As finals season is among us, many college students feel their academics are suffering due to burnout.

Feeling a sense of fatigue after a long semester in school is something many students can relate to. Whether it be from taking too many classes or pulling all-nighters to study for exams, eventually the workload from assignments begins to catch up with them. Along with being a full-time student, many of them are expected to work full-time just to pay for classes. With that amount of stress, it’s inevitable that their performance at school be bound to suffer in some way.

Burnout is a serious issue that often spawns from a constant swamp of work and can frequently lead people feeling both physically and emotionally drained. Students who are feeling fatigued often perform worse in many aspects of their life, not just academics. For students who are also employed, this feeling of fatigue can be even worse.

“I feel tired,” said Santa Monica College (SMC) sophomore student, Melany Arguello. Arguello is full-time Target employee who has expressed exasperation with having a job along with being a student. “Having to worry about work takes away a lot of time,” Arguello said. “Let's say you need to go to work the next day but you also need to study… It’s so annoying,” she said. “The work catches up to you."

Feeling burnout often results in people being unmotivated, which can lead students to not be as focused on schoolwork. A survey study conducted in 2020 by the American Psychological Association reported Gen Z adults ages 18-23 were "experiencing elevated stress." From the Gen Z adults that said they were in College, 87% reported that education was major source of stress, and stress is commonly associated with burnout.

“I feel like I just stay quiet, in my own world, when I feel stressed or burned out,” said Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) sophomore student, Cindy Marino. Marino works at Target alongside Arguello and expressed similar feelings of fatigue due to being employed as a full-time student.

“Trying to focus while being burnt out takes a little bit away from my school work and work begins to pile up,” Marino said. Marino explained that her feeling of burnout could stem from her lack of respite. “I feel like it’s because I don’t take enough breaks,” she said.

University of Southern California (USC) graduate, Chelsea Bradley said she often feels burnt out after school and explained that socializing is one of the best methods for her when it comes to relieving burnout and stress. "I’ll listen to my body and take a day off if I need it,” Bradley said.

Bradley highly encourages “Being open and honest with your professors...” if you're feeling fatigued. “Professors are people too and they have families so they’ll understand.” she said.

Finding ways to reduce stress should be the first step in trying to reduce burnout. It’s important to prioritize self care to maintain a good mental health. Taking much needed breaks as well as speaking to friends and family can go a long way.

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