How To Find Motivation To Study Or Go To School

Need some inspiration to learn or do homework?

Here is the ultimate guide on how to find motivation to study or go to school right now.

On this page we will answer:

  • How do I get myself to study when you don’t want to?
  • What can help me focus on studying?
  • How do I get motivated for school?
  • How do you get motivated to study when you are depressed?
  • How to study boring subjects
  • How to get motivated to study when tired
  • How to get motivated to study for a test

We have also compiled the best motivation to study quotes.


The most important thing you need to understand about how motivation works is this:

You will always move towards what you define as being more “pleasurable” and…

You will always move away towards what you define as being more “painful”.

The keyword here is define.

The way human psychology works is that once we create a set of beliefs about what we like and don’t like (or agree with or don’t agree with), they run on autopilot.

When you entered into this world, you have been making decisions each day about what you define as being pleasurable and define as being painful.

Once you make those decisions, you file them away and move along your life and everything you come upon in life gets filtered through those beliefs.

For example…

You never need to “find” motivation to eat your favorite foods or watch your favorite shows.

At some point you made the decision that you loved those things and now you are always automatically going to do those things without hesitation or even thinking about it.

They run on autopilot and you don’t have to “find motivation” to do them.

So if you are not motivated to study or go to school right now it’s because you have defined that as being more “painful” than “pleasurable”.

And you know what?

There is nothing wrong with you.

School sucks.

Studying subject matters that you will never use in life is part of an old model that is totally outdated.

Whether you are in high school or college right now, you are part of the “old matrix” and living your life based upon what your parents or society wants.

The fact that you are not motivated right now is telling you this:

This is not what I want to do.

If this is the case, read: What should I do with my life?

However, if you do want to be in school to get a degree and have a purpose that aligns with what you really want…

Use the table of contents below to find some simple tips that relates to your needs:
motivation study school


1. Have Your Goal In Mind

The most important thing you need to do is associate the reason why you are studying with something that is pleasurable.

You need a goal.

If you are going to stay in school to get a degree because you want to be there (and you are not just doing this because you think you have to),

Then focus on the end result.

If you want to become an engineer, scientist, doctor, etc…

Focus on the big picture.

You need to associate “pleasure” with studying.

2. Create Good Study Habits

Your life is nothing but the sum total of your habits.

If you are having a hard time studying and you want to be in school, then chances are you have created some bad habits around studying.

Just like going to the gym five days a week needs to become part of your lifestyle, studying needs to become part of your lifestyle.

You need to create structure and have discipline to do it at the time you schedule each day and each week so it becomes part of your routine.

3. Reward Yourself

You need to create one big reward and some smaller rewards.

Here is how that works…

At least once a week, you need to do something for yourself that is really nice.

This is your big reward.

Whether it is go out and party, go out to a nice dinner, go to the spa, etc.

Try and do one big thing that is nice for yourself so you can have that to look forward to each week.

Then each day, do micro-rewards where maybe you go for a walk or watch some YouTube. Something that breaks up the monotony so your mind knows that, “We’re going to study for two hours and then go for a walk”.

You need to not feel like its going to be twelve hours of nothing but studying otherwise it will feel like a drag.

The human mind needs to be rewarded (pleasure).

4. Chunk It Down

Find ways where you can take what you need to study and chunk it down so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

This is why doing stuff first thing in the morning is so powerful because your mind won’t feel stressed or overwhelmed.

Even if its as simple as, “I will read five pages every twenty minutes and take five minutes off” do that.

Make your commitments small and remove the feeling of being overwhelmed.

5. Remove All Distractions

Turn off your phone.

Turn off all non-related browsers.

Get in a quiet space.

And get to work.

Don’t let distractions detour you.

6. Learn To Meditate

Meditation is a great technique that will teach you how to discipline the mind and stay focused.

The hardest part about studying is turning off the monkey inside your head that is constantly  chattering about nothing.

