In this chapter I draw on insights from the fields of psychology and educational psychology to interpret how some of the students experienced motivation during college. More specifically, I borrow three theoretical frameworks: self-determination theory, possible future selves, and subjective task value. Using these ideas as an interpretive guide, I build brief narratives of three students—Aneta, Ewa, and Khaled—highlighting how their experiences of motivation evolved during the college years. While the concept of motivation has psychological basis, I emphasize the contextual dimensions of the issue, arguing that these international students’ unique life circumstances—including, importantly, their specific visa and immigration situations—affected academic and other motivations. To this extent, I argue that international students’ motivation experiences can differ from those of domestic students, partly as a result of structural factors.