Memorial Hall 102 Hours: Mon. – Thurs. 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 309-298-2453 www.wiu.edu/ucc Individual Counseling Group Counseling Career Counseling Academic or learning skills assistance Outreach Programming Academic Instruction Assessments Psychological Vocational Learning Disabilities Standardized tests Consultation Training of Graduate Students / Interns Motivation What is motivation? Sometimes it helps to get a definition first According to Dictionary.com, motivation is: The act or instance of motivating The state or condition of being motivated Something that motivates, incentive Desire to do something, or have interest in doing something In psychology, the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behavior Inner or social stimulus for an action What starts our actions, gives direction to our work, helps us persist despite obstacles, and makes us put in considerable effort to a task People are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is significant INTRINSIC When a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because of factors external to him or her (like money or good grades) EXTRINSIC Depression from feeling overburdened with class work Homesickness, troubles adjusting to life changes Peer pressure to resist studying Personal relationships and family Good and bad Unclear career goals Not a stable trait, psychological trait that we can learn to regulate Identify what motivates you, rather than thinking of motivation as something you have or don’t have Social Factors Emotional Cognitive Factors Factors Money Desire a particular career Parents Not ready for the workforce Hoping to find yourself Just want to party Personal Goals: What kind of person do I want to become? What things do I really want to learn? What things do I want to possess? What things do I want to accomplish? Career Goals: What is your desired salary? What is your desired position/ responsibilities Relationship goals: How would you like to deepen and enrich your relationships with family, friends, etc.? To get motivated you must realize your goals—short and long term. Realizing why you are doing something is important, but always make sure you are doing it for the right reasons After developing your goals, write them down & post them somewhere as a reminder to yourself. Recite your goals to yourself if you are feeling frustrated (ex. Studying for midterm) Motivation defeats Procrastination Life Skills Organization, time management, goal setting Social Meet a variety of people & learn to communicate effectively & become more skilled in social situations Job Skills Skills Communication, leadership, initiative, logical thinking Knowledge Immerse yourself in your education Enjoyment College can and should be fun Community Become active in community (Macomb) Self Involvement Responsibility Increase in amount of being responsible for consequences of your decisions Spend time with others already in your field. Remember to do things for yourself to keep motivated: Eat right and regularly Be active Learn to say “NO” Relax Mini-Vacation Release frustrations Be nice to yourself Use the support around you Does not just appear out of the blue, but rather is the end result of hard work and being a self-regulated person Relationship between motivation and hard work is reciprocal Having a clear understanding of why you are in school, and it’s benefits, can help you remain motivated If you have any questions or concerns about motivation do not hesitate to contact the UCC!