“I Hate This Course!”

Are you struggling to find the motivation to study or complete assignments for required courses that you must take? Do you feel bored, frustrated, or stressed out by these courses? If so, you are not alone. Many students face these challenges, especially in online or hybrid learning environments where traditional sources of motivation, such as social interaction and external rewards, may be less available. But what if I told you that motivation is not something that you need to get from others, but something that you can create for yourself?

In her book “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing and Engaging,” Susan Fowler presents a compelling argument for why traditional approaches to motivation are often ineffective. According to Fowler, people are always motivated; the question is not if they are motivated, but why they are motivated. She identifies three types of motivation: suboptimal, optimal, and no motivation. Suboptimal motivation arises from external factors such as rewards, punishments, deadlines, or pressure. While this type of motivation can be effective in the short term, it can also lead to stress, anxiety, resentment, or burnout. Optimal motivation, on the other hand, arises from internal factors such as interest, enjoyment, purpose, or growth. This type of motivation leads to engagement, satisfaction, well-being, and performance. No motivation is when we do nothing at all or give up on our goals.

Fowler’s Optimal Motivation process shows leaders how to move people away from dependence on external rewards and help them discover how their jobs can meet their deeper psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence . These needs are derived from self-determination theory, which posits that fulfilling these three universal needs is essential for driving human behavior and happiness.

Strategies

But what if you don’t have a leader to guide you through this process? What if you are a student who wants to motivate yourself to learn? Fortunately, there are several strategies that you can implement independently of your professor based on Susan Fowler’s work. Here are some examples:

Autonomy

Take some time to reflect on your own motivations for taking the course. What drives you? Is it curiosity, passion, relevance to your future goals or something else? Set personal goals that align with your values and interests. For example, if you are taking a history course and you have a passion for travel, you could set a goal to learn about different cultures and places that you would like to visit in the future. Here are some more strategies to increase your autonomy in learning:

1. Choose your own learning methods and strategies that suit your preferences and needs. For example, if you learn better by watching videos than reading texts, you could look for online lectures or documentaries that cover the course topics.
2. Seek feedback from yourself and others that helps you improve your learning rather than judging your performance. For example, instead of focusing on grades or scores, you could ask yourself or your peers questions like “What did I learn from this assignment?” or “How can I apply this knowledge to other situations?”
3. Challenge yourself with tasks that are slightly above your current level of ability but still within your reach. For example, if you are taking a science course and you want to deepen your understanding of a concept, you could try to explain it to someone else or design an experiment to test it.
4. Take breaks when you need them. It’s important to give your brain a rest so that it can recharge and be ready for more learning. You could take a walk outside, listen to music or do something else that relaxes you.
5. Reward yourself for achieving your goals. When you accomplish something that you set out to do, it’s important to acknowledge it and celebrate it. You could treat yourself to something that makes you happy or share your success with someone who cares about you.
6. Create a conducive learning environment for yourself. This could mean finding a quiet place where you can focus without distractions or setting up a comfortable workspace with everything that you need within reach.
7. Use positive self-talk to boost your confidence and motivation. Instead of criticizing yourself when things don’t go as planned, try to encourage yourself with kind words and reminders of your strengths and achievements.

Relatedness

Connect with others who share your interests or values. Seek out opportunities to collaborate or engage in discussions with others. For example, if you are taking a math course and you value social justice, you could join a study group or forum where you can apply math concepts to real-world problems that matter to you. Here are some more strategies to increase your relatedness in learning:

1. Express appreciation and gratitude to others who support your learning. For example, if you have a mentor or a tutor who helps you with your course work, you could thank them for their time and guidance.
2. Share your learning goals and progress with others who care about your success. For example, if you have a friend or a family member who is interested in your course topic, you could tell them what you are learning and what challenges you are facing.
3. Seek out role models or mentors who inspire you with their achievements or expertise in the field of study. For example, if you are taking an art course and you admire a certain artist’s style or technique, you could research their biography or watch their interviews.
4. Join online communities or forums where people discuss topics related to your course. You could learn from others’ experiences and insights and share your own thoughts and ideas.
5. Participate in extracurricular activities or events that are related to your course. You could attend a lecture, a workshop or a conference where you can meet other people who share your interests and learn from experts in the field.
6. Volunteer for causes that matter to you. You could use your skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on your community or the world while connecting with like-minded individuals.

Competence

Identify areas where you would like to develop your skills or knowledge. Seek out resources or support to help you achieve your goals. For example, if you are taking a language course and want to improve your speaking skills, you could find a tutor or language exchange partner who can practice with you regularly. Here are some more strategies to increase your competence in learning:

1. Review your previous work and identify what worked well and what needs improvement. For example, if you wrote an essay for an English course and received feedback from your instructor, you could analyze what aspects of your writing were strong and what aspects need more attention.
2. Seek out opportunities to apply your learning to new or different contexts. For example, if you are taking a psychology course and you want to test your understanding of a theory, you could look for examples of it in real life or in media.
3. Celebrate your successes and learn from your failures. For example, if you completed a project or a test for a course and achieved your goal, you could reward yourself with something that makes you happy. If you did not achieve your goal, you could reflect on what went wrong and what you can do differently next time.
4. Practice regularly to improve your skills. If you want to get better at something, it’s important to practice it consistently. You could set aside some time each day or week to work on the skills that you want to develop.
5. Seek out challenges that stretch your abilities. When we face challenges that are slightly beyond our current level of ability, we learn and grow the most. You could look for tasks or projects that require you to use your skills in new or different ways.
6. Use visualization techniques to boost your confidence and motivation. Imagine yourself successfully completing a task or achieving a goal. This can help you feel more prepared and motivated when facing challenges.

Take the Next Step

By applying these strategies and focusing on fulfilling your needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence, you can shift your motivation from suboptimal to optimal and enjoy the many benefits of learning. You may also inspire others by sharing your experiences and insights. Remember that motivation is not something that happens to you; it is something that happens within you.

So why not take control of your own motivation today? Start by reflecting on what drives you, setting personal goals that align with your values and interests, and implementing strategies that fulfill your needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. With these tools at your disposal, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Take the first step towards optimal motivation by reflecting on what drives you and setting personal goals that align with your values and interests. Share this article with others who may benefit from these strategies.

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