How to get motivated to do school work – A guide to staying focused with My Performance Learning

Here at Performance Learning, we are dedicated to helping young learners achieve exam grades that truly reflect their abilities and potential. Our ethos revolves around the belief that all students are capable of achieving high-level performances when they’re given the correct tools and mindset to do so.

We want to develop a growth mindset to help students develop learning strategies to help them flourish. As a result, this will create an amazing environment that will inspire young learners. So, how can students concentrate and stay focused? Well, if you’ve arrived at this page with questions such as “how to concentrate better?” or “how to stay focused?”, you’ve hit the jackpot. 

We’ve created a guide full of handy tips that will help students when it comes to feeling motivated to complete productive revision, homework projects and much more. 

As well as this, if you’d like to chat about how to get motivated to do school work, you can speak to one of our members here! 

So, without further ado, let’s dive into how to get motivated to do school work. We’ve all been there – sitting in front of our computer or books, staring at piles of homework and feeling really unmotivated. 

Due to the ever-evolving educational landscape, students can often be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge they must know, especially if they are nearing exams or internal assessments. This can result in burn-out, a lack of motivation to actually get the work done and as a consequence, students can fall behind. 

But don’t worry! We’re here to boost your motivation and provide you with some top tips to prevent this from happening. Let’s get into it. 

• Set yourself realistic and achievable goals

Have you ever procrastinated on a task that you really didn’t fancy doing? It could be anything, from renewing your passport to completing an essay. Then, once you’d actually completed the task, you realised it was actually pretty easy and you were worrying about it for no reason? Been there, done that and got the t-shirt. What we’ve learnt from the analogy is that setting realistic targets and breaking down your workload into manageable chunks can really help. 

For example, you may have an English NEA to complete. These can sometimes be thousands of words, so approaching it head-on can be really daunting. We know it can be easy to delay long pieces of work, but it’s much better to create mini deadlines for yourself to maximise your levels of productivity and feel a little more chilled out about the whole thing.

You could split the process up into sections, almost like the beginning, middle and end of a story. 

BEGINNING: 

Think about the beginning – what do you need to prepare before you even think about writing? Of course, you’ll need your book, research notes, curriculum guidelines and most importantly, a PLAN! Make sure to have a strong thesis statement that you can discuss throughout your whole NEA. You should feel really confident with the remit of your essay and you should be able to explain it to anyone who asks. If it feels overcomplicated or confusing, simplify it! Plan in any way you like, but make sure you have your separated points, quotes, pieces of analysis, the writer’s craft and the impact it has upon the reader. Don’t forget about context! 

MIDDLE:

Once you’ve prepared well and planned in detail, you can begin the middle part of the process – the writing. Don’t panic though, you can break it down into chunks, paragraphs, points or themes. Take your time and remember – it’s better to write a paragraph a night as opposed to the whole essay in a few days. You could create a timetable for yourself which includes any other commitments or pieces of work you may have to make it even more manageable. Don’t be afraid to mix it up – if you’d like to start with your third point, that’s absolutely fine. As long as it’s in the right order when you submit it, you can approach it however you like. 

Monday – 400 words – Introduction and thesis statement

Tuesday – 300 words – Point 1 

Wednesday – 150 words – Conclusion 

Thursday – 450 words

Friday – 100 words 

It really is that simple. And writing 400 words is going to be a lot less daunting than writing 2000! 

Top tip – Try to get the most difficult parts out of the way first. We aren’t recommending you to rush through anything of course, but it’s better to face the piece of work you may struggle with first, as opposed to leaving it and not spending enough time on it. 

END:

Once you’ve finished your final draft, it’s time to reflect and edit! Again, making sure to proofread with plenty of time can be a game changer. Reading through your work will enhance your SPAG marks and you’ll notice things you might need to edit. As well as this, reading NEA as a cohesive piece of work can allow you to digest your argument and make sure you’re on the right track. Let’s face it, proof reading the night before at 10pm is not the best way to approach top marks for clarity! 

• Create a dedicated study space that will motivate you 

Let’s take a look at our next suggestion on how to get motivated to do school work. Your learning environment is essential for productivity and focus. According to lecture hall seating specialists at Race Furniture, ‘When you are comfortable, you will stay focused and motivated for longer, which will help you to absorb more information. The right type of seating can also improve posture, encourage the use of movement, and reduce the risk of injury’. So, it’s essential to find a space that you feel happy and comfortable in. 

Consider the way you approach learning and think about what would be best. 

If you find large groups or studying with friends a little distracting, it may be good to create a study space at home or perhaps in your school library if a home option isn’t possible. 

If you feel motivated being surrounded by others who are working, popping to the local cafe or even a coworking space may help you flourish in your revision. 

