Beating college burnout
No matter what you’re studying in college, you’ll have a demanding schedule with an over-the-top workload and multiple stressful nights. This can lead to burnout – becoming physically or emotionally exhausted – and happens to many students! Burnout stems from extended amounts of stress or frustration and leads to a lack of motivation. College is the time to dig our heels in the mud and work as hard as possible so we can start a successful life for ourselves. Burnout can be an enemy in doing that.It can be scary to feel exhausted and tired of working when working hard is most important. My goal with this blog is to show you it’s okay to feel tired, but taking the correct steps to manage your hectic life will help you avoid falling into the burnout pit.
You Aren’t Alone
I know fatigue is prominent in engineering students like me, but no matter what major, the majority of students experience burnout. I took a poll of students on campus by asking, “Have you experienced burnout during your time in college?” The question was sent out to a variety of majors. These were the results: 76% of business/political science majors, 84% of engineering students, and 92% of liberal arts/English/psychology majors said they have had a burnout. One hundred and seven of 126 students asked said ‘yes’. This experiment is not perfect by any means, but it shows students across all majors have the same problem. It is important to know how you can avoid it, so let’s talk about it.
Work Ahead
Burnout isn’t an instantaneous “disease” that will kick in overnight. It occurs after you become broken down by the tasks of work, school, and everyday life. Getting rid of it isn’t immediate either. You have to be efficient with your time and work. Without that, it will be nearly impossible to create the breaks that your mind and body need to rest and reset. Try getting assignments done as soon as possible after receiving them to avoid the stress of running out of time. Also, it opens up time later in the week to do activities that will relieve stress.
Manage Your Time
Constantly trying to avoid stress by putting off work and tasks only creates a different kind of stress. Learn to manage your work and spread it evenly throughout your schedule. This method will give each day a little more work, but it will eliminate having one dreaded day in your schedule where a stack of prolonged assignments await.
Take ‘Me’ Time
The final thing to do is to take time for yourself. There are so many things to be done during your time at college, and sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all of them. Sometimes you have to be selfish and do the things you want to do, in order to relieve stress and exhaustion. Whether that is going to the gym or watching Netflix alone in your room, you should occasionally take the time to rest and reset.
It is important to remember that you aren’t alone in feeling burned out. There are steps you can take to prevent it from happening again. Experiencing burnout can be hard, but you can beat it! Keep working hard and good luck this semester!
About the author
Evan Carey
Evan Carey is 19 years old from Ocala, Florida. He is currently a sophomore at the University of Texas at Arlington studying biomedical engineering. He is also the Pearson Campus Ambassador for UT-Arlington. In his free time enjoys being with his friends, participating in fitness activities, and spending time at the Wesley Foundation.
Evan is a contributor to the Pearson Students Blog. If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!