You need to get that monkey to shut up so you can focus on studying.

The best thing to do is to meditate for twenty minutes a day and do it right when you wake up.

This sets the tone for the day and gets you to calm the mind.

7. Move Your Body

If you want to generate motivation, you need to move your body on a regular basis.

Whether it’s yoga, pilates, weight lifting, running, spinning, basketball, swimming, etc.

You need to increase your heart rate and exercise.

Why is this related to studying?

Because it affects how your mind works by pumping more oxygen into the brain and releasing endorphins.

People who exercise on a regular basis increase their thinking capacity.

So take the time to “find your thing”. Ideally its something that helps you break a sweat.

What can help me focus on studying?

If you are having a hard time focusing and your issue is not motivation, here are some simple things you can do:

1. Remove Distractions

The number one reason students have a hard time staying focused is because you have too many distractions.

Turn off your phone.

Turn off your web browsers.

And turn off the TV.

Get rid of anything that can stop you from staying focused.

2. Create A Study Space

It’s important to create a space that is designated for studying only.

Just like your bedroom is designated for sleeping (and or sex), you need a space that is only for studying because it sends a signal to your brain, “We are studying now”.

This is why going to the gym or to a yoga class is better than doing it at home because it is a space that has a specific energy being cultivated for that task only.

The key here is “only”.

If you try and study on your couch or your dining room table, that won’t have as much of an impact as going to the library or having a desk and workspace.

Find your space and stick to it.

3. Use Social Media Less

Yes. I know this one is going to be difficult.

But here’s the deal…

A recent study has shown that we now have the attention span of a goldfish (about 8 seconds).

When you spend a lot of time on social media, you are conditioning your mind to multi-task and take in lots of different information.

And while there can be some benefits to this if you want to be a good at multi-tasking, the down side is that it affects your ability to focus one thing at a time.

Basically, your mind gets bored.

For example, if you are on social media scrolling your newsfeed, your mind is stimulated with a variety of information.

This excites your brain.

But if you just have to focus on one subject matter for one to ten hours, your mind is going to get bored fast.

Think of social media as brain porn.

You’ve stimulated yourself so much that one topic or subject matter is too boring now.

4. Learn To Meditate

Mediation is a powerful tool that conditions your mind to focus and be disciplined.

For those who are not aware, simply put, meditation is when you sit in a quiet place, remove all thoughts from your mind, and focus on your breathing.

Doing this for five to twenty minutes a day (ideally first thing in the morning) can be a great tool to train your mind to focus.

5. Exercise Regularly

If you are having a hard time focusing, one of the reasons can be stress or that you have a lot on your mind.

A good rigorous workout can help you clear your mind.

Whether you are playing sports, lifting weights, or going for a run, do something that increases your heart rate for at least twenty one minutes and ideally for up to an hour.

This will help clear your mind, pump oxygen into your brain, and help you stay focused.

6. Create Good Habits

Over the years, if you have not created good habits around studying, then this could be a reason why you are having a hard time focusing.

Being focused is a discipline that comes through repetition.

You need to create a set schedule and stick to it so that your mind and body get used to the fact that on these days and these times we are studying.

Just like if you eat breakfast or dinner at the same time each day, you need studying to become a set routine so your mind and body know “It’s time to do this”.

7. Take Brain Focus Supplements

There are a lot of supplements out there.

Obviously coffee and caffeine are the most used.

But you can also try using Ginkgo, Ginseng, Acetyl L-Carnitine, DMAE, and a plethora of them.

Here’s the deal…

If you are going to venture down this path, do some studying and research so you understand what each supplement is and does.

And, be willing to try a lot.

Every “body” is different and what may work for others may not work for you.

You’ll just have to test a lot until you find what works for you.

Here is a list of focus supplements on Amazon.

How do I get motivated for school?

If you are not motivated to go to school, the first thing you need to answer is this:

Why am I not motivated to go to school?

