Student Wellbeing Services

Motivation is the driving force behind our actions, getting us moving and doing things. Variations in motivation during studies are common, as learning new things is challenging and requires concentration. Success experiences and inspiring learning do not come immediately but as a result of more prolonged effort. However, it is possible to build and maintain motivation yourself. Motivation is best maintained by planning study sessions well and breaking tasks into appropriately small parts. You can find tips for this in the section “Planning and Scheduling Studies.” The feeling of belonging to a community is also an important motivational factor; do I get support from fellow students and staff? Participating in face-to-face teaching, student activities, and study groups are good ways to increase the social aspect of studying.

Where does study motivation come from?

When studying goes smoothly and the subjects feel meaningful, it is driven by intrinsic motivation, meaning the activity is rewarding in itself. Sometimes, however, studying is driven by deadlines, grades, or other external factors. When the driving force is the desire to avoid unpleasant consequences or to receive praise and rewards, it is called extrinsic motivation. Study motivation is usually a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. However, if you study entirely without internal interest and a sense of meaning, student life can become mentally burdensome in the long run. Therefore, it is good to pause and remind yourself why you are studying.

You can awaken your intrinsic motivation with questions like:

• Why did you originally start studying, what motivated you then?
• What does studying enable in my future? What important things in my life are related to studying?
• What excites me in life? Can I bring elements related to these things into my study routine?

A degree inevitably includes courses that are more interesting and others that are less so. Try to build your schedule so that each period includes at least one interesting course. Try to keep an open and curious mind even for those courses that do not initially spark your interest. What useful things could I learn from this? How could this relate to my own life or work?

The ability to concentrate is a prerequisite for learning new things. It varies depending on the task, emotional state, and life situation, and it is normal that sometimes maintaining long-term focus in studies is challenging. External factors, such as phone notifications, or internal factors, such as tasks that come to mind, can disrupt concentration. To improve concentration, it is important to eliminate external distractions and practice dealing with internal distractions so that they do not interfere with work. Concentration can be trained like a muscle.

When we are engaged in interesting and enjoyable activities, we can usually concentrate effortlessly, such as when watching an interesting series, getting absorbed in a good conversation, or listening to an inspiring teacher. On the other hand, tasks that require special effort or cause uncomfortable feelings challenge our ability to concentrate. For example, writing a report can be difficult if the assignment is unclear or if one considers themselves a poor writer. The mind wants to avoid uncomfortable situations, causing concentration to wane. Therefore, it is important to recognize the emotions and thoughts caused by studying to find suitable ways to tackle tasks despite discomfort.

There can be phases in life when concentrating on anything is difficult, and thoughts wander even when engaging in previously exciting activities. If there are many stressors in life and the body is in a chronic state of stress, a decrease in concentration is a natural reaction. In such cases, it is worth paying attention to basic daily matters, such as sleep, rest, exercise, and nutrition. For long-term and life-disrupting concentration difficulties, it is advisable to seek help from healthcare services or Haaga-Helia’s wellbeing services.

Try these tips to aid concentration:

• Eliminate distractions: Put your phone on silent and out of sight or in another room. Close unnecessary programs and tabs. Keep your study area tidy to avoid extra stimuli.
• Leave home: Most people benefit from positive peer pressure and studying in an environment that reminds them to focus. It is worth studying in the library or arranging study dates with a friend.
• Transfer distracting thoughts to paper: If a task or worry comes to mind while studying, write it down immediately. This way, you can push it out of your mind for the moment and return to it later.
• Focus on one thing at a time: Human working memory is limited, and if you try to do multiple things at once, concentration will inevitably falter. Task lists and breaking down larger tasks into intermediate steps help keep attention on one thing.
• Take breaks from studying: Studying is demanding for the brain, so to maintain an optimal level of alertness, it is necessary to take breaks. Try the Pomodoro technique, for example.
• Quality breaks: Studying involves processing information, so a restorative break is one where the brain gets rest. Take a short walk, do a household chore, or stretch. Avoid feeding your brain more information by browsing news or social media during breaks.

In university studies, good reading comprehension and writing skills make studying smoother and more enjoyable. However, challenges related to reading and writing are common. Concentration can be difficult, and finding the essential points in a text can feel challenging. The fear of a blank page is also common; it can feel impossible to get anything to the paper and even starting the thesis or report can cause stress.

Fortunately, reading and writing are skills that develop with practice. It is worth reading a lot outside of studies as well, in a way that you enjoy. Picking up an interesting novel can also make it easier to read course materials. Writing can be practiced lightly, for example, by keeping a thought journal or taking notes during lectures.

Below are some tips to make handling large amounts of text lighter and more inspiring. If you have or suspect you have dyslexia, it is worth contacting a special education teacher at the beginning of your studies, who can help with tools and possible special arrangements.

