Marcus: Manuela, you are both a university lecturer and a mentor and you have also studied yourself. When someone is right at the beginning of distance learning, what are they committing to in the long term? What should they be clear about in terms of motivation over this period?

Manuela: Distance learning students are often shocked when they realize how much effort distance learning requires. This is not surprising - distance universities often present the effort in their marketing activities as less than it actually is. Furthermore, the individual situation of the students is not taken into account in communication. Each student brings different prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and ambition.

The personal and professional situations of students are often very different and present individual challenges. Distance learners should therefore be aware that a distance learning programme is a commitment that spans years and also has significant effects on their personal lives and jobs.

Therefore, it often helps to ask yourself the following questions at the beginning of your studies: what motivates me for this course? What do I want to achieve afterwards? These visualizations then help a lot in dealing with and overcoming larger motivation crises.

Marcus: Are there specific differences in the challenges for long-term motivation between on-campus studies and distance learning?

Manuela: Definitely. I repeatedly find that distance learners feel very isolated. This is due to the study situation in distance learning: students often only get to know other students in online events. This makes it difficult to build close contacts with other students. So, there is little opportunity to exchange ideas even during a motivation slump.

Distance learners therefore need to self-motivate to a particularly large extent because there is so little social contact with other distance learners. This is certainly much easier for students in an on-campus situation. Interaction with other students is much more intense, simply because there is regular personal contact.

If you want to manage a multiple burden of job, studies, and personal life over the years, the goals must be clear.

Marcus: In psychology, there is often talk of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in relation to personal goals. What role does the connection between personal goals and study or career goals play in maintaining motivation?

Manuela: In my opinion, it is essential to link personal goals with study and career goals. Knowing the goal I am pursuing makes it much easier or even possible. Especially when we think about the heavy burden of distance learning.

If you are supposed to manage a multiple burden of job, studies, and personal life over the years, goals must be clearly in focus. It is also my experience that motivation holes appear when the end goal is not clearly visible.

Marcus: We are now in the midst of our studies, the initial hype about the start of the studies has long passed, and the first exams have provided initial results. How can students effectively deal with setbacks or loss of motivation and still achieve their learning goals? What if something in the study is causing persistent problems?

Manuela: I am a big fan of consciously engaging in the analysis of the situation. I am not talking about a days-long retreat to a lonely mountain pasture to rethink one's own study situation. A leisurely walk or consciously writing down the interfering factors is already a good start to initiate a change.

It is important to completely honestly and brutally assess one's own situation: maybe I didn't study enough? Were there knowledge gaps that I should have closed before completing a module? Did I have the theoretical knowledge to write a good term paper? This honesty helps a lot in analyzing one's own situation.

However, an external perspective can also help to deal with the challenges better. This way, it becomes clearer what the exact challenges are and what causes them. Mentoring can also help here to find a permanent solution.

Furthermore, actively facing one's own situation is very helpful - the longer the study situation is endured, the bigger the problems usually become.

Marcus: Is there a specific point at which students should actively seek help from universities, lecturers, or study mentors like you? Where can this support be sustainable and, in particular, help with long-term motivation in studies?

Manuela: I am also a big fan of seeking the support of a mentor sooner rather than later. Often, a small impulse can be very helpful. Furthermore, actively facing one's own situation is very helpful – the longer the study situation is endured, the bigger the problems usually become.

A mentor then helps to make distance learning easier and more manageable by working on individual challenges. Often, students then automatically reconnect with their (initial) motivation.

Marcus: Can you share some basic strategies and recommendations with students at this point so that they can sustain their motivation over the duration of their (distance) studies, or find it again?

Manuela: I think it's important to first clarify the basic motivation: where do I want to be personally and professionally in 1, 3, 5 or 10 years? Distance learning provides valuable impulses here and sets the course for personal and professional development.

If I make it clear at the beginning of my studies where I want to go, then it is easier to maintain my motivation in the long term. Also during the more challenging phases.

If I make it clear at the beginning of my studies where I want to go, then it is easier to maintain my motivation in the long term.

Photo above: @alessioboscofotografie