Finding yourself watching too much T.V., doing all your homework during the passing period before, or deciding that studying for your science test is just too much can put a damper on your G.P.A. After waking up at the same time every day, going through the motions, and then promptly going to sleep, it can be hard to see the point of completing a never-ending amount of worksheets. Gathering incentive for yourself to bring your A game to the table is easy, you just need to know how.

1. Break your routine. Of course, routine is discipline and discipline is success yadda yadda yadda, but hear me out! Try asking for a pass to the library to do your homework during your study hall. Work on homework with a companion. Try different study methods or time of day you usually study.
2. Have breakfast. I know when I’m lacking motivation because I don’t leave extra time for myself in the morning. Help yourself have something you want to wake up for by pre-making oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, or a smoothie.
3. Utilize your time in school. Even taking advantage of a few minutes at the end of class, lunch, TA, or a passing period can help ease the workload at night. Be sure to leave a couple hours after school to yourself so it doesn’t feel as if you’re constantly either at school, thinking of school, or procrastinating school.
4. Study for tests doing something you enjoy with people you enjoy. Coffee shops and libraries are specifically designed for students and academics to focus and enjoy being somewhere that work is encouraged.
5. Reward yourself.  Being a high school student is a rewardless job; mostly because almost everyone goes through it, but sometimes getting a sense of compensation can help boost your academic endurance. Would Michael Phelps still work out every day is he weren’t a 28-time Olympic medalist? Of course not. Buy yourself your favorite snack when you get an A on a test. Take a bubble bath after studying for a final.

As a student, I get it. It’s hard to wake up before dawn every day and work your butt of sometimes just to get through the day. It will all come full circle; the puzzle pieces will all align, and when you find yourself telling your kids to buckle down and do their homework you’ll be happy you did the same. Change your study and time management habits and see your grades go up, your social energy last longer, and your life improve. Give the world the best of you and not the rest of you.