Learning easier

Motivation, optimism... these things aren't just to our personal life, our motivational beliefs (positive or negative) have a big impact in our proccess of learning. You set up your context to learning, it can be favourable (optimistic) or unfavourable (pessimistic), and after you form these thinking, they are resistent to change. it will help to determinate if your studies will be harder or easier (BOEKAERTES, 2002).

Second Tuckman (2007):

"success is not just a question of working hard; it’s

also a question of working smart"

When you want that something to be successful, you must to make strategies. It is the best way to get best results with less efford. 

Many people keep the phrase in their mind: "I go where the wind leaves me". Have you ever stopped to think that the wind can blow you behind,  down, or any direction that perhaps you didn't want to go to? Here is another popular phrase: "Those who don't know where they want to arrive, will go nowhere". If you don't see something good at the end of your walking, why would you continue?

Firstly you must answer yourself: "why am I doing it?" or "why am I learning it?". If you want to learn something new that will help you to be promoted in your job, okay,  you can imagine earning more or working where you want to be. It can be a language, an ability in sports, an instrument...fantastic!! Maybe you want to be triumphant in your course at university, great. Imagine your future as you want to see it, as it is in your dreams. Imagine being an excellent professional. Put some picture or message related  to your dream in front of  you or on the table where you study. When you are feeling unmotivated, look at them and feel the big reward in your future, feel your dream smiling at you, feel your emotions in that moment of achieving what you want and you will realize that everything will be worth it.

When you are working hard and are sad because you think your life is hard, look at your dream, your goal. Your heart will beat stronger, you will find force from your aim and will feel happy because you are pursuing it.

I will tell you a bit about some of my life goals:

I have wanted to be a vet of horses since I was a child.  It is my dream, my life. When I am with horses, when I hug a horse, when I feel the smell from a horse, I feel like I'm on the verge of tears (because I feel happy).

I studied in my secondary school thinking of my aim, to do this course (Veterinary Medicine) in an excellent university. Even though I didn't like history or geography I kept my dream, and it made me strong to study more and more, to learn more and more. I passed my entry test to one of the best universities in Latin America on my first try. However, I knew that I still had to graduate to truly pursue my dream.

I have studied Veterinary Medicine for 5 years full-time and many times during my studies I thought of giving up for many reasons; because it is hard, because I have to study a lot, but I have a dream: being a vet of horses, an EXCELLENT vet of horses. I had a lot more to learn and when I forgot my goal it became harder. I was confused. One day I was studying a lot and I was stressed out, so I stopped to reflect on my trajectory. That day I wrote something I never ever forgot:

"where could I be instead of where I am?

We always say - I was happy but I didn't know it! -

and why don't we say - I am happy and I know it - ?

I realized today, reading something I wrote years ago, that always I wanted to be exactly here...

I get real I am realizing my bigger dream. I remember that just thinking of one day I could do Veterinary Medicine, I used to be emotional. I remember putting a picture of mine with my horse on the door of my wardrop written "Dr. Juliane Thais Da Cruz, Vet" and every day I asked God that one day it could be real.

Howsoever having exams, stress and lack of time... Blimey, I dreamt of being exactly here, I love what I do and NOTHING, no difficulty will stop me.

I passed very difficult times and moved on ..... and now I am simply  happy .... Thank God, if I have exams, work, it is because I am realizing my dream: studying what I love to exert what I am passionate about... and not just to have a job, but an exciting lifestyle that I so much love."

After that,  it was much easier to learn and I achieved excellent marks. With my marks, I got my international mobility which was another goal of mine as well. 

When there is some obstacle in front of me I keep my eyes looking at my dream, and my learning becomes fun, enjoyable and easier.

REFERENCES

Video lecture by Barb Oakley: 2-4A What motives you?. Learning How to Learn. Coursera. https://class.coursera.org/learning-001/lecture

BOEKAERTS, Monique. Motivation to learn.International Bureau of Education. 2002. Educational practices series-10. University of Illinois of Chicago.Bruxells. Belgium. Accessed: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/publications/EducationalPracticesSeriesPdf/prac10e.pdf

TUCKMAN, M.C. Learning and Motivation Strategies to Achievement. 2007. Accessed: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/samplechapter/0131712020.pdf

Credicts:

http://ateampublications2013.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/repeat-after-me-i-can-do-this-motivation/