Reading:

• Set a goal: Understanding what you want to get from the text makes reading easier. Are you looking for something specific, trying to get a quick overview of the topic, or deeply understand a new idea? Plan your reading technique according to your goal.
• Get an overview first: Most texts have some kind of introduction and conclusion. Skim through them, as well as subheadings, bolded sections, and images. What is the topic of the text, what does it tell/suggest/claim? This way, you already have an overview of the content, making it easier to delve into it according to your goal.
• Engage with the text: Ask the text questions and make notes or mind maps of your answers. What are the keywords of the text and what do they mean? How does the text relate to themes I am already familiar with? What thoughts does the text evoke in me? How would I summarize the message of the text in two sentences?
• Use tools: If the lines “jump” while reading, adjust the font size, background color, or screen margins to suit you better. Utilize the read-aloud functions of browsers and word processing programs and explore listening and reading aids at the library.

Writing

• Commit to focusing: Both reading and writing require immersion, which is facilitated by dedicated time and environment. Choose a distraction-free environment and commit to writing for a predetermined time, for example, half an hour. Accept that writing can be slow at first, but it is better to write nonsense for half an hour than to give up immediately.
• Plan your content strategy: Define right from the start who you are writing for and why. Is your goal to convince a potential funder of the value of your business idea, to reflect on thoughts that arose during a course, or to clarify the key concepts of your thesis to the reader? What do you want the reader or yourself to understand from the text? Well planned is half done.
• Clarify the structure of the text: It is worth outlining the structure in advance using notes or a mind map. What do I want to say first, then, what do I want to convey in this paragraph? The main thread of the text begins to take shape, making it easier to start writing, even if the structure changes during writing. For longer texts, planning can be done through a preliminary table of contents and subheadings.
• Overcome the fear of a blank page: If you feel like you can’t write anything, set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes to mind; on-topic or off-topic. This way, you can break the emotional barrier related to writing. You can also start writing from the end or the middle of the text; wherever it is easiest for you to start.

Use AI wisely

AI programs can be helpful in many ways with writing and reading tasks. For example, you can ask a language model to summarize a long text, find answers to specific questions in the text, or provide new perspectives for your writing. However, there are limitations to the use of AI and language model programs, so familiarize yourself thoroughly with Haaga-Helia’s AI guidelines for students.

One of the most important skills for a student is planning and scheduling their studies. Combining studies with other aspects of life is not always easy, and in addition to time management skills, a student needs a lot of self-compassion. When you allocate a suitable amount of time for studying in your calendar and set clear goals, your study motivation and endurance will remain high.

Good planning starts with selecting courses and understanding the overall structure of your studies. When choosing courses, it is important to be realistic about your own endurance and the time available. Your academic advisor can help you make course selections that fit your life situation. Once you have a grasp of the overall structure of your studies, it is easier to plan your study routine on a weekly and daily basis. 

You can try the following scheduling method:

• First, mark all mandatory commitments in your calendar: school days, meetings, work shifts, hobbies, etc.

• Then list everything you need to accomplish in your studies during the week/day you are planning: review, assignments, submissions, exam preparation, etc.

• Estimate the time required for these tasks and allocate study periods in your calendar outside of mandatory commitments, focusing on one task at a time during each study cycle. A study session that is limited in time and content helps maintain concentration and provides a sense of accomplishment.

• Break down larger tasks, such as reports, essays, or presentations, into smaller parts. Each study cycle should be short enough to maintain concentration; individual concentration limits can vary from 20 minutes to a couple of hours without breaks. Divide larger tasks into multiple study cycles according to your concentration capacity.

• Plan study cycles at times when you are most alert, if possible. Learning new things requires a lot of energy, so it may not be wise to tackle the most challenging study tasks at the end of a long workday.

Balancing study and free time

The goal of planning and scheduling is not only to advance your studies but also to limit the time spent on studying so that you can recover and have energy left for other important aspects of life. Studies can easily occupy your mind even at the end of the day and on weekends because there is always something to do, and the only one who limits the time spent on work is you. Therefore, it is important to maintain clear working hours for studying, during which you focus as best as you can, and after the time is up, leave unfinished tasks for the next session, just like at the end of a workday. This way, the feeling of "I should be doing" eases, and during free time, you can focus on activities that help you recover.

The stress response has a useful function: it gives us energy and helps us cope with everyday challenges. The experience of stress often indicates that it is something important to us, such as a presentation, in which we want to succeed. Stress itself is not dangerous, but if it persists for a long time, it can indicate that the resources and demands experienced by a person are out of balance and cause harm to health. Stress is part of life, but in a balanced situation, people have enough resources and time to recover.

If everyday life feels constantly stressful, it is wise to stop and reflect on the situation. Talking to someone can help when you can put the situation and thoughts into words. When stressed, a person's thinking often narrows, so an outsider's perspective on the situation can help to see alternatives and solutions. It is also a good idea to seek professional help for a stressful situation, for example, from a study psychologist or study coach. You can also get help from FSHS’s StressLess coaching.

