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How do I stay motivated when school feels pointless or overwhelming?

Sometimes school feels pointless or just too much, and I struggle to find the energy to keep going. I want advice on how to stay motivated, push through hard days, and actually feel like my effort matters.

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Vianne’s Answer

I understand why you feel that way. When school seems pointless or too much, it's not because you're lazy. You're probably tired, overwhelmed, or not seeing how it fits into your life. This can quickly drain your motivation. Many people feel this way, even if they don't admit it. Wanting your efforts to matter is a normal feeling.

Try shifting your focus from "this has to matter forever" to "what can I gain from this now?" Maybe it's about building discipline, proving you can finish something, or keeping future options open. On tough days, don't aim for perfection. Just try to show up a little. Do one assignment, study for 20 minutes, or start something small. Motivation often comes after you begin.

Also, give yourself some credit and space. If everything feels too much, take a break and reset instead of pushing too hard. Talk to someone, take breaks, and do things that make you feel like yourself. Your effort matters, even if you don't see the results yet. You're building habits and resilience that will help you in the future, and that's more important than any single assignment or grade.
Thank you comment icon Just push through the day sooner or later you will graduate. Ander
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Joseph’s Answer

A good start is to ask this question: "Where do I want to be in four years? Setting a goal for the future gives you something to work for and helps define the path that you will follow. For example, graduating with a college degree in four years in a single major will probably take the following effort:

- Total Credits for a Degree: 120 credits
- Average Credits per Semester: 15 credits (to graduate in 4 years)
- Weekly Class Hours: 15 hours
- Total Class Hours in 4 Years: About 1,800 hours
Not all 1,800 hours focus on your major. Typically, 30 to 60 credits (450–900 hours) are for major-specific courses. The rest cover general education like English, Math, and History, plus electives.
Classroom time is just part of the commitment. The common rule is to spend two hours studying for every hour in class.
- In-Class: 15 hours per week
- Out-of-Class Study: 30 hours per week
- Total Weekly Commitment: 45 hours
Treating college as a full-time job means you'll devote about 5,400 hours over four years.

If you don't want to put in that level of effort just to go to college, consider what you want to put in 5,400 hours over four years as a job.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Thank you for your question. Firstly, you may need to setup a goal for yourself and have something as a reward if you achieve the goal, e.g. buy something you wish, have a vacation, have a good meal, etc. Also, you need to have good time management. Find a time management tool to help, e.g. MS Outlook, Google Calendar, Phone calendar, etc.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Setup a goal to achieve in the academic year, e.g. To achieve certain grades on a number of subjects, etc. Define a plan how to achieve this
2. Put down the time you need to attend the classes in the time management tool
3. Assign some time everyday on your assignments and projects. Review the material covered in the class every day and ask the teacher on the next business day if you have any question
4. Follow the plan you have defined in point 1
5. Make sure you have enough sleep and do some exercise
6. Have some leisure activities and friend/family gathering on weekend.
7. Assign more time for revision early before assessments
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
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Alexander’s Answer

This one has great answers, I’d like to add self care. Sometimes what you feel is a symptom of something else, for me it was neurodivergence, have you explored that side?

Motivation is what gets you started, what keeps you going is discipline, but even discipline won’t take you far if you don’t know yourself.
People with ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent conditions may need a different approach.
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