Getting motivated to go to college isn’t necessarily tough, but getting motivated at college is often times a struggle for students.
College students may not be the most motivated people when it comes to forcing themselves out of bed and to class everyday, but as long as they put forth a good effort in class, some may feel enough has been done.
Over the course of the semester, sophomore Marjory Johnson said students have a tendency to care more about going to class and fixing themselves up in the mornings than they do later in the semester, if ever.
Johnson said the drive to attend class at the beginning of a semester has a lot to do with finding out what the course will involve giving a good first impression.
She said she dresses nicer and does her hair and makeup at the beginning of a semester to give a good first impression to her instructor, and only a first impression.
“The teacher has seen me looking nice, so they know I’m not a slob,” she said. “Toward the beginning I try more, but then at about the second week I go downhill. I always dress nice, but it’s just my hair and makeup that don’t get done.”
At the beginning of the year, sophomore Curtis Myers said he feels excited to start school and go to class after working all summer, but becomes bogged down by midterms and becomes prone to miss classes.
Having a good appearance isn’t what instructors are necessarily looking for, Christine Onasch, Instructor in Environmental Studies, said.
“I do notice when students are dressed up, but I am more impressed with what they produce,” she said.
Johnson said she feels if a student’s lazy habits are affecting their discussion and grades in class, the teacher probably doesn’t think very highly of them. Though in many cases, Myers said, “just showing up speaks a lot.”
Going to college in Bowling Green provides a unique set of problems some students take into consideration when getting ready to go to class: weather.
Onasch said if it is raining and cold in the morning, then students are less likely to show up, but attendance will get better as the day goes on.
With the high winds and often bone-chilling temperatures in Bowling Green, many students feel going outside just isn’t worth it.
If a student has a class where they know nothing important is going on and conditions outside are less than perfect – which is often the case in Bowling Green – a lot of times they will skip.
Johnson always tries to go to class and will avoid knowing the weather until she has already stepped outside.
“I try not to look at the weather channel in the mornings; otherwise I probably wouldn’t go to class,” Johnson said.
While cold weather is often the most experienced weather in Bowling Green, warm weather has affects on student attendance, as well.
“Distracted behavior comes from sunny warm weather rather than cloudy and cold weather,” Onasch said. “Spring is the worst. If it warms up in the second week of April they’re just not interested.”
With the weather always being so cold in Bowling Green, when it does warm up, and the sun does come out, Onasch said “everyone wants to be outside, not in class.”
