Everybody has the feeling of, "I hate school." I don't really hate school, I'm just a little overwhelmed with all there is to do right now, especially with my senior thesis. It's not going as well as I anticipated. As I was walking back from my History of Mexico class (in which I desperately struggle to stay awake and not drool on my laptop), I thought, "What the heck am I doing here??"
What is one to do when one is on the verge of school burnout? The following are a few ideas:
1. Self-evaluate the basics. The burnout could be caused by a myriad of things other than, "I really don't want to be here anymore." Have you been sleeping well? Eating well? Exercising? Are you taking on more than you can handle? Have you had any "me" time lately? If you don't take care of yourself, who will??
2. Go talk to a mentor, an advisor, a trusted friend on campus or in your department. They may be able to see the situation from a different perspective and give you some encouragement. They may be able to help you remember why you're in school in the first place and can help to get you refocused.
3. Take some time off. Don't study or clean house on Saturday. Instead, go for a hike, walk the dog, go Christmas wish-list shopping, grab coffee with a friend, go antiquing. Go do whatever makes your heart sing and forget about school for a day.
4. Spend some time with your family. They may not have seen you for a while. They'll appreciate the time you take to be with them.
5. If you are truly feeling overwhelmed and burdened by school and the joy is gone, step away from it for a semester or take one class next semester. Simplify.
Only you can determine if this feeling is temporary or long-lasting. Take time away - from homework, from the computer, from campus - in order to help you determine where you stand with school. As a nontrad, school can be overwhelming when life is happening all around us. That's why it is imperative we take time away for ourselves on a regular basis. I'm talking to myself here as well.
Lost that lovin' feeling? Take time to step away and go find it. Stay tuned . . .
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2 comments:
I've been there myself and totally agree. I love being in school, but I have had to find a way to balance the demands and my family's needs. The best advice I've gotten is that I may be a student, but I still have to be a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I'm not willing to give up any of those roles.
Good luck on your thesis!
I've added you to my blogroll:
http://bifocalsoncampus.wordpress.com/
Hey Zickbee. Keep us posted about how it goes. It sounds like you are wrapping your mind around the future. It's a good thing. Better than barreling along without a road map and having a feeling you might want to take a branch road pretty soon.
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