Chronicle Editor
How can I motivate myself to read
THE environment and daily habits play an important part to motivate one to read. If your environment is surrounded by negativity and discouragement, chances are high that you will also fail.
Again if you develop bad habits, chances are high that you won’t perform well in your exams. However, starting today, cultivate positivity, discard bad habits, and avoid bad friends. Start reading, and motivate yourself to read something every day.
Here are some tips to help you:
Force yourself to read one or two subjects every day. Make this a habit. Force the flesh to be your slave. Don’t be a slave of your bad habits, but force your flesh to be a slave of your good habits. Have a reading culture. Have a list of what you want to read every day and after reading, tick those items. Set goals that you want to fulfil. Develop this routine, and continue having a fixed schedule for reading.
Understand the information that you are reading. If you fail to understand the content you are reading go through it again and again. After finishing a topic, attempt past exam question papers. Test yourself, and assess how far you have comprehended the topic.
NB* If the topic is difficult for you, create meaningful study groups with your friends and discuss grey areas. Also, engage your teachers for better understanding. Take down notes as you read. Apply what you read by summarizing the topic. This will help you not forget what you were reading.
NB* It’s not possible to read all the subjects that you are doing in one day. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
Take breaks every 30 minutes or so. Stand up and stretch or walk around for a minute or two. This will help to keep your energy levels up and prevent you from getting too comfortable. It will also give your eyes and brain a rest and get your blood flowing.
Create a relaxed study environment. An environment that is not noisy or too comfortable, an environment that will make you concentrate. Your sitting position should be comfortable. The back should be against the backrest of the chair, knees making a right angle, feet flat on the floor. Books should be placed at eye level to avoid neck strain.
NB* You can’t read and focus while in your blankets. Chances are high that you will sleep. At the same time, you can’t read while watching television. You won’t concentrate. Share what you read at school the following day. Present to your friends what you read.
This will help you to retain and not to forget what you read. Don’t waste time entertaining people who will discourage you or laugh at you. It’s better to be a bookworm than spend time at school gossiping and showing off. Don’t let people’s opinion define you, but be yourself and shape your future.
Your future can only be bright through working hard. Passing your exams doesn’t come by chance but through hard work. Above all read one verse from the Bible every day, meditate on the word of God. Success is your portion.
n Dr Manners Msongelwa is an author, teacher and youth coach. He can be contacted on +263 771 01 9392.
Online Reporter