The word “motivation” has many fluctuating ideals. If you were to ask any person’s individual definition of the word, you would be bound to get a different answer every time. The questions of what motivates students to do well in classes, what causes students to have feelings of unmotivation, as well as if and how resources are being utilized are all topics that have relation to each member of Roger Williams University.

Not only are first-year students required to juggle new classes and a whole new environment, they also have to balance their extracurricular activities.

When asked how her sport affected her studies, first-year and member of the equestrian team, Geniefer Loring, said, “Riding does put a strain on my studies, especially after practice if I am tired. But I always try to pull through. Sports motivate me more as well, since it is something I love, and if I do not do well in school, I cannot ride.”

It is a known phenomenon that motivation can make a steady decline as the year goes on, especially when vacation is just around the corner and dreaded midterm and final exams creep closer.

However, Writing Studies professor James Moore believed lack of motivation was not a big issue among his students. Moore stated, “For some students, they go strong throughout the year, but for some they stop coming to class or stop turning in assignments throughout the year.”

In terms of upperclassmen, Moore continued, “[T]hey figure out how to do the course and do the work to get a good grade. But if it is the case, it can be due to personal issues, or if they were to have a job. Some work two to three jobs and cannot keep up — they are just doing too many things at once.”

The Tutoring Center, located on the second floor of the library, is a well known program at RWU that gives students the opportunity to work with upperclassmen or teachers that have expertise in the given subject. Director of the Tutoring Center, Karen Bilotti, compared students learning remotely versus in person and how these students still have a strong willingness to learn material.

“A lot of students are getting used to coming in and working with someone face to face,” Bilotti said. “When we went remote, we developed an online emailing system for the tutoring center that students like, which is still incredibly popular.”

When asked about the preference between in person and remote teaching, Bilotti said, “Students got used to remote learning, and are still in that mode to a certain extent. Seniors take advantage of it in person frequently because they were here to appreciate it, but sophomores never got to experience that previously.”

Motivation has relation to each member of RWU, but it has a subjective meaning to each individual. The misconception that unmotivated students are too lazy is disproved by the fact that many students are juggling responsibilities. Students are utilizing their resources at a consistent rate, as well as participating in extracurricular activities that motivate them to work on their studies. As the school year continues, students should hold onto their own reasons that keep them motivated in troubling times.