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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at ODU chapter.

As a sophomore in college, I’ve experienced two major burnouts this semester alone. It feels like the work will never stop, like the end is always just out of sight. I’m counting down the days until winter break comes around, but I’m tired of living like this. I don’t want to be counting my life away because of school, I want to feel more in the moment and excited by school. Does this ring a bell to you? If it does, keep reading, and I’ll provide you with some insight into what burnout is and how to deal with it! 

What is “burnout,” and why do we get it?

Burnout is often defined as feeling overly stressed, overwhelmed, dreading/feeling apathetic over work or classes, or being more irritable and disinterested in your work or things going on around you, according to The Best Schools. If you are in a state of burnout, specifically as a college student, assignments may be harder than normal to knock out. A five-minute task may feel too overwhelming to get through, even though you know logically it won’t be difficult. 

Burnout can be caused by “prolonged, unrewarding and excessive stress,” as said by Contra Tiempo. It’s easy to get burnt out in college with these causes. With assignment due dates overtaking the calendar, it’s easy for the prolonged box to be checked off on this list. The reward of finishing an assignment, exam, quiz or project doesn’t last long. There’s always something else lurking behind it, needing to get done. Once again, another box checked. Excessive stress? Many college students are also juggling a job and/or clubs on top of their school workload. It’s important to stay involved in school so you can create lasting friendships and gain experiences that will look good on your resume in the future. A job is needed to make rent, gas and grocery money, but shifts may interfere with getting homework done. Remember those lasting friendships I just mentioned? Well, in order for them to be lasting, you need to carve more time out of your already busy schedule. And of course, clubs. Typically clubs have meetings and expect you to be active. Yet another task to add to the calendar. 

With all the boxes checked, it’s easy to see how college can burn out the average student pretty easily. Everywhere we turn, there’s a deadline, a shift, a meeting or a hang out waiting for our attention. 

How common is it?

So we know what burnout is and why it happens, but does everyone experience this, or am I alone in these feelings? Do I just not know how to manage my stress and time? Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. According to an article titled, “How to Avoid College Burnout,” by Southern New Hampshire University, “85% of college students said they felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point in the past year.” So, take a breath. You aren’t the only one.

But don’t take it from a statistic with no life and experience behind it. Instead, let’s hear it from some real college students who have experienced burnout. I interviewed three ODU sophomores: Abby Buchannon, Hailey Glidden and Maddie Cochran. We talked about their experiences with burnout, and they gave real and honest answers to many questions I’m sure you have as well. They’re here to give a real life experience, as well as show you that you truly aren’t alone in these feelings. 

How often do you feel like you’re burnt out, overly stressed or anxious about college? 

Maddie: Literally all the time. Well, maybe more like twice a month. 

Abby: Yeah, I would say probably about every two weeks. So twice a month too.

Hailey: Probably every day.

Abby: Work-wise, like homework-wise, probably every two weeks. The concept of college itself, the idea of college, is more like every day. 

What is the main cause of your burnout, in your opinion? For example, is it the amount of assignments due, the frequency, tests or exams, etc? 

Hailey: Exams.

Abby: I would say exams, and just how lengthy all the assignments are. For example, “Connect” for anatomy? It takes forever, like three hours to do it. It’s just so time-consuming.

Maddie: I’ve also been feeling like this lately. I keep on feeling like every single day is the exact same thing and every single week I’m doing the same exact assignments, even though it’s new material. It’s still the same stuff. 

Abby: Yup, there’s nothing different.

Maddie: It’s boring doing the same thing every single week.

Hailey: I have a hard time not being lazy. I have a hard time caring. Like, I care, but I’m thinking of my now, not the future. 

How do I prevent burnout?

If you happen to catch this article before you feel burnt out, you’re in luck! Here are some tips and tricks that will help you before you feel the burnout, provided by SNHU.

Maintain a schedule

Letting things pile up on you accelerates the burnout process! Try figuring out what’s due on each day ahead of time, and create a weekly schedule of when you can get things done. Make sure to stay realistic! Don’t give yourself five assignments to do in one day if it’s not tangible. 

Get sleep

As cliche as it sounds, sleep fixes everything. Sleep is your fuel, and if you’re running on empty, how are you supposed to get anything done? Cornell Health says that we need to be getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night. You’ll thank yourself when you aren’t dragging at the end of the day! 

Make time for fun

When creating your weekly schedule, make sure to include time to take a break, make plans with friends, or have time to enjoy a hobby of yours. Making sure that you’re having fun is a great way to stay less stressed out and keep your mood up! 

How do I heal from burnout? 

Let’s say you caught this article in the midst of your burnout. Don’t worry, you won’t be left out. There are ways to coax yourself out of a burnout and get back in a good groove! Before I include some advice, let’s hear from our interviewees again on how they deal with burnout. 

What do you do, if anything, when you feel burnt out? 

Hailey: Uh, sleep. I’m not lying.

Abby: I get comfort food, I listen to music and I just try my best to knock out everything.

Maddie: I play music or I watch a good show that I like and work on my stuff while doing that. 

Do you think it would help your stress levels if you spaced work out and managed your time?

Abby: Oh, 100%

Hailey: I don’t think so.

Maddie: I’ve been trying to do that the past couple of weeks and I, like I said, feel like I’m doing the same thing every single day.

Abby: I mean yeah, I guess if you space it out, you do something, well you still have everything else to do.

Hailey: I think spacing it out makes it seem like more. You know, I only really do my homework and stuff when I’m in classes. Because that’s when I really lock in. I’m already sitting down, I’m kind of not paying attention, even though I should be, so I just lock in on homework. Cause it’s like, I’m timed, so the class will go faster. That’s why I do it. 

Let’s review what was said. Sleep, music, comfort food and good shows are all ways that real college students handle their burnouts. A suggestion when doing homework is to set a timer. While the classroom environment helped these students focus, having a set amount of time to work may help you work better! Here are some more suggestions to break out of your burnout, again from SNHU! 

Change up your schedule

Like Maddie said, things can feel incredibly monotonous in school. Change up where you’re working or the time you do work, if you can! This may help to change up your pace and make things more interesting. 

Sleep

While this also falls under how to prevent burnout, it can also help you heal burnout. If you’re overworking yourself, chances are you’re spending time on your work when you should be sleeping. Sleep is how the body replenishes itself, and it’s crucial to your health 

Go for a walk

Breathe in some fresh air and get a change of scenery! Blue Cross NC posted an article about the effects of walking on your stress levels. They say that it’s actually an “instant mood booster.” Being active gets your blood pumping and increases your oxygen levels in your brain, which releases those feel-good hormones! You’ll feel more energetic and creative afterwards, and who doesn’t love that? 

Visit ODU counseling services

Old Dominion has a free resource for students right at your fingertips. Their web page states: “We are devoted to helping students resolve stressful circumstances…and equipping you with tools for a healthy work-life balance…” Sounds to me like they can provide just the help you may need! Also on their web page, they have links to different modules designed to help you overcome stress and burnout, procrastination, as well as time management. 

It’s my sincere hope that this article allowed you to feel heard and understood. It’s okay to be hit by burnout; it doesn’t mean you’re a lazy, horrible student. There are tools available to help you through it all, which I hope you’ll give a try! Don’t let the burnout beat you when you can beat it! 

Hey, I'm Taylor! I'm a journalism major, with an intended double major in photography and print media. In my free time, I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, and making collages.