I was thinking something might be wrong with me.
It hit me all at once last week. Feeling drained and unmotivated, I was finding it impossible to find the energy to do my schoolwork. Even the simplest of assignments, that would usually take me no more than 30 minutes, seemed daunting. I felt absolutely exhausted.
I’m a good student, like many of my peers here at Notre Dame. I work diligently and I always get my work done. But this is not how I’ve felt the past few weeks. Where is my focus? Why do I feel so drained? This is when I realized that I’ve been going full speed, taking classes that are just as hard (if not harder) than my usual course load, since the beginning of August, while also dealing with the added stress of a global pandemic and COVID-19 restrictions. With not one single break. Few things about this year feel normal. Everyone is missing out on something, social interactions are limited and anxiety is high.
This semester is the most difficult semester I’ve had at Notre Dame. Yet we are still expected to keep up with our school work while also maintaining healthy relationships and participating in extracurriculars. But humans are not homework machines, and rest is absolutely crucial in order to keep one’s mental health afloat in any circumstance. With the unusual and added stress that is piled onto our plates this semester, we so desperately need a break, maybe even more so than usual. But when we need it most, we aren’t getting one.
I’m incredibly thankful that we got to return to campus for this semester. And I understand that we could not have a normal week-long fall break this year without risking students traveling home. I also know that Notre Dame can’t change our world’s current circumstances.
But I don’t think we should be expected to be able to keep up with our course load and other obligations right now. We aren’t getting any kind of days off from school this semester, and that is simply inevitable. But that doesn’t mean Notre Dame is doing everything they should to help us right now. Many professors are holding us to ridiculous standards. I don’t think we are being given enough credit for how exhausting this semester is, and I know I’m not alone in saying that it feels as if we aren’t receiving a lot of grace right now as we try to navigate being a college student during a global pandemic.
I know I’m not the only one who currently feels completely overwhelmed with school and even the world in general. But since we aren’t getting days off this semester, please remember to give yourself a personal break when you need one. Everything else can wait, no matter how important they may seem.
Rest is never a waste of time.
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