Burnout: It’s Real and Avoidable

By HANNAH BENSON/Staff Contributor

Editor’s Note: This article deals with the common issues of stress and burnout. If you are feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed, reach out for free to the UT Tyler Counseling Center online, by phone, or by email.

It is Monday morning. You wake up to your alarm blaring your favorite song from high school right next to your ear. You roll over to see it is 7 a.m.: the first class of the day starts in an hour. You lie thinking about the long day ahead.

Suddenly, you become overwhelmed with dread, stress, and fear as you think about the long list of assignments due by 11:59 p.m. That’s not to mention the three exams this week, shifts you have at work, that student event on Friday night, and all the plans you made with your friends.

As you lie thinking about this, thoughts creep in telling you to just go back to bed and skip the first class. The thoughts say you can handle this later, and it will get done eventually. So you roll over, go back to sleep, and push away your problems to be handled later.

During the middle of the semester, many students begin to struggle with burnout and feeling overwhelmed. Some students begin skipping classes, not turning in assignments, and pushing schoolwork to the side. They begin falling behind and their grades slowly start to slip.

Once this happens, it becomes harder to find the motivation to go to class and improve grades. Burnout creates lack of hard work and leads students to feel depressed, anxious, and lost.

“I always find that after midterms I start to struggle with staying motivated with school,” said Kaitlyn Hernandez, an education major and nanny. 

Hernandez said one thing that has helped her overcome burnout is finding something to keep her motivated. This could be allowing oneself to splurge and buy a new laptop at the end of the semester for keeping your GPA up, going on a summer trip to reward perfect attendance, or something simple like going to dinner at a favorite restaurant.

“Something that has helped me a lot during college is always making sure to take time for myself throughout the day, no matter how long or short it is,” said Carley Scroggins, an accounting major and daycare worker.

Scroggins said she combats burnout by spending an hour each night to do self care and allow herself a moment to breathe. During this time, she does not do homework or get on social media. This allows her to focus solely on herself and make sure she gives her brain a break.

“At the end of the day, you have to realize that college is just a small part of your life,” said Susan McElroy, a teacher at Hubbard Middle School and a mentor to college students. “You have so much ahead of you, and you have to keep your end goals in mind.”

Many students agree that college can be overwhelming and is a lot more difficult than how it is presented in movies. Many have romanticized the idea of going to college, and are not prepared for how much work they will have. Some students find peace knowing their time in college doesn’t last long, and that the tears they spilled over writing essays and the late nights spent doing homework will be worth it.

College is a challenge, and it can be hard to find motivation to get everything done. So this week, take time for yourself and come up with ways to stay motivated through the end of the semester. Have peace knowing that these hard times will be worth it when you are a success and working your dream job.