There comes a time when students need a break from the pressures that come with their studies. This mostly affects students who decide to attend classes during the summer. It’s also the primary reason that many students choose to take summer semester off.
Students who do make the decision to attend summer classes, whether to get ahead or to catch up, will often find themselves needing a break sooner than their fall/spring semester counterparts. This can result in burnout.
Burnout is a big problem that a lot of students endure. After going one semester after another, they begin to feel like their time in school will never end. The pressure to graduate on time becomes too great, so they feel like they have to continue attending on a regular basis.
A student’s life can be a determining factor in whether or not they experience burnout. For example, an illness, lack of financial support or a death in the family may result in a student taking time off. One semester quickly turns to two. Before they know it, years have passed since they entered a classroom.
The key to avoiding burnout is managing stress. Instead of working around the clock, students should take breaks from time to time. One way students can manage stress is by not over-booking their schedules. It’s important to make time for regular breaks from studying and other school-related activities.
Every major in college can experience burnout. It all depends on the workload students are given and their ability to plan and adapt to increasing workloads.
Living the college life is all about packing on the extracurricular activities in an effort to attain the complete college experience. These activities can seriously impact a student’s life in terms of the work they have to do or stress they will experience. A student who’s spread too thin is more likely to burnout than one that has a schedule that balances both extracurricular activities and schoolwork.
Since college students are mostly adults, it’s natural to assume that they will be able to handle whatever is thrown their way. However, as resilient as college students have proven to be, everyone needs help now and again.
Attending a university is a stressful ordeal from every perspective. Throwing oneself back into the fray with little or no time to relax can exacerbate this stress. While it’s important for students to keep up on their studies and get involved on campus, it is essential that they devote time to their own physical and mental health.
Students who are experiencing stress and burnout can make use of the different resources on campus, including the Counseling & Psychological Services Center and the Stress Relief Center.
The counseling center provides students 12 free counseling sessions throughout the year and also offers counseling groups. They are located on the second floor of the Shepherd Union and can be reached by phone at 801-626-6406 or on their website.
The Stress Relief Center is located in the Swenson Complex in Room 124 directly across from the dance studio. The Stress Relief Center provides a calming environment for students to unwind after the stress of a long day. The center has comfy chairs, inversion tables and calming music for students to utilize. For more information on their services, students can visit their website.
