STUDENT SECTION
BEST OF MARCH 2021
MOTIVATED MINDSET Students, professionals discuss changes in motivation from going virtual SAUMYA SOMASI STORY
F
or sophomore tatum siebert,
motivation is an important goal in her everyday life. As a hybrid student and a “people-person,” Siebert said virtual days often unmotivate her from doing her school work. “When it’s like this assignment is due at 5 p.m., well it’s like I’m not gonna see anyone, and those are just pixels on a screen. I mean it says late but does it really mean anything? Versus when it’s in person and I feel like there are actual expectations from me and it feels a lot different,” Siebert said. Comparatively, junior Bill Qian has not felt unmotivated from moving to a virtual schedule. “There have definitely been times where I’ve felt like I just really don’t want to be here, but I think that has more to do with school than with transitioning online,” Qian said. “Honestly, sometimes it’s nice to get a break from constant school, and it eases the pressure of having school work.” Rob Kern, licensed mental health counselor, said he has seen decreasing motivation in students, where social interaction limited and a great portion of daily life is conducted online. “There is greater confusion and often times less clarity about educational goals with virtual education,” Kern said. “Families are being forced to renavigate how to structure athome learning, which often results in students feeling pressure.” Siebert said by interacting with people over the phone or through a call, she has helped retain some of the social atmosphere that comes with school. “(I try) to do things with friends, and working on things together kind of grounded me and it was like ‘well I can’t go on Instagram or my phone because my friend’s doing it too’ so then we’d both kind of keep each other motivated,” she said.
However, Siebert said it does not always work to keep herself motivated. “In November of 2020, it was really difficult. I felt like I was just kind of getting burned out. I tried so many things to make things easier or be more motivated but it felt like there was no end in sight, especially with COVID, I just felt alone.” Kern said feeling unmotivated is often inevitable, especially as life during COVID-19 brings its own set of unique issues. He said, “Motivation is a combined issue of our conscious and subconscious. It is not as easy as ‘flipping a switch’ and suddenly feeling motivated. As such, chastising ourselves for not feeling motivated will not suffice. Instead, as we treat ourselves with compassion we become self-advocates.” Qian said while social interaction was necessary to motivate him, he emphasized staying motivated by organizing his workload and prioritizing the things he needed to get done. He said, “I basically planned out my entire month to prepare me for everything I needed to get done so I had a visual of what I needed to get done. Checking things off (of my plan) was satisfying every time
BY THE NUMBERS
8,358 students across Indiana are fully virtual
7
schools in Indiana are 100% virtual
0.8% of students in Indiana students are learning virtually *these numbers are accurate to the 2020-2021 school year
STAYING ON TOP Check out the Pomodoro technique What is the pomodoro method? It is a study and work method that increases productivity How does the pomodoro method work? Sessions are made up of 25 or 50 minutes of work and either 5 or 10 minutes of break time Why is it called “pomodoro” method? Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s named the method after the tomatoshaped kitchen timer
and I started getting things done and planning ahead more.” Kern said he agreed there were a variety of techniques to stay motivated during periods where one feels unmotivated. “When a task begins to become bothersome, our increasing frustration or exhaustion can get our attention,” Kern said. “We then take a step back to carefully reconsider how best to proceed.” Siebert said she could see some positives that came from going virtual, especially as she said she had more time for introspection and thinking about her future. “In relation to motivation, I know that my worth is not just my grades. My worth is not just how I look. Like I’m a cool person,” Siebert said. “There are so many things to me that are more than just what college I get into and that has been really motivating. And because we aren’t always with other people, I appreciate the interactions a lot more. I appreciate the little things more.” H This story was originally published online on March 24, 2021
NCES SOURCE EMILY SANDY, KIERSTEN RIEDFORD GRAPHIC THE MUSE SOURCE
25 Minutes
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