What Students Are Saying About What Motivates Them to Learn

Grades and the feeling of accomplishment

My personal motives towards my learning are not complicated, I simply strive for the best grades because of the pride it fills me with. When I get an assignment I put in my best effort, because I know the outcome of a good grade will be the most satisfying feeling.

— Sofia, Glenwood Springs High School, CO

I used to think what motivated me to get good grades and learn in school was so that eventually all the time and effort of working hard would pay off later in the future … That isn’t not true for me, but when I look at it with a bigger lens I think what motivates me in the end run, is being able to achieve greatness and success that will reinforce my self worth … I believe that’s what motivates me, being able to say “I did that,” with the full confidence of knowing I worked hard to do it, and that people around me know that too.

— Haiyan, Glen Ellyn IL

Preparing for the future

As much as I want to say that “a simple willingness to learn” is what propels me to do well in school, it’s not. While it might’ve been when I was younger, schools nowadays are so destination focused that I can’t help but be swept away into raging rapids of grades, colleges, and careers. I’m motivated to do well not because I truly want to learn the material, but because I have to do well in order to get where I want to be later in life … It makes me worry where my motivation will come from if I do get into college.

— Josh, Harvard Westlake

I agree with Mr. Malesic saying that “the willingness to learn” is usually the key to success for students, but I cannot say this would apply to my academic career. Being fully engaged in a class I do not like being in is difficult for me, especially if I won’t be using the information throughout my life. To stay motivated in my classes, I think about my athletic career and dreams of being a college athlete, dreams I’ve had since I was little.

— Daniel, Franklin Square

Being taught a mind-numbingly boring topic is practically inevitable in high school. There’s no avoiding it, but I recognize that I have many goals for my future, including being accepted into medical school to receive a doctorate degree. Emphasizing and developing these goals helps me to prioritize my work, and to put my best effort into everything that I do.

— Ansleigh, Patrick Henry High School, Ashland

Expanding my world

Motivation in learning can differentiate for many different types of people. But for me, my motivation is not only attempting to set structure and demonstrate good grades, but further extending my knowledge and becoming a smarter and better human. Beyond that, learning is not only grades and striving for A’s. It’s an experience, a world that opens doors and unlocks keys that lead to new discoveries.

— Jack, Glenbard West High School

Every day I go to school because I must. I listen and participate because if I don’t, I will fail and will have no way to support myself or a family when I’m older. I have completely lost what it means to learn and how exciting it is. I feel this is mostly the school system’s fault, though some of it is probably mine. We are endlessly told we need to pay attention so we can pass the test and the class, not because knowing this information will help us later on in life (which, let’s be honest, most of it won’t). That’s why I really liked what Mr. Malesic said about Calculus: he hasn’t solved a single problem in years, but learning it expanded his mind and challenged him. Reading this invigorated me to challenge myself in my schooling from now on.

— Emma, Fountain Valley High School