Assess your situation

A person experiences stress in a situation where the demands of the situation threaten to exceed the person's resources. Stress can be related to a life situation, such as a busy period of studies and work. However, stress is brought not only by external things, but also by one's own thoughts, expectations and demands.

Relaxation and adequate sleep will help you rest and restore resources. However, recovery doesn't just mean rest. In addition to studying, a good everyday life also provides space and energy for things that are important and meaningful to you, such as hobbies, spending time with loved ones and personal interests.

Every now and then, it is good to stop and look at your everyday life to check whether the direction is right and whether your resources and requirements are balanced. For example, ponder by writing the following questions. What has been stressing you lately? What has been relaxing and calming lately? What have you been excited about lately? When you look at your lists, think about whether these things are balanced, or whether there are significantly more stressful things than restorative and exciting ones.

Learn more:

Nervousness is a common emotion experienced by people. It makes a person tune in and prepare for the situation ahead. Many people encounter situations in their everyday study life that make them nervous. Nervousness can take the form of stage fright or social anxiety, for example. If the anxiety is intense, it can hinder everyday life and studies.

People get nervous about different things. One is nervous about performances, another about exams and the third about social situations. For some, it is difficult to be in a large group, while another experiences more anxiety among a few people. Extroversion and social courage are valued in our society, which is why nervousness and social anxiety may be perceived as shameful and therefore not talked about. This, in turn, creates the illusion that no one else is nervous. However, it is worth remembering that many people get nervous, even if it is not always visible on the surface.

Tension arises through the interaction of thoughts, emotions, body reactions and behavior. When nervous, the mind's internal, automatic and often unconscious interpretation of the situation is that the situation is threatening in some way. For example, a person may be afraid of being embarrassed or failing. Tension causes physical reactions for many, such as sweating hands, shaking voice, or "butterflies in the stomach." Often, anxiety is also associated with the fear that others will notice the tension and find it shameful.

Typically, we start avoiding situations that cause anxiety. However, this will not help in the long run. Anxiety can start to limit your life and prevent you from doing the things you want to do. If anxiety is hindering your life, it is recommended to seek help. Below are a few materials that can help you deal with tension. You can also contact a study psychologist or FSHS. Check out FSHS's Anxiety management groups.

Try this:

• Remember that many people experience nervousness and treat the nervousness of others with understanding and compassion. Anxiety is often accompanied by fear of being judged by others. Therefore, saying out loud that you are nervous can help.

• Keep in mind that anxiety and nervousness are ultimately just feelings. Try to be accepting of it, because resisting an emotion often only intensifies it. Emotional skills help coping with anxiety. Learn more about emotional skills. 

• If you're nervous about giving a presentation, remember that no one watches your reactions as closely as you do. Others listen to what you have to say.

• It is a good idea to discuss performance anxiety with the course teacher. 

• Get to know your own anxiety, for example, by keeping a diary of it. Think about situations in which situations you are particularly nervous? What thoughts come to your mind then? What emotions do you recognize in difficult situations? What happens in your body when you are nervous?

• Anxiety can begin to limit your life if you try to avoid situations. This is understandable, because it's common for us to try to avoid bad feelings, but it doesn't help in the long run. Ponder: What does anxiety hinder? What do I avoid for the sake of nervousness? What would I do if I wasn't nervous? 

Learn more:

Relationships have a significant impact on well-being. The needs for relationships are different: some people need a lot of people around them, while others only enjoy the company of a few of the closest people.

The experience of loneliness in university is common. A new life situation is an opportunity to get to know new people but can also expose you to loneliness. Orientation days at the beginning of studies are a good opportunity to get to know new people. However, the game is not lost even if you do not get to participate in the orientation. The university offers many other opportunities to get to know people, for example through various courses or events.

Getting to know new people isn't always easy. A person who has experienced loneliness for a long time may already have a preconceived notion in their mind that it will not be possible to form relationships, which may make it difficult to join others. However, the experience of loneliness can be influenced.

Are you worried about friendships, relationships, family issues or loneliness? Listed below are websites and organizations that offer activities and support for relationship issues and loneliness. If you want to discuss issues related to relationships, you can also contact the university chaplain or study psychologist. If you encounter bullying or inappropriate treatment in the higher education community, contact Turvaamo or Helga's harassment contact person.

Meet people and get support for interpersonal matters

Support for loneliness

Conscientiousness, goal-orientation and self-demandingness are qualities that can help you achieve goals that are important to you and move you forward in life. However, excessive demands on oneself can take away joy from life, weaken coping and studying, and contribute to exhaustion. Studying in higher education is independent and demanding which is why inner demands may arise.

Self-demandingness is affected by both innate traits and learned operating models. A common advice for a self-demanding person is to be more merciful towards oneself. This is well-intentioned, but it is often more difficult to put into practice because demanding thinking patterns can be deep-rooted. Self-understanding and practicing new ways of working little by little can help you act differently and cope with excessive self-demands.

If you recognize that being too demanding is hindering your studies or well-being, talking to a study psychologist or study coach, for example, can be helpful.

Learn more: