By Kaylee Alvarez
Have you ever felt yourself avoiding or procrastinating things you need to get done? Whether it may be overdue homework or repeatedly forgetting to go to the gym, low motivation is a common feeling that can hold students back from success in several different working environments. It’s also a common feeling for Grand Rapids Community College students.
No one is ever going to be motivated all the time and many students struggle with motivation, such as 18-year-old Storm Vasquez, who said, “I struggle with being motivated a lot. I’m getting a little bit better at it but like, this is my first semester here, so it’s been kind of rough.”
For students who may be in the same position as Vasquez, GRCC has several resources to help them get motivated.
One campus resource that is available for students is the chance to talk with a counselor, such as Andre Fields.
“I think when students are losing motivation it’s because they’ve lost contact or connections with their motive for like, ‘why am I in school? Why am I taking out loans? Why am I paying for parking?’ And not remembering the real reason they are here,” Fields said. “It’s to secure a career that will have them live a better life.”
Fields also suggests a “vision board” to remind students of the important reasons why they are here and to help them continue to strive for success.
Fields also mentioned relationships, whether it’s romantic or platonic, being distracting.
“People, you know, they can be distracting,” Fields said. “If you don’t have the right people in your life, for example, people who always remind you of your challenges in your past or your mistakes that can take away your motivation… a person like that you would want to limit contact with. Just figuring out ways to get demotivators out of your life.”
Another obstacle many students encounter is managing their lives outside of school.
Nineteen-year-old Chloe Bray said, “Being part-time at work and full-time at school, sometimes it’s hard to balance my schedule and I tend to, on weeks I deem ‘easier,’ to have less motivation to get my work done.”
Phones are another common distraction for college students everywhere. While it’s unlikely that all students will be able to kick their phone addictions anytime soon, something they can do to help limit distraction is to set time limits, turn notifications off when working on assignments, or simply put their phone and all other technology in a bag until needed for the class.
The final example is being burned out for mental health reasons. Mental health takes a huge toll on how someone acts, not just with others but with themselves as well. When someone feels as if their emotions are out of control and scattered, it can be hard to reach out and get help. For students who may be struggling, GRCC offers resources such as,
- The Center for Counseling and Well-Being
- Help with getting comfortable with your college life
- Academic Success
The college has many other resources that can be found under the student resources tab.
