Syllabus week is long over and now that we are fully immersed in this semesters worth of homework, assignments, and exams to study for, things can get a little hectic for us college students. Finding motivation to sit down and read that 65 page chapter due tomorrow, or spend those hours studying in the library can get difficult around this time of year.

For some, finding motivation not to sleep through an eight am or only study for a half hour and not look back at the notes until ten minutes before the quiz can be easy. For others, sometimes me included, we might need a bit more motivation and that’s ok.

Sometimes I tend to forget that we are all in this together and college comes with a lot of stress and a lot of coffee. You’re certainly not alone if you feel like giving up on difficult classes or school some days because we have all been there before.

Motivation

Photo by: Brooke Powell ’21

Here are 5 inspiring quotes I found that can be motivating when things get tough during the semester:

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” –Karim Seddiki

I sometimes get down on myself for things that aren’t even in my control. It’s important to remember to stay positive during hard times at school, but also at home with roommates, feelings of home sickness, tough relationships, etc. Don’t doubt yourself because you’re doing your personal best and everyone is in the same boat at the end of the day.

“Don’t wait until you’ve reached you goals to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching the goal.” –Anonymous (terri.com)

It’s important to stay positive and work hard, but also take breaks when you need them and reward yourself when you ace an exam or finish a tough assignment. Be your own cheerleader and cheer yourself on when you do something worth being proud of…no matter how small.

“I never dreamt of success. I worked for it.” –Estee Lauder

Real, earned success comes with a lot of hard work and usually some tears. Nothing ever gets done by just sitting around and being lazy so creating goals, sticking to them, and not giving up achieving them is an important part of how successful you are.

“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try” –Seth Godin

I remember when I was a Freshman here at WSU and I was terrified to take a Spanish class because I thought it would be too hard for me to handle. My roommate asked me to take it with her and convinced me that I could do it. I ended up loving the course and I have been a Spanish minor ever since. If it weren’t for my roommate telling me to take the course and for myself believing that I could, I wouldn’t be taking classes that I love now. Doing things that seem scary can sometimes be the best decisions for us. Trust your gut and never think you aren’t good enough.

“Nothing worth having comes easy.” –Anonymous

Such as…a college degree! College is by no means “easy” and graduating from college with a degree is something that most people look at as a huge accomplishment to be proud of. It takes a lot of work, some days doubting if you’re capable of it, and a lot of time celebrating the fact that you can do it!

Stress is inevitable in our chaotic college lives. Living with friends can sometimes lead to arguments about who left all the dirty dishes in the sink and stressful classes can lead to questions like “why did I choose a nursing major when this biology class is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do?”

Moral of the story is, don’t give up. You’re doing the best you can and you will succeed

 

–Reviewed 01/26/2023.