saying things like "I will do this because I am hardworking" to yourself. If you feel like you have a certain quality, you might be motivated to act in line with it.

Identified

Meaning: Understanding the importance of what you're doing.

Build it by:

• Finding the importance of the task. Even if a task is difficult or boring, if you can figure out why it matters, you might feel more motivated.

• Creating new sources of motivation. If you're struggling to attend class, you can make a friend there, or use the opportunity on campus to exercise. If you have trouble staying motivated doing an assignment, see it as a good time to listen to your favourite video game soundtrack.

Introjected

Meaning: Doing things because of shame, guilt, or pride.

Build it by:

• Showing others what you worked on. When you feel proud of something you've done, show it off to friends and family. This might also help you go above and beyond in the future.

• Tell others that you'll be studying. You might also choose to study in an area where others can see you. You may be more likely to stay focused if you feel accountable for it.

External

Meaning: Getting rewards or avoiding punishments.

Build it by:

• Giving yourself rewards. When you've finished a milestone, like an hour of study or 500 words of writing, you can give yourself a treat like a lolly, a round of a game, or an episode of a show. Do not use basic needs like nutrition or sleep as rewards - you can only work well if you have your needs met.

Personal Tips

This advice isn't from self-determination theory, and it doesn't necessarily have the same strong research behind it, but we and others have found it very useful in our own studies.

• Set a schedule. This is especially good if there's a due date approaching. For example, if you have seven days before an assignment is due and 1500 words to write, try writing 250 words per day. You could set aside a block of time (like 4-6pm) to do your work so you feel prompted to get up and start.

• Be predictable. Consistency trains your brain to be on task and focused. Try working at the same time of day, for the same amount of time, or in the same space.

• Change the visuals. Switch to dark mode or change the font style. The novelty can make things feel slightly more engaging.

• Listen to music. It has to be the right kind, though! If you feel bored or disengaged while working, try putting on music with a consistent volume and no lyrics. Video game soundtracks are perfect for this because they're meant to fade into the background. If you start to feel like you can't focus, pause the music.