I sat on the stone steps in front of my dorm, the crickets chirping in the grass nearby. Somewhere in the distance, music played. “I can’t believe it’s so late,” my friend Amy said. We’d just gotten back from a night out with the other girls on our floor. “I have an 8 a.m. class,” I said, suddenly feeling tired. “Why are we still up?” At that instant, the bell in the clock tower chimed one. Amy grinned. “Because we can?” True. Without our parents checking in on us or a curfew to abide by, we had an enormous amount of freedom. Since it was the beginning of the new semester, we had the motivation to hoist ourselves up and get inside to rest.
But after the newness of a new semester wears off, and the reality sets in with papers, presentations, and grades, the motivation to keep getting up for class can wane. If you’re finding that your child is stuck in a rut, there are some things you can do to motivate her. Here are 5 ways to motivate college students and get them back on track to succeed.
1. Talk about purpose.
“I’m switching my major,” I said one night on the phone to my mom. “What are you going to do with an English degree?” she asked, quietly. After all the talking I did in high school about being a journalist, I knew this was a surprise. She encouraged me to visit the career center on campus and eventually, I decided to pursue a degree in secondary English education. I could geek out in all the literature classes I could fit into my schedule and still get a practical degree.
Ask your child what she’s interested in and encourage her to talk to the right people to figure out the path she should take with courses. If she’s passionate about what she’s studying, she’s going to be more motivated to keep up with the work.
2. Encourage new habits.
In college, kids often choose where to sit. I found that when I sat up front, I paid closer attention. Also, I was flanked by highly-motivated kids, and seeing them take notes gave me the hint that I should do the same.
Having good habits from the start will set your child up for success. Encourage him not only to get enough sleep at night but to block off time each day to study. If it’s on the schedule, it’s more likely to get done. Positive momentum from the beginning can motivate college students to keep that routine.
3. Guide them toward their priorities.
My friend Jenny went to a big school with rigorous academic standards. She’d been a top student in high school, but quickly felt subpar and lost her motivation midway through the first year. “I’m in over my head,” she told me on break. But she continued, and when she graduated, she said she was glad she stuck it out.
If your child is struggling to stay motivated because she’s feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork, student loans, or living on her own for the first time, help her figure out her priorities. Jenny needed to scale back from the social scene in college for a bit. Another student might need to schedule study sessions earlier in the day or eliminate extracurriculars. Does your child have too much on her plate? Figure out what she might need to do and help her see that a temporary shift in priorities could get her back on track.
4. Be present.
Once a month, my boyfriend’s parents drove up to campus and took him out to dinner. It gave them a chance to connect face to face and see how their son was doing. I thought it was sweet. His mom probably knew he wasn’t a big phone talker, and it was the only way she could make sure he was OK.
When kids go to college, suddenly there’s so much to worry about from assignments to clean laundry. Feeling overwhelmed can sap motivation. Schedule a check-in with him and help him establish daily or weekly goals. If you’re funding his education, you may need to offer some tough love: “You need to meet these goals, or I’m not going to pay your tuition/phone bill/meal plan.” Just knowing you’re still invested in him might be enough to curtail any bad habits he’s acquired and motivate him to keep trying.
5. Celebrate wins, big and small.
McKenna, a dance team member who lived on my floor freshman year, had failed two courses and was put on probation the second semester. That’s when I met her mom. McKenna had pulled up her grades and her mom had bought tickets to the ballet to celebrate. Her mom knew how to motivate her college student!
To boost your child’s confidence, celebrate the little wins along the way—making it to every class, going to office hours, maintaining strong learning habits, and prioritizing academic successes. If you want to incorporate rewards to motivate her, set up a clear system that will earn her gas money, a shopping trip with you over break, or anything else that will help light the fire.
To boost your child's confidence, celebrate the little wins along the way—making it to every class, going to office hours, maintaining strong learning habits, and prioritizing academic successes. Share on XWhat have you tried to motivate college students in your family?
