I don’t know if it is just me, but I swear every morning I wake up and I have five more things
assigned and 10 things due, whether it be readings, quizzes, essays, assignments, discussion
posts (my worst nightmare), and the list goes on. I feel like I am drowning and I can’t keep up.
Every night before I go to bed, I double-check everything, plan out my day, and schedule time
for my school tasks that need to get done, but I’m telling you, things just appear out of thin air.
By the end of the day, I am drained, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I can’t even think
straight. It has gotten to the point where I just start going through the motions of my day like a
robot.
I either feel numb or frustrated throughout the day. Even on the weekends when I am
hanging out with my friends and Tuesday nights when I am trying to watch Dancing with the
Stars in peace, I can’t escape the academic stress.
I feel like I am constantly trying to catch up, but the second I finish one thing, there are three
more waiting for me to complete. Even when there’s nothing I need to do immediately and it
seems like I can catch my breath for a second, I still feel guilty for resting because there is
always something I could be doing. I am on the verge of a burnout and it is only October.
I honestly feel like I need the break of reading week more than ever. I just want a week where I
can catch my breath, reset, and feel like a normal person again instead of constantly thinking
about what assignment is due next. At this point, I’m just counting down the days and hoping I
can make it there without completely burning myself out.
At this point, I’m hoping reading week is actually a break and not just a week where professors
collectively decide that I have “more time” to do everything they already assigned. I would like
to spend at least a few days not knowing what day it is, not checking my calendar every five
minutes, and, most importantly, not seeing the words “discussion post due” on my screen. I’m
exhausted, but I’m almost there, and honestly, surviving the October trenches deserves some
kind of academic achievement.