As I am typing this, I am in the middle of week 9 in the semester and there are 7 weeks left in the semester.
That just means we are in the middle of student burnout season. Everyone is sick. We just passed midterms. We are exhausted.
Students are trying to figure out if they need to drop classes. They're calculating what they need to get on their next quiz so they don't fail. They're trying to figure out how many hours of sleep they need before they begin to crash. Breakfast doesn't exist and neither does lunch. We eat a snack around 2 in the afternoon, dinner at 8 p.m. and then dinner #2 at midnight.
Every waking minute is spent trying to cram in homework, or actually working for money. And every once in a while you finish most of your homework or decide it can "wait until later" and then you have enough time to take a breather. Even though most of my breathers consist of sitting on a couch in the library, checking my emails.
Take two minutes to yourself and read this quote from Eric Whitacre. This is directed towards music students (and I would know because I am one), but it is easy to relate this back to what you're majoring or working towards.
"Music students: as the semester grinds on, you may feel intensely burnt-out. You may even consider dropping out of music altogether. If that happens, go back and listen to your favorite recordings, make music with your friends, do anything you can to remind yourself why you loved music before you started studying it. An education in music can be a very good thing, but it can also squeeze the life out of any love you ever had for it. Don't let it."
This goes for everyone. To all of my psychology majors, take a step back and think about that project you did in high school that made you interested in the first place. To my nursing majors, relax and remember that time a few years ago you volunteered in a hospital and got to interact with the patients. To my English majors, put the pencil down and think about one of the classic books you read in high school that got you hooked.
The student burnout season does not discriminate against majors. Whether you're working on math problems for hours at a time, or creating lesson plans for hours at a time, it is work and it is hard. Your hard work will not go unnoticed. Even before you graduate you will be influencing peoples lives.
Don't burn yourself out completely. We both know you aren't going to stop doing everything you're doing. I know you're going to stay in the library until it closes and then move your working to the lounge on your floor. The automatic lights will shut off while you're eating cheez-its at 2 in the morning. Whatever you do though, don't let the automatic lights shut off inside of you. Keep the flame alive even when it feels like it'll blow out with the next gust of wind.
Breathe in for four and out for three. Repeat as necessary. You've got it. Hang in there. We will make it and we will one day rule the world.
