The end of the semester for anyone is not easy. To make matters worse, as a UMASS Boston student, I’m seeing all of my friends from other schools in Boston getting out early, going on trips, visiting the beach, while I’m still stuck in the academic halls, studying for my exams.
It can be disheartening, give me FOMO and at the very worst, make me wonder if my last handful of classes are more important than a hang-out in the city.
Burnout is almost more often than not inevitable– this article is not to tell you how to avoid it, but rather, how to navigate it. I am not a mental professional, nor a guidance counselor, but as a 2-year Dean’s List student who has dealt with academic burnout, whose dealt with dragging myself out of bed to make it to that 9 AM class, this is not just a basic guide for dealing with end-of-semester stress, but rather, the nitty-gritty about how I pulled myself through the last weeks of the semester– and how I set myself up for success from the very beginning.
Knowing When to Be Present and When to Miss Class
To start, I’m going to inform you how to set yourself up for success when you are absent from class. However, I would like to say first that this “hack” does not work with every teacher. I have had teachers who meticulously grade presence, absences and even over 10-minute tardies, so be mindful about picking which classes you are going to and which classes you miss if you must.
I do not condone skipping class, but every student has done it. This section is to teach you how to be strategic about how you skip class.
From the very beginning of the semester, try as hard as you can to go to class. I know, I just said this section is about how to intelligently skip class, but trust me on this. If presence is graded, go to every class- and if participation isn’t a heavy grade, participate anyways.
As a student, you want to get in as much participation as possible in the beginning of the semester so if you are penalized for missing a certain amount of class, when you’re suffering burnout at the end of the semester, you can take break in the midst of projects, studying for exams and final essays. These “breaks” have been essential to my end-of-the-semester performance, especially when I start to lose more sleep and experience heavier brain-fog. On classes that I miss, I can dedicate to any assignments I held off last minute or any last-minute studying.
Be strategic about classes you skip, and never truly “skip” your academics: the time you are intentionally not spending in class should be dedicated to resting, studying or doing work. Rework your schedule to still accomplish work to suit your needs, especially in the heat of finals week.
To touch base on participation, you may be wondering: Sarah, if I participate every class, won’t my absence be more noticeable? The truth is likely, yes. During times I am not in class, my teachers more often than not ask me more about my absence than the student who doesn’t participate in the back. However, there is a reason why I strongly encourage participation.
From personal experience, professors who do have an attendance policy have been willing to “bend” their attendance penalties because on the days I am present in class, I participate, ask questions and engage in discussions. I pass in my work on time, promote an active learning environment, and ask questions about readings (some of which I sometimes even read during class time). Professors notice that and are more willing to work with or “bend the rules” for students who are putting in the effort. When you miss class, you’ve already sold the image that you’re a hard-working, dedicated student, so missing class looks less like skipping out of laziness and more like missing out of necessity.
Additionally, if there are professors who are more strict on their attendance policy— you as a student, have the right to make your case that although you did miss some classes, you participated in every class you were present in. As opposed to a student who goes to every class but never participates, why is a student who does not put the effort into being engaged get a better grade than a student who misses some classes, but actively and consistently participates.
This is a conversation I have had with some of my teachers and because of the effort I put in at the very beginning of the semester with active participation, I was allowed some leeways on otherwise penalized absences. You, too, can do the same, to save yourself from worsening burnout at the end of the semester.
Conclusion? If you’re gonna skip, be strategic with the time you are not spending in class, and to lessen any penalties professors may give on absences, make yourself a noticeable and positive contributor to class via participation and engagement.
Set With the Moon, Rise With the Sun
Actually though, go to bed when the moon comes out and wake up when the sun sets. Not everyone is built for all-nighters— and frankly, if you really don’t know how to prepare your body for an all-nighter, you might be setting yourself up for failure more than success.
Unfortunately though, when students are experiencing burnout, they’re likely already dealing with lack of sleep and procrastination. So, hopefully, this “hack” can help out a little with how to partition your time resting and your time studying.
For a less intense method of cramming because of procrastination, sacrifice some free-time you may have at night. Go to sleep early so you can wake up extra early and have time before class to study with a meal and a full-night of sleep. I am not a morning person, therefore sometimes the rate of success with this hack is a little low, but on times I have accomplished waking up at dawn, it gives me three to four hours before my class to get ready and do work.
