Most students study to feel good.
Yes… I know it doesn’t seem that way when your brain is thinking “I DON’T WANT TO STUDY!”
Let me make my case and see if you agree.
Students are taught the importance of hard work through their entire life. They’re taught that working hard studying is important to their future.
They are taught grades are kind of important but they’re rarely taught grades are more important than working hard.
(Seriously, I’ve heard so many stories from students that have teachers saying, “it’s good but I know you’re capable of doing so much more so I took some points off.”)
Students are taught the results don’t matter. It’s how hard they worked. (I’ve also had an experience having a teacher say that I didn’t do well but I worked so hard that they improved my grade.)
So… instead of students focusing on actually learning information, students focus on “working hard” while results are only a minor factor. If they sat down and learned everything they needed in ten minutes then they’d feel guilty (even if they did score well on the test.)
Students procrastinate studying because it helps them build that illusion of working hard.
Instead of focusing on results they end up focusing on finding a way to make themselves feel good. Studying a long session may not feel good in the instant and it may not produce dramatic results but they’ll feel good about it and they certainly won’t feel bad about it.
Getting good grades is dramatically easier than most students understand because they’re too distracted trying to make themselves feel good to see it.
Studying isn’t supposed to make you feel good in the moment. It’s supposed to be short term discomfort in exchange for long term gains (grades, degrees, jobs, intelligence, and money.) As soon as you stop looking for that short term high you can start to really appreciate the long term gains.
Leave Procrastination In The Dust! Never EVER let it stop you again.
Doing stuff is easy – sometimes, right?
You only procrastinate the stuff that sucks. You don’t say, “Ahhh… I’ll read that text from my crush later.” Nope. Now… Any pause is intentional and coordinated to respond better.
Here is the problem with academics:
You probably think most academic stuff sucks – at least a little. (Especially compared to other things you could be doing.)
And the thing is:
FORCING YOURSELF TO STUDY JUST MAKES IT WORSE!
You’re slowly hardening your association of school and being miserable.
You need to create positive associations with academics. You want your brain to be getting hyped up and positive when you’re thinking about studying and giving into this internal oligarchical instinct to force yourself to studying – ain’t helpin’.
Chill the internal dictator for a moment…
A big secret: You need to STOP forcing yourself to study so much.
But, if you’re not forcing yourself then how are you going to see those killer straight-a’s that you’re always pining over?
It’s not difficult but it can sound weird to unfamiliar eyes.
Get your copy of my book about How To Get Happier Straight A’s.
It only costs $4.99 (and if these strategies don’t work like magic like it has for thousands of other students then you can get a full refund.)
It’s a great point. I think what’s worst is that the studying for hours method you allude to–that usually makes you feel fulfilled–is usually full of inefficiencies. When you actually sit down to Study (and only study), it often goes faster than you’d think.
This is what I think about every time when I have to force myself to study when all I wanna do is sleep, read novels or play video games.
I had no idea that some people feel bad when they get a good mark and they didn’t study for days…. In such situation, I’m usually happy that I haven’t wasted time. The only time when I feel bad about it is when I haven’t studied much and passed, and my friend has tried harder and yet failed. I try not to shove it in their faces.