Searching for Motivation in School

Timothy Eletto, Reporter

Every summer, I become the most highly-motivated teenager that you’d ever meet.  I’d wake up at 5:30 every morning, watch the sunrise with eggo french toast and a cup of coffee, and then I’d do whatever personal objectives had to get done, before getting to work 15 minutes early every day.  Then, after working for 8 hours, I’d go home and finish my day with more hyperactive productivity.

However, every September, I lose all motivation to do my best.  My productivity drops, I sleep through my alarms, and I complete all of my assignments with minimal effort—at the last possible second.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about why this happens every year.  Of course, there’s something about school that gives it a different vibe than a workplace, and I think I’ve finally figured out what it is.

At work, I can tell my contribution to the business is valued.  At school, I simply feel like a burden to my teachers.

While I don’t know much about how to teach, I could only imagine that eliminating this pressure is as simple as teachers emphasizing their love for this environment.  It should always feel like teachers want to pass on their knowledge of a subject.

While I’m most likely the only student that has thought about this, these are still things that we should consider.  It’s very important to contemplate where motivation and discouragement comes from, and this is simply a possible stressor for students that often feel anxious.