It’s the end of the semester. We’re starting to think about the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. There are only a few more weeks of classes, then finals and we’re done. But are we too eager for the semester to be finished?
Student burnout isn’t just a phrase coined by parents to warn us about taking on too much responsibility in college; it’s believed by many to be a psychological condition brought on by long hours, the lack of support groups, the idea of too much responsibility and, yes, work overload. For many years, student burnout has been the subject of study for many researchers in the psychological field.
If you find there aren’t enough hours in the day and you have four projects due the same week with finals coming up, odds are, you’re going to get tired and frustrated. For most, that’s normal. However, when exhaustion and frustration are combined with the anticipation of a long break, that’s when things start going south.
According to an article in the International Journal of Educational Development, burnout can lead to anxiety, frustration, depression, fear or hostility. Although the results of burnout usually aren’t that serious, the effects we most commonly see are lower commitment, low morale, absenteeism and reduced productivity. I know I’m guilty of at least one of those.
At this point, there are probably many students who are experiencing burnout in some form. I think what surprised me the most was that burnout is considered to be a psychological condition.
Even teachers and instructors can suffer from burnout. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 23 reported that when teachers put all of their energy and focus into educating students and have simply given their all, that teacher could have burnout similar to students.
Yes, I know; I sound like the high school principal: “The semester’s not over yet (ramble, ramble, ramble ...).”
I suppose what I’m saying is don’t let the stress of combining classes, tests, work and a personal life get the best of you in the last few weeks of the semester. Make these last weeks count and finish the way you want it to; that way, the Christmas break is even more enjoyable.
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