Midterms are a tough time in the semester for every student, but a major cause of concern most people fail to recognize is burnout after exams. After all the stress from midterms accumulates, many students lose the motivation to keep up with classes and work after finishing the exams. As such, it is important to keep tips in mind to avoid this burnout and stay strong all the way to finals.
Symptoms
The symptoms of burnout vary from student to student. However, some common ways to identify burnout in yourself or others include a lingering feeling of exhaustion, lack of motivation or sleep, inability to concentrate or feelings of anxiety. Overall, there is a general feeling of being unable to continue with course work or other academic responsibilities. Once it is recognized that someone is experiencing burnout, then steps can be taken to reverse or further prevent the burnout.
Prevention and Treatment
The first step toward avoiding or reversing burnout would be to ensure that you have plenty of social time planned. Burnout can often result from one’s social meter becoming drained after spending so much time focusing on exams and grading. To fill that social meter back up, take some time to either plan activities with friends or go to an event where there will be socialization. Students can also be social by staying engaged with the campus, meaning that going to club events or working with a group of people on an assignment can up your social time without having to put priorities to the side.
Another way to reverse burnout could come from changing up your schedule. If you are committed to studying at the same time every day, try moving your schedule around so work is being done at different times. For instance, move studying to later in the night and break up the monotony by recharging during the day. Evaluate why you are feeling this way towards your work and instead of just putting off the work entirely, try and complete what you need to just at a different point.
Another way to prevent burnout from happening again is to improve balancing abilities. Learning how to properly balance schoolwork, home life, a social life and whatever else someone may be a part of is a difficult task but can be accomplished. Do not be afraid to say no or turn down opportunities when stretched too thin.
Resources
In addition, do not be afraid to reach out to resources. Burnout is extremely common among college students and there are resources available to help mediate that feeling. If a class in particular is affecting you, reach out to the professor or explore resources the university offers to support students like the Tutoring and Testing Center.
Do not let burnout affect the rest of your semester. Rest up and take time for yourself. There are numerous resources online that provide more tips on preventing and reversing burnout. Find what works for you and run with it.
