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If motivation was an ice cream flavor, what would it taste like? Would it be a cool, refreshing mint flavor that makes you feel tingly and invigorated? Or would it be a fresh and tart fruit flavor that bursts with uplifting energy? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could go to any local market and buy a delicious pint of motivation in our favorite flavor? Motivation is ultimately just the set of processes that select, direct, and drive our behaviors (Dweck et al, 5). It is the impetus that helps us to define our goals and propels us towards them. Thus, motivation is a necessary component of long-term academic success. A strong understanding of motivation, including how to find and cultivate it, can help you stay on the path to achieving your academic aspirations.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

As a student, you likely rely on two different types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation and Extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the type of motivation that is fueled from within. Nickerson argues that intrinsic motivation can be broadly divided into 4 categories. In academics, curiosity-based motivation is driven by an individual’s desire to engage in some task because doing so is interesting or pleasurable. In contrast, challenge-based motivation in academics is achievement based. Here a student may take on a task because they have a desire to push themselves to overcome an obstacle. Context-based motivation is derived from an understanding that the circumstances of the task are valuable. Finally, a control-based motivation stems from the desire to maintain control over one’s self and environment. Extrinsic motivation, unlike intrinsic motivation, is driven by external factors. For students, the main external motivators are fear and reward. Fear-based motivation is a motivation born from a desire to avoid a negative external outcome. For example, a student might be motivated to do the assigned readings before class out of the fear that they will be called on in class and embarrassed if they can’t answer a question. A rewards-based motivator, in contrast, is the result of a desire to gain a positive outside outcome. It is important to note that while intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are partially distinct, they are interacting processes and they are both parts of a student’s academic experience that can be used in tandem (Morris et al., 1801-3).

Strategies for Locating Hidden Intrinsic Motivation

1. Identify your passion: Consider what topics or activities excite and inspire you. When you examine your interests and hobbies, you might find a pattern emerges. This will help you to identify the things you are naturally curious about and drawn to. Identifying your passion is a powerful first step to finding your intrinsic motivation.
2. Break down tasks: Large tasks such as essays, projects, presentations, and even homework assignments can overwhelm students and seem insurmountable. Breaking these tasks into smaller sub-tasks makes them feel more manageable and less intimidating. And, as a bonus, once you break a task down into its component pieces, you may find that you already have an interest in and intrinsic motivation to complete one or more of the sub-tasks.
3. Set reasonable goals: On some level, you wouldn’t be at this University if you weren’t internally motivated to do difficult things. However, when we set unreasonable goals, the joy of a good challenge can get drowned out by the pain of failure. Setting clear and achievable goals can help you find your intrinsic motivation because it increases your chances of success, and thus, will help you find the joy of victory that comes with facing and overcoming challenges.
4. Cultivate a supportive environment: It is easier to find your intrinsic motivation when you exercise control over your environment. Surround yourself with people who will support your endeavors. These are the people who cheer on your successes, give you a boost when you are feeling down, help you problem-solve, and respect the limitations on your time and energy. Seek these people. Join groups. Find a mentor. Allow them into your life so they can provide guidance and motivation.
5. Seek inspiration: Sometimes our motivation is restricted by the limits of our own imaginations. By seeking outside inspiration (from role models, mentors, and inspiring stories) you can explore your potential and think beyond the future you now envision. This can help you stay motivated and goals focused.

The tactics listed above are strategies you can employ to uncover the hidden intrinsic motivation you already possess but never realized. Now, what can be done in those circumstances when intrinsic motivation fails us. There will be times throughout your academic career when you lack the motivation to complete (or even start) certain tasks? When you find yourself apathetic about a task, you have options to create new motivation for yourself.

Strategies for Creating New Motivation

1. Reframe and make a connection: Sometimes we find ourselves unmotivated to complete academic tasks because they seem uninteresting. In the absence of genuine interest and curiosity, an assignment can become a mind-numbing and joyless job. When this happens, try making a connection between the assignment and one of your existing interests. Are you a BCS major taking a marketing class that you hate? Try to make your papers and projects in your marketing class about cognitive manipulation and consumer behavior. Are you a student of musicology taking a political science class that is frustrating you? Make your presentation about the role of music in the development of national identities. Making a creative connection between your assignments and your passions can help you cultivate internal motivation.
2. Engage in metacognitive reflection: It is easy to become apathetic about tasks when we don’t understand their value. So, take some time to consider the purpose of assignments and tasks. Ask yourself “What might be my instructor’s goal in having me do this task?” and “What useful lesson or experience could I get out of completing this task?” Taking a holistic look at assignments and their place in the larger educational system can help in discovering the contextual value of the work, which, in turn, can help you develop intrinsic motivation.
3. Create artificial deadlines: Many students are motivated externally by fear. We fear failing an assignment or a class, disappointing our teammates/instructors/families. Fear can be a powerful tool when used strategically. Fear is why we are able to complete tasks in the hours before they are due when we have been unable to make any progress on them in the weeks prior. So, put that fear-based motivation to work by creating artificial deadlines. Text a classmate and suggest getting together a week before the final paper is due to give each other feedback. Arrange a meeting with your instructor to ask a question about the assignment a week before the deadline. Use your fear of canceling on a friend, instructor, or coach to make progress on your tasks well before the deadline.
4. Reward Yourself: Celebrate your achievements and victories with a small reward. Did you spend the last 2 hours hunched over your laptop in the library taking notes on a difficult journal article? Reward yourself with a refreshing walk by the river. Did you manage to turn in your paper five whole hours before the deadline? Reward yourself by joining your friends for coffee. Rewarding yourself can help reinforce positive behaviors and boost your motivation.
5. Seek Help: If you're struggling with finding your motivation to engage with academics, reach out to a counselor, tutor, an advisor, a success coach, or professor.

Remember, unlocking motivation isn’t a one-size fits all proposition. Motivation is like ice-cream, there are hundreds of flavors. We are all motivated differently, so it is important to be experimental and to be patient with yourself as you figure out what works best for you. Celebrate your progress and make note of the setbacks. The knowledge you gain along the way can help you fuel yourself inside and out so that you can achieve your academic goals.

Works Cited

Dweck, Carol, et al. “?” Motivation Science, Oxford University Press, 2023, pp. 5–10.

Morris, Laurel S., et al. “” Psychological medicine vol. 52, 2022, pp. 1801-1816.

Nickerson, Charlotte. “” Simply Psychology, 29 Sept. 2023.