Is it because:

  • I don’t like to learn at all
  • I love learning but hate what they are teaching me
  • I love learning but hate the environment (people, teachers, etc.)

You need to take the time to get to the root cause of “why” you are not motivated to go to school.

Otherwise each day is going to be like pulling teeth when you have to go to school.

Don’t run from your problems.

Be honest with yourself and face them head on.

Take control of your life and create what you want.

So…what do you want?

Read: What should I do with my life?

How do you get motivated to study when you are depressed?


How to study boring subjects

There are no boring subjects.

Just bored minds.

The first thing you need to understand is that a subject matter is only boring if you are not curious about it.

If for whatever reason this is a subject you have to take to meet some credit requirement, then change your mind and get curious.

Dive into it.

And the first question you need to ask yourself is this:

Is there a way I can make this subject more interesting?

Is there anything I can do to become curious about this topic?

Sometimes just a change in how you approach the subject matter can make it more interesting.

Remember, the key here is to associate studying this topic with “pleasure”. You need to find a way to become curious about it.

Can you make it an adventure?

Is there a way to use your imagination (like when you were a kid) to make this more fun?

You need to change how you define the subject and make it more interesting.

That is going to be your best approach.

Otherwise you are in big trouble!

Also, be honest with yourself and make sure you are not just procrastinating.

How to get motivated to study when tired

So if you are reading this right now, chances are you have probably had all the coffee you can handle.

Whether you have been partying too much, work and study too many hours, or are just exhausted from school, we’re going to cover some short and long term solutions:

1. Short Term Solutions

  • Manup – Everyone who is pushing themselves is tired. Get over it.
  • Do some jumping jacks – Get the heart pumping
  • Take a cold shower – That will wake you up
  • Slap your face a few times – Really hard too
  • Go for a quick walk – Get the blood flowing
  • Do a line of coke – Nah just kidding (maybe)

2. Long Term Solutions

  • Don’t party so much – Seriously
  • Create better habits – It’s time to grow up
  • Eat healthier – Too much carbs and sugar makes you tired
  • Exercise more – It will pump oxygen to the brain
  • Learn to meditate – It will teach you to focus
  • Become more disciplined – Make better use of your time

How to get motivated to study for a test

1. Remember Your Goal

The most important thing you must do is associate taking the test with your goal.


You are taking these tests for a reason.

And hopefully the reason is to go get your dream job and build your career.

So associate taking the test with what you want from life (pleasure).

2. Read Articles From People You Admire

We all admire and look up to someone.

Whether you are a programmer who admires Steve Jobs or a financial expert who admires Warren Buffet, it is important to have people we look up to.

Spend ten minutes watching videos or reading article by or about the people you admire.

This will remind you about what you want to become and it will get you excited to study for your test

3. Pump Yourself Up

Whether you do some jumping jacks, listen to good music, go for a run, or read some inspirational and motivational quotes, find something you can do that will get you pumped up!

4. Embrace The Journey

Here’s the deal…

You are on a journey right now and this journey consists of doing lots of things you may not want to do.

We all have to do it.

You are not special.

Whether you are a famous athlete who has to train seven hours a day or a performer who has to practice the same dance moves ten hours a day, we all have to commit to the process and details of our craft.

Manup and get it done.

Motivation To Study Quotes

Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

When you feel like quitting think about why you started.


Starve your distractions. Feed your focus.

Excuses are another way of saying, “I have no power or control over my life.”


When you’re good at making excuses, it’s hard to excel at anything else. -John L. Mason


Do something today that your future self will thank you for.



The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.

Be addicted to the feeling of having your shit together.

Confidence is something you create in yourself by believing in who you are.

What makes a boy a “man” and a girl a “woman”? Courage and the willingness to keep going when life gets hard.

Challenges and obstacles are a part of life. They make us stronger and build character. If life were easy it would be boring and you would never grow.


It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ― E.E. Cummings


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