For College Students | Matt Karlsven - Curiosity Expert & Author

Many college students experience stress, confusion, procrastination, pressure, boredom, and meaninglessness—and think the solution is more discipline, more studying, forcing themselves to work harder. But what actually solves these struggles is curiosity.

😩 Stress 🌀 Confusion ⏳ Procrastination 😬 Pressure 😐 Boredom 🤷‍♂️ Meaninglessness

When you ask "Why does this matter?" or "How can this apply to something I care about?" your energy changes. Studying becomes purposeful, motivated, and interesting. Curiosity fuels persistence.

College Feels Hard When You're Not Curious

Story: Marissa Hated Statistics Until One Question Changed Everything

Marissa was failing intro statistics. She didn't care about z-scores or regressions.

One day her professor asked: "How often do dating apps match compatible people?"

Marissa wondered: "What makes two people more likely to click?" That question sent her down a path—researching correlation, analyzing behavioral choices, gathering relationship satisfaction data, applying regression models.

Later she said: "Stats didn't get easier. It just became MY question."

She went from failing to earning an A– not because the class changed—but because HER curiosity showed up.

Curiosity is the Secret to Better Grades (Without Increasing Work)

The brain retains what it finds interesting. Information sticks when the brain asks: "What does this mean?" "Why does it matter?" "How can I use this?" "How does this connect to something I care about?"

Curiosity naturally produces deeper focus, longer attention, better memory, and less procrastination—because curiosity gives learning a purpose.

Deeper focus
Longer attention
Better memory
Less procrastination

When You're Unmotivated, It's Usually Not Laziness

Often it's one of these:

❌ The task feels meaningless

❌ The task is unclear

❌ The task feels too big

❌ You feel afraid of failing

Curiosity fixes all four.

Try These Curiosity Questions

"What is the smallest piece of this assignment I could understand right now?"

"What's confusing about this—and why?"

"What part of this might actually help me later?"

"What could make this assignment interesting to ME?"

Motivation increases when meaning increases.

Curiosity Replaces "I Don't Get It" with "I Want to Figure This Out"

Instead of "This class is pointless," try: "What question is this subject trying to answer?"

Reframe Your Subjects

Biology

Not: "Memorize cell parts."

"How does my body know how to heal after I get hurt?"

Accounting

Not: "Learn debit/credit systems."

"How do businesses know where they're leaking money?"

Philosophy

Not: "Read old theories."

"What ideas shaped modern systems without us even noticing?"

Engineering

Not: "Solve physics equations."

"How do invisible forces determine what stays standing?"

Story: Jacob and Economics

Jacob was failing Microeconomics. He thought: "Supply curves and demand curves are pointless."

Then curiosity emerged through one question: "Why is housing so expensive where I live?"

He applied elasticity, scarcity, and market equilibrium. Suddenly he cared. He stopped procrastinating. He started participating.

Same subject. Different purpose.

Curiosity Increases Confidence

Confidence comes from one thing: Evidence that your effort leads to clarity.

When you shift from "I don't understand this" to "Let me figure out one piece," you build confidence through small breakthroughs, incremental understanding, and visible progress.

Confidence is created through curiosity. Not perfection.

Curiosity Makes Studying Less Miserable

Instead of forcing long study blocks, try micro-exploration sessions.

Micro Study Session Template

1 Ask: "What ONE thing do I want to understand better?"

2 Spend 6–12 minutes learning only that thing

3 Write down: "What did I learn?"

4 Stop

Small accomplishments reinforce motivation. Micro progress compounds.

Story: Maya's 20-minute Rule

Maya couldn't study for long. So she did: 20 minutes study → 3-minute break → repeat.

But before each study block, she asked: "What am I curious about right now in this textbook?"

When curiosity answered, her brain focused faster. She retained better. Eventually she studied longer—not because she forced herself—but because she wanted to understand more.

When Classes Feel Pointless, Tie Them to Your Life

Ask: "What skill does this secretly give me?"

Presentation assignments

→ communication power

Essays

→ thinking clarity

Math

→ real-world decision making

Psychology

→ relationship intelligence

Chemistry

→ understanding products you consume

Literature

→ decoding perspectives

Business classes

→ influence, negotiation, strategy

Learning is never "pointless"—just disconnected until curiosity plugs it in.

Curiosity Turns Stress Into Opportunity

Stress typically says: "I can't handle this."

Curiosity says: "What would make this easier?"

Stress-Reducing Questions

"What resource am I not using yet?"

"What am I assuming is harder than it actually is?"

"What can I ask my professor for clarification on?"

"What would make this assignment 30% simpler?"

Curiosity lowers internal pressure.

Curiosity Helps Overcome Procrastination

People procrastinate because they dread the task, fear incompetence, or don't know where to begin.

Curiosity gives a first step:

Anti-Procrastination Questions

"What would happen if I just start for 5 minutes?"

"What is the smallest meaningful piece?"

"What question could I answer today that would help tomorrow?"

When you start small, the resistance disappears.

Make School Meaningful, Engaging, and Productive