Tips on Motivation

What does motivation mean to you? Generally, motivation is the desire or willingness of someone to do something. All of us know the best way to be successful in our lives and at school. In this article, I will focus on my own experiences here at Tech that motivated me.

If you asked me what is the best way to motivate myself, I would tell you what I do and advise you to do the same things. First of all, keep in touch with your family. My family is the best support for me and they help me when I have problems. Whenever I feel bad and I am having a hard time with life or school, I remember my family. They sent me to the United States to get my degree and to be successful in my life. 

The second thing is to find real friends who will help you when you feel frustrated in school. It is best to stay away from the students who disappear when you really need them, like when you are sick or prefer to study rather than hang out and do nothing worthwhile.

 The last one is to go to your professors to get some motivation. I will tell you a story about what happened to me last semester. On my first exam in Calculus II, I got 48%; on my second one, I got 68%. Because I was disappointed with my grades, I asked my friends and my family if I should drop the class. They advised me to talk to my instructor. I took my drop card and went to my instructor’s office Dr. Hilary Risser, and I told her, “I would like to drop your class.” She asked me why.  I told her that I was disappointed and I did not think I could pass the class. She said, “I trust you are a good student. Stay and you will pass this class. There are many exams left, and you will able to do it.” After our discussion, Dr. Risser motivated me to stay in the class. When I took the third exam, I got 90% and I got 89% on the fourth exam.

 Other instructors who have motivated me here at Tech are Dr. Karen Wesenberg-Ward, Jeff Johnson, and Janie Payne. These instructors have made themselves available to me whenever I have had questions. They have been patient and understanding.  Furthermore, Margie Pascoe is my American mom, and I am thankful for her advice. On the other hand, some instructors have more of an intimidation style that scares students away from their course. I have had these kinds of instructors in the past and have not been motivated by this style of teaching. 

From my experiences, I discovered that being motivated is how you succeed. Remember this:  The failure is not in falling but is in remaining where you fell and not standing up again.