Feeling the burn(out)

Burn outjpg — ANDREW TERRY | The Ranger Riley Byrne, engineering major, studies in one of the private rooms in the Underground. According to a survey by Health-Line, student burnout rose drastically during the Covid pandemic, going from 41% in April 2020 to 71% in April 2021.

Coping with academic pressure requires care

By CAMERON PLUMLEY
Student Reporter

Are you exhausted from barely making assignment deadlines on time? Or are you lacking motivation to attend your classes? If so, experts say you might be experiencing academic burnout and may need some tips on staying motivated.

Most students experience some sort of academic burnout throughout their college career. Amarillo College faculty and staff say there are many ways that students can stay motivated during tough times.

Denese Skinner, vice president of student affairs, has several tips for battling burnout. “Rest, exercise, good nutrition, planning and boundaries. These five things are critical for me to be mindful of and are important to make a priority,” she said.

Dylan Soto, an instrumentation major, said he has dealt with dips in motivation that make completing school work more difficult.

“I would say I try to keep things different, try to switch things up. For instance I will gather with friends and go down to the basement and study in the new study hall instead of always just studying alone at my house,” Soto said.

“I also tend to study in the café as well as enroll myself in classes that will make me want to come to class every day. This motivates me to stay focused and succeed in my goal of passing my classes,” Soto added.

Planning ahead is another suggestion for avoiding the problem of getting overwhelmed by assignments.

“I am a big planner and like to start working on things long before their deadline,” Skinner said. “This keeps me from being stressed out by last minute rushes. There is just so much time in a day and you have to be mindful of not over committing yourself,” Skinner added.

Emma Webb, a graphic design major, said that when she feels the weight of academic burnout, she focuses on her goals in order to stay motivated.

“When I am having a tough semester and have a heavy workload, I like to take a step back and think about my future and what my degree will do for me and how many doors will open for me once it’s complete,” Webb said.

“I also find time for myself and the things I do to relieve stress that are not necessarily school work because sometimes you just need a break,” Webb added.