Motivation
What is motivation?
Motivation is the reason why you do something. You often only notice it when it’s gone, and that can be a problem during your studies!
There are many reasons why you might lose motivation. Often, there is either too much or too little pressure. This pressure can come from yourself or from outside yourself (by others or other external factors).
A few examples can help clarify this:
- You have to finish an essay by tomorrow, but you haven’t started yet. You want it to be perfect, so it feels too difficult to begin. The pressure comes from yourself — you’ve set the bar very high — and also from your teacher, who expects it on time. It starts to feel impossible, and you tell yourself, 'There’s no point anyway.' Your motivation drops to zero.
- You have an assignment due in six months. You think, 'I have plenty of time, I’ll start next week.' But because there is no pressure, it’s hard to begin. Again, motivation is low.
In both cases, low motivation can lead to procrastination — putting things off.
Types of motivation
- Intrinsic motivation. You want to do something because you find it important.
- Extrinsic motivation. You do something because someone else wants you to.
Intrinsic motivation is usually stronger. For example, if you want to stop smoking because you want to, it often works better than doing it for someone else.
What can you do?
Ask yourself: 'Do I really want this? And why?' This helps you understand if your motivation comes from inside or outside. Ask 'why?' a few times — it can help you find the real reason behind your motivation (or lack of it).
Sometimes, a lack of motivation is caused by feeling down or depressed. Read on this page what that means and what you can do about it.
Self-learning module
With your Fontys account, you can make free use of online self-help modules (e-health).
Concentration and procrastination
Do you find yourself struggling to concentrate? Are you an expert procrastinator? This module is full of information, exercises, videos, and useful tips to improve your concentration and master your procrastination!
Go to the Concentration and procrastination module
Contact team Student Guidance
- If your motivation is affecting your mental well-being, make an appointment with a student psychologist.
- If your motivation affects your study progress, please book an appointment with a student counsellor.