How your study association can boost your motivation!
Niels Bakker | juni 9, 2026
Many students I speak with aren’t actively involved in their study association. In fact, study associations have been struggling since the pandemic began. They’re having trouble filling committee and board positions and are seeing low turnout at fun and interesting activities. That’s a shame, because a student association can offer something that students often lack: motivation!
Self-Determination Theory
To explain how your motivation can get a boost by being more actively involved in your student association, I’ll refer to Self-Determination Theory. This theory consists of three components, each of which is positively influenced by your future participation (after reading this blog) in your study association.
Autonomy: Your studies can often feel like a “must” with imposed goals and deadlines. However, participating in your student association’s activities is entirely voluntary. You choose to attend that fascinating lecture by a successful professional in the field, which goes beyond the standard course material. Or, you choose to take on a role within the association. You make the choice yourself, and that gives you a sense of freedom!
Connection: Student life always seems like one big party, but plenty of students still feel lonely the moment they walk into those huge lecture halls. This happens even though you have a club and a fun house. How is that possible? It’s often because there’s no connection with other students within the same study. So, you still feel disconnected from the people around you during your participation in the study program. The student association can solve this in a fun way. So be sure to go to those social gatherings and lectures!
Competency: By not only focusing on meeting assigned deadlines and goals, but also delving into interesting topics that go beyond the required curriculum, we see students’ self-confidence and intrinsic motivation grow. By actively engaging with fellow students, it becomes easier to discuss subject-specific topics, and finding a study buddy is a breeze. Knowledge and skills grow in a fun way, and with them, the sense of competence.
If you’d like to learn more about Self-Determination Theory and how it can help you become intrinsically motivated, take a moment to watch this video.
Of course, Wake Up Student is also there to help boost your motivation!
