Wow. Week thirteen. Hard to imagine that four months have gone by since the beginning of the school year. Hard to imagine that in three weeks, the semester will be over.
There comes a time, for me it was around week eleven, where everything seems to blur together. What had once been exciting, new, interesting, becomes a sort of lifeless monotony. Of course, Portland’s perpetual dreariness doesn’t do much to brighten the situation.
I speak, my friends, of burnout. It’s easy to begin the semester bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, especially after three months with no schoolwork, but given enough time, even the most fascinating courses can lead to the dreaded fatigue of the overworked student. Motivation, scarce to begin with, becomes few and far between. Each rainstorm seems to be malicious, as it makes the trek to class both sorrowful and terribly soggy. As the trees shed their foliage, the season, once a hallmark of beauty and coziness, turns to a sad reminder of the dropping temperatures and the approaching winter.
Burnout is extremely common among college students. In April, an Ohio State study found that 71% of college students reported feeling burnt out. Of course, that was in the spring term, not the fall. Right now, students are dealing with shorter hours of daylight, the PNW rainy season, plus the stress that always occurs around the holidays and the end of the semester.
It’s hard to find ways to push through the burnout fog. Even with finals right around the corner, schoolwork can feel meaningless and dull. Fatigue can cling to every day and everything, making the already tedious task of studying seem Sisyphean and cruel. Burnout can be hard to beat, but here are a few tips to hopefully make the end of the semester a little kinder, a little more energetic.
First of all, if you or anyone you know is struggling, you can always contact the Lewis and Clark counseling service. They offer crisis counseling and normal therapy and can also refer you to other specialists in the area. Students have access to their services for free, and they are a resource that should absolutely be taken advantage of.
Change up your routine! This is the best way I deal with burnout. Whether it’s trying out a new coffee shop or taking a surprising adventure, a good way to feel a little more in control of your life is to shake it up a little. A big part of burnout at LC can be just feeling isolated on campus, so it’s always good to get off the hill if you can. The Pio is a great way to do that if you don’t have access to a car.
I always find that at the end of a long week, the last thing I want to eat is the same pasta with marinara sauce from the Bon. Cooking can be relaxing and a great way to show yourself a little extra care and appreciation. I totally understand that the dorm set-up can make cooking difficult, especially for one person, so looking for easy but delicious dishes is especially key. I tend to find that even a bowl of instant rice with a little furikake goes a long way to cheer me up. Eating things you enjoy, especially foods from your childhood, can also help with homesickness!
Lastly, just give yourself some slack. I know, easier said than done, but if you can take an entire day to just relax, have fun, instead of doing work or schoolwork, it can do a load of good for your mental health. It’s not going to fix everything, but just letting yourself have a breather may just settle some things. It’s important to rest so you can continue to keep working hard.
This time of year is hard. It’s hard for almost all of us. There’s no getting around it, or making it truly easier, just little things that make it bearable.
