Whenever you feel lost at Marymount, Susie the Sailor is there to help guide you. A vital member of our community, Susie the Sailor has the experience to answer whatever questions you have.

Our first submission asks: How do I stay motivated in a class I’m not interested in? 

We all have our favorite subjects, just like we all have classes we aren’t extremely interested in. It is completely normal not to be in love with every class you are taking, and often that feeling of disinterest can make us feel unmotivated in that class. So, how can you stay motivated in a class that you are not extremely interested in? Well, as someone who’s struggled with this exact feeling a couple of times now, let me give you a piece of advice. 

A good place to start is to take a step back from the class. Sometimes taking a new perspective, and an open mind, can allow you to give a class another chance, and who knows you might end up loving it. However, if this doesn’t work for you, another good way to go is to talk to your advisor, a teacher, or any faculty member. They have twice the amount of experience we do and always offer amazing advice. If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to a faculty member about your problems, then there are many tips to keep you motivated.

The first tip is to set attainable goals for yourself. Oftentimes, setting goals for yourself will keep you motivated in class to complete your goals. Even if you are not extremely interested in this class, by setting attainable goals for yourself, you’ll keep yourself motivated to work towards your goals, keeping you motivated in all aspects of your classes. 

Another tip is to create a good group of friends in each of your classes. Whether they are your best friends or new ones, find a good-sized group of friends to keep you motivated. If you surround yourself with people who are very interested in a class that you might not be, then you’ll find yourself immersing yourself more into the class to stay close to your friends. Not only does this tip gain you some new friends, but it might also help you re-engage yourself in all your classes. 

My last tip is to acknowledge your accomplishments. You might not be extremely interested in a certain class, but you might also be doing extremely well, who knows? If you acknowledge your accomplishments and realize you are doing well, you’ll subconsciously motivate yourself to keep doing well. You’ll want to keep setting new goals and accomplishments to keep yourself interested and working in a class that you might not have worked hard in before. 

It’s not always easy to keep yourself immersed during school, especially in courses that do not captivate your attention the most, but there are various ways to reboot your incentive to work. I’ve dealt with this issue for four years now, and the tips above have always helped me reboot my desire to do well, so the next time you find yourself slipping in a class, try out these tips, and you’ll be right back on track.