Cold Air Arriving Means Burnout is on Its Way

Photograph from Zac Durant on Unsplash.

November 17, 2023

Anthony Boyle, Contributing Writer

With November here and the cold air making its way back, the burnout of students at UMF is starting to rise. Students have worked tirelessly for the past two months on classes and other responsibilities. 

Area Director & Deputy Title IX Coordinator Sarah Carew has a masters degree in school counseling and works with students everyday. She is also very in tune with how students are feeling on campus due to her role on campus. 

“I feel like there are a lot of things that go into the burnout students feel at this time. Students have been in class for two months and projects for different classes start to overlap. Many students on campus have other jobs and are very involved on campus. The weather starting to change certainly doesn’t help either,” Carew said. 

Carew made it clear that there are a bunch of different factors that go into developing burnout. There is a large population of students who have jobs along with classes and this is the time everything starts overlapping with projects and tests. That can cause a lot of stress for students to make sure they are getting everything done on top of having outside things going on from school. Also with the weather changing, it's getting darker earlier and students are not getting as much fresh air and sunlight to feel energized. 

Carew suggested that students need to prioritize their mental health and make sure they are not just doing work, but also finding time for themselves. If you are not in the right headspace to do the work then you are going to have a tougher time completing work.

“Students should also reach out to professors and get tutoring for classes they are struggling with. It is important for students to get help as soon as they start feeling stressed. The earlier they jump on it the less overall stress they will feel,” Carew stated.

It is important for students to know the resources on campus that are there for them to use. If you need help, you can reach out to professors for extensions. Tutoring is available and can help students struggling and is a great option for students who are feeling stressed. Getting help early is best because you will be able to work out a plan to be successful.

Carew advised for students who are feeling burnout to make a checklist so that they are on top of what they need to do. It is important to make a game plan and prioritize what you need to get done. As you finish one thing on the list, you can cross it off. This will help you stay on top of knowing what you need to get done, and it relieves stress when you see everything you need to get done dwindling down. 

This time is a very stressful time for students and the feeling of burnout will hit if it has not hit already. Understanding what you can do to battle burnout is important. Understanding what you can do can make your semester go by easier as well as life more enjoyable.