Switch up the way you work and experiment with different lights, colours or even temperature! Being warm and cosy can be lovely, but it may make you a little sleepy and the temptation to nod off might be imminent. Studies have found that students learning in naturally lit environments typically achieve grades that are 25% higher than those in dimly lit classrooms. Natural light has also been shown to effectively boost mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. So, if you’re able to find somewhere with lots of light, you may see the benefits! 

Check out our full blog on how to create an effective study space using feng shui for more hints and tips! 

•  Take advantage of our resources and learning materials 

One of the greatest challenges when it comes to concentrating and maintaining focus is feeling like you don’t know where to start with revision materials or tools. It’s amazing that there are so many resources out there, both from educators and platforms online, but we know it can be pretty tricky to pick the best one for you. You have to consider the different assessment objectives, frameworks, curriculums and most importantly, you have to be aware of what kind of resource will suit you best.

Every learner is different and has varying needs, so it’s really important to use the correct study materials in order to flourish. 

BOur amazing platform goes beyond one-size-fits-all solutions. Our coaches can assess your individual strengths and challenges, and work with you to create a study plan that fits your unique needs and goals.

Whether you need help mastering a specific subject or improving time management, we will give you the personalised support you need. We have loads of materials, but let’s take a look at two specific platforms you’ll be able to access when you sign up to My Performance Learning!

Sitting at the heart of the Performance Learning ecosystem, the Soar AI Performance Learning platform offers a personalised learning experience based on individual learning priorities. In just a few minutes each day, Soar AI teaches students of all abilities how to learn, retain and recall information on exam day.

As well as this, we have Foresight. With a Foresight assessment, parents can gain insights that transform learning experiences and set students up for examination success. In just 25 minutes, Foresight provides a complete formative assessment to unlock your child’s development. Foresight creates a one-page report of personalised actions for you and your child! 

So, you’ll be able to track learning goals, retention strategies, assessment materials, progress and so much more. Sounds like a win-win! 

• Reward yourself!

It’s important to celebrate small victories along the way. All work and no play can create an unhealthy mindset that could result in burnout or negative feelings. Whether it’s taking a short break, treating yourself to a chocolate bar or giving yourself some time outside, little treats can be a wonderful way to positively reinforce study habits! We strongly believe in the importance of a balanced approach to learning, where you can take short breaks for mindfulness, physical activity, and relaxation – perfect ways to recharge and stay focused! 

Fancy some suggestions?

• Go for a walk in the park and bask in the sunshine! (Warning – may not be feasible if you live in England) 
• Treat yourself to a self care activity like a face mask or a bath.
• Listen to your favourite song. 
• Complete some meditation. 
• Have a change in scenery and switch up your study space.
• Treat yourself to a delicious snack.
• Call a friend or family member. 
• Give yourself a pat on the back for working so hard – positive affirmations can be a game changer for your mindset!

• Switch up your revision methods. 

If you feel a little stuck in your ways with how you approach studying, why not mix it up a little and try something new? Sometimes, we can get comfortable with specific methods and forget there are tons of others out there! These methods may specifically help with revision that needs to be completed to remember important facts, equations, techniques and more. 

1. Active recall – This method involves actively testing yourself on the material as opposed to passively reading it and not digesting it or remembering it properly. Read a chunk of the information you need to remember, cover it up and say it out loud. You can try this method on your own, with a friend or use websites like Quizlet, which allow you to read the statement and answer the question before revealing the answer. Saying the information out loud can be much more useful than simply reading it and you will absorb the knowledge! 

1. POMODORO technique – This method can be particularly useful if you struggle with revising for long periods of time – which can sometimes be ineffective! Break your study time into focused intervals (typically 25 minutes) and follow it up with a 5 minute break. After four intervals, take a longer break (15-30 minutes). This method keeps you focused for intense periods of studying, but it also gives your brain time to rest. Perfect for writing a longer piece of work. 

1. Teach someone else – You may also wish to explain the material you’re learning to someone else. Ask a sibling, family member, teacher or friend to spend some time with you and create a discussion about the area you are studying. If you are focusing on a specific subject, such as history, try to separate the discussion into categories. 

Such as:

• Specific dates
• Sources
• Important figures 
• Events that were important to the time period
• Politics
• Context
• Assessment objectives and how to hit them
• Exam paper layout

This will help you to specify your revision and compartmentalise the information! Teaching helps solidify your understanding and highlights areas where you might need to revise further! 

Motivation can come and go, but consistency is the secret to success. Set a study schedule, stick to it and gradually you’ll start to build momentum. Whether you’re working on an assignment or revising for an exam, the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Let My Performance Learning be part of your daily routine to keep things moving forward! 

We hope we have answered your question of “how to get motivated to do school work?”, but if you need more information, feel free to book a call with us. We can’t wait to get started!