Tutor Viewpoint - Learning: How to Motivate Yourself and be Successful

Wendy Claxton BSc (Hons), Dip2.OSH, CMIOSH

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of any course is maintaining motivation levels throughout. Failure to achieve consistent motivation may result in not completing the course, becoming bored with the subject or being so far behind that the exam seems impossible. Initially, as with most things in life, there is the novelty and excitement (!!) of starting a new venture; getting the coursework, unwrapping it, putting it in the files etc. This initial enthusiasm, however, can wane somewhat when you realise that there is actually a lot of work to do to complete the course successfully. For those students attending face- to- face sessions the course can appear straightforward in the classroom, but when faced with private study the work can then seem overwhelming.

So what can be done to ensure that motivation levels remain high from the start? Firstly let's try to understand a little bit about what motivation is.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes "motivate" as: "stimulate interest of" (person in studying) or "cause person to act in a particular way". Clearly the course notes provided should stimulate the interest of the student and as well as providing information should also test knowledge by activities and question/answer. So assuming that the notes fulfil their part then the next step is to ensure that the student undertakes the course in the intended way. But what is the intended way?

The following key words are essential (I think) for being motivated and achieving success:

Make time	(quality time, that is, where you are undisturbed and ready to study)
Ownership	(remember only YOU can make it happen)
Timetable	(set aside quality time and subjects to learn and stick to your plan)
Incentive	(promise yourself a reward when you finish each module/assignment etc)
Value	(remember what the qualification is worth to you e.g. better job prospects)
Ask	(you are not alone - you can ask for help)
Tutor	(it's true, students that use the tutor service are more successful)
Enjoy!	(enjoy broadening your mind and improving your knowledge)

Let's put some of the above into practice then.

Timetable

At the start of each course or module there is a guide as to how many hours study is required. Obviously this is only a guide as some students may progress faster than others in some areas or through the whole course. Have a look to see the levels of study required. If you have attended a face- to- face session then you will have completed some of the hours required but you will still need to spend some additional time reading through your own notes and those provided to really absorb the principles.

It is then a good idea to start by working out how many hours you have available per week. It may be worth completing a timetable for yourself so that you have clearly identified times for studying e.g. Monday 20.00 - 22.00; Wednesday 19.00 - 20.30; Saturday 10.00 - 12.00 etc. It is important to be realistic about how many hours you can actually do. Remember that you do need time to eat, sleep and unwind as well as study. This may seem obvious but if you start off with a gruelling study schedule you may soon become demotivated because you no longer have a balance between work, study and social/home life.

When you have decided which hours you are going to study then you need to stick to this (as far as you can). It is worth ticking off every study session that you complete. This helps to keep you motivated as you can start to see the hours that you have put in.

In addition to the above it is worth identifying week by week which topics/subject matter you are going to cover. Again, when you have completed them you can tick them off. This is a very simple technique which can actually be very satisfying.

The techniques outlined above are very useful when it comes to revising for exams. Students who don't plan their revision timetable can end up cramming unsuccessfully the night before the exam - it's always better to be prepared.

Quality Time

As well as sorting out your timetable you need to make sure that you have somewhere quiet that you can study, preferably where you will be undisturbed. This is not always easy but it is very important. Imagine trying to get to grips with health and safety law with the television on in the background or boisterous children running around. This will just be a frustrating waste of time and will lead to a lack of motivation in the long term.

Ask Your Tutor

Generally there are areas on all courses which some students find more difficult or just plain boring. Obviously these areas still need to be covered but there are ways to make them less painful. For subjects that you find difficult remember that there are always tutors available to help you grasp the principles. You can telephone or e-mail and ask for advice. Sometimes just talking through a subject can help you to understand where you are going wrong. It is also worth remembering, however, that "practice makes perfect" and so completing the questions or scenarios given in the notes (TAAs), revision questions or past papers all help with understanding.

Face-to-face students may have the opportunity to ask their tutors for help during their course. If you discover, however, at a later date that you don't understand something do not hesitate to contact your tutor for clarification.

Reading Around

It is important to read about health and safety in the news so that you can understand current issues and how non-compliances are dealt with. So if you have access to health and safety publications such as Health and Safety Practitioner or hsw (health and safety at work) then do flick through and have a read. There are often legislation updates, details about court cases and questions raised by readers. These can help to consolidate your knowledge and learning about health and safety. It can also bring boring subjects to life.

You could benefit from spending just a few minutes a day reading a safety publication e.g. on the train or during a coffee break. These publications can also help with assignments and make good references, showing that you are reading around the subject.

Why Bother?

If you are feeling demotivated and have had enough then it is worth thinking about why you are doing the course. It may be that you are trying to obtain the qualification to improve your job prospects and either get a better job or move into a different area. Alternatively you may have to do the job for work and you aren't particularly keen. Think about the positives that you will gain, such as increased knowledge and a new qualification. These may open up new options for you. There are always plenty of jobs advertised for health and safety - try looking at these and looking at what qualifications and experience are asked for. This may encourage you to carry on and successfully complete the course.

Perhaps the incentive for completing the course is obtaining membership of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, for example. Alternatively it may be that the course assists with achieving continual professional development in your area of work.

Most of the courses offered lead to qualifications that are well respected in the industry and so there is a certain amount of kudos in obtaining them.

If you have obtained the qualification through self-study this says a lot about your commitment and perseverance. Whilst it is not necessarily the easiest route distance learning is often the most flexible and can be fitted around a busy work/home schedule.

Give Yourself a Pat on the Back!!

You may want to reward yourself at various stages through the course. For example, after finishing the first module or handing in your first assignment you may promise yourself a night out or a new CD or something which will be an incentive. This helps to keep your motivation levels high and gives you something to aim for.

Enjoy!

Lastly it is important to enjoy the course. This may seem difficult at times but try to actually enjoy expanding your mind and learning new ideas and principles. If we enjoy something we often find it easier to achieve success. Try to look at the course as a challenge and enjoy rising to that challenge and achieving success.

Good luck!!

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