It’s less of a jarring mental experience than the infamous all-nighter or even nights where you stay up until 4 a.m. cramming for a 9 a.m. class. Sure, falling asleep at 8 p.m. sounds ridiculous as a young college student, but if your exam is at 9 a.m., and you wake up at 5 a.m., that’s almost nine hours of sleep, and then approximately three-four hours of being able to study right before the exam.
Unfortunately, this method is not for everyone. My night owls may even hate the idea of going to bed so early and waking up just as early, but as somebody who has used this on nights where my procrastination took hold and I was just too tired to beat the brain-fog, this hack may just do the trick if you commit to it.
Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To
You’re probably already thinking— I’ve heard this one so many times: give yourself a small break, journal, draw, something recreational like that.
While yes, those can work, my idea of “something to look forward to” may be a little different.
In the midst of burnout, while it is important balance your workload from from your hobbies, the cold, hard truth is that when burnout has sunk its claws into any student, it won’t let go until you’ve accomplished your last assignments, until you’ve finished your lab hour requirement, until you’ve given that final presentation.
While I would love to sit here and say, “yes, go to karaoke with your friends right before exams week,” or “of course, go to that end-of-semester field-day and wait in a twenty-minute line for a food truck,” this is not to cushion your experience of academic burnout but rather try and wrench you out of it.
Give yourself something to look forward to while you’re studying, while you’re commuting to the library, while you’re prepping for your presentation.
While you’re studying, get yourself your favorite drink and favorite snack to prevent brain-fog and keep your energy up. Before you get on the subway for the library, romanticize the day a little bit: dress up cute— really commit to the visual of the academic weapon. As you’re rehearsing the lines of your presentation, practice your public-speaking skills to a peer, or even a friend over FaceTime. If you see a friend in your study spot, invite them over and maybe even tell them a little bit about your assignment.
Getting excited about your work, whether that be through the company of a study-date, the romanticization of studying in a cafe on a rainy day, or even just through a good snack, can make or break how you mentally commit to your academics.
From personal experience, small things like these can make a massive difference in alleviating burnout and avoiding isolation, hunger, dehydration and lack of exercise during finals week.
Over-Celebrate Every Success
When burnout takes over, sometimes it’s too easy to just drag yourself through the day with silence and exhaustion. Defy the very expectation of what it is to be burnt out and start investing energy into yourself by celebrating small wins.
In a world where people are constantly expected to be humble and knock themselves down, be loud and proud about your successes.
This is not for everyone, and that’s okay!
Some people like to be a little more conservative over their wins, which in some cases can even be intelligent if you’re dealing with stresses from a jealous friend or overly intense peer. Again, this is not a guide that will guarantee success, but rather tips and “hacks” from personal experience to help fellow students reach success while dealing with burnout.
Regardless, for every question well answered in class, for every compliment on your outfit, for every class you get to on time— be happy, and build that energy from the inside out.
Nothing has truly helped me more than the pride I get from doing a lot better on an assignment that I thought I was going to fail. Nothing fuels me more than when my essay gets used as an example for the class. Sure, it’s prideful and some may even say pretentious, but in a world where everyone can be so individualistic, the only person you can really rely on as your hype-man, is yourself.
So share those wins with your family. Share those wins with your friends. Reach back out to your study group and tell them what you’re most proud of from your piece. Reach out to your professors and ask them for any other notes they may have on your piece, even if it did do well.
When you let burnout take hold of you, it is easy to let procrastination and missing assignments deter you from even trying. So, while you should not rely on validation to fuel your success, do encourage yourself to shine and celebrate when you do succeed, even if it is small feats!
Every college student experiences burnout. It is a rite of passage. Yet at the same time, anyone can be successful, even when you skip class and procrastinate assignments. While this guide did not focus on the necessity of balancing workload, to family and friends, to hobbies, that expectation should go without saying. You should always be placing yourself ahead of anything else because at the end of the day, no one else is guaranteed to do that for you, than you.
So take the breaks you need. Sleep in when you need to. This guide is not to tell you the obvious standards of self-care but rather to provide hard, cold tips and hacks from personal experiences where I have had to push myself to the very limit to succeed academically. It is not for everyone, but burnout does not discriminate.
In conclusion, the true trick is knowing how to commit to the final stretch and support yourself until the very end.