Today, my friend casually said something to me that, thinking back, I find quite shocking.
She flat out told me she did not care anymore. She did not care about her grades, work ethic, or attendance. She was done. Without hesitation, I agreed with her.
This is shocking because we are hard-working students. We get mostly As, and we are always showing up for class, even if we are practically dying.
But, at this moment, we feel burned out. We are over college.
This isn't the first time I am feeling this way, either. As a matter of fact, almost every November I feel this way, and I know my friend and I aren't the only two college students who feel this way.
So, if you're feeling burned out, power through. Only a couple more weeks until the semester is over.
But if you're not sure if you're feeling burned out, here are my eight signs that I am experiencing the November college student burnout... and you might be, too.
1. You are starting to not care.
You no longer have the motivation to leave your room and go to class, or to get your homework done, or to take care of basic needs like eating more than just mac 'n cheese for every meal. Whatever you need to do, you just don't want to do it because you really don't care right now.
2. It's a lot harder to study.
When you do study, it's a lot harder. Five minutes feels like five hours, and you're constantly taking breaks because it's just so hard to focus.
3. Your procrastination habits are getting worse.
Deadlines are approaching fast, and you'd rather do anything but your assignments. So you procrastinate with just about anything, like cleaning or tackling the chores list, and this is not just your usual procrastination. This procrastination is more than just pushing your work off; it's distracting yourself from it.
4. Your workload is progressively getting bigger.
You're not wanting to do anything, but all those assignments that you got in September that are due in November/December are starting to catch up to you. Procrastinating won't help, but neither will the lack of motivation. So, the assignments begin to pile up.
5. You may be feeling frustrated.
Now that all your work is piled sky-high and you're still lacking any motivation to do anything, the frustration begins to sink in. You are mad at yourself for feeling burned out and for letting all your work pile up. You know you need to get all this work done, but now you're at war with yourself.
(You may or may not experience a mental breakdown at this point. I usually do. Results may vary.)
6. You're counting down the days.
The countdown is for Thanksgiving break or the end of the semester. Whatever it is, you have a countdown going because you are in desperate need of a break.
7. You're calculating in your "allowed skips" for class.
Most professors allow for at least one or two classes to be missed before it affects your final grade. You might have been smart and not have used those absences yet, but if you did, now you're calculating to see what your grade will be with one more absence because you might not care to go to class. But you might really need that 3.0. So, let's see if you can skip class to take that nap.
8. You're constantly tired.
Speaking of naps. That is something you want to do ALL THE TIME because you are constantly tired. There are some days where you hardly lift a finger, but the mental wear and tear from this burnout have caused you constant fatigue.
