Bridget Flatow, Reporter
@bflatowcourant
As students embark on the second semester, many may find themselves facing a growing sense of burnout. This phenomenon, oftentimes known as senioritis, is particularly common among seniors and can lead to a decline in performance and motivation. For seniors, burnout is generally triggered by endless amounts of college work and repeated academic pressure paired with a sense of boredom and anxiety about the academic process.
But academic burnout does not only affect seniors. Oftentimes juniors, sophomores, and even freshmen feel exhausted because of academic stressors, especially during the second semester.
At the beginning of the second semester, students, especially upperclassmen, often feel drained and unmotivated. “It makes sense towards the second semester to feel some sense of academic burnout because you feel like you’ve run the sprint and you’ve done all that you can, and then you realize you have a second sprint, that you have to run in order to complete the marathon,” said junior Drew Bench.
Drew takes multiple AP classes but feels that a shift in mindset and better time management skills have helped him feel less burnt out. “Compared to sophomore year, going into junior year I had a better mindset when it comes to dealing with burnout and taking things day by day,” Drew said. “I realized the importance of giving myself breaks, like letting myself sleep.”
Taking breaks is an important skill in managing academic burnout, however, the way you use those breaks can make them more or less effective. One beneficial way to spend breaks from academics is doing some sort of physical activity. “After a school day, I usually will go to the gym to wake me up and keep me active throughout the day so that I am more motivated to do work later,” senior Allie Rutigliano said.
Recognizing your passions and strengths when choosing classes can also aid in preventing academic burnout. “Aim for some classes that you enjoy for the subject matter and also in your extracurriculars,” guidance counselor Ann Vernon said.
Upperclassmen get more choices in the classes they take, so it’s important to think about passions when choosing courses. “I take European history, and while it’s a very difficult course and a lot of people didn’t take it because of that, I’m actually interested in what I’m learning about and I like what I’m learning about, and so it makes me motivated to do the work,” said senior Molly Reed, who was recruited for Bowdoin Lacrosse in July and then accepted a few months later.
Although students can choose some of their classes, others are required and students may not be as passionate about classes they are oblrgated to take. These classes can cause stress, which is why it’s important for students to know how to handle their time. “A bigger part of the conversation is about managing student stress,” Chair of the Science Department Michael Leduc said. “I think we’re doing a lot to try and reduce the impact of stress on students, through helping students to see stress differently and find different coping strategies.”
The school has done a lot to help students see stress differently and find different coping strategies such as the lessons we’re doing in connections, the way we’ve reduced the significance of midterms and final exams, or even just the activities we did during midterms.
Micheal Leduc
Senioritis often comes after seniors get accepted into college, removing a motivation and goal that so many students focus their work towards. “High school seniors have worked towards a really singular goal for quite some time, working specifically towards getting into their dream colleges,” Mr. Leduc said. “What happens to seniors is the culmination of years of pressure, whether it’s internal or external, to achieve this singular goal or step.”
Finding other motivators besides this singular goal of getting into college can help alleviate the feeling of burnout or lack of motivation for seniors who have been accepted into college. Molly, for example, has felt less motivated by external pressures to do work, but has found motivation through other activities. “I run the Building Bridges Club, and having motivators like the desire to have a really good meeting, makes me feel productive,” Molly said. “Then I can kind of translate that motivation to my other work that I’m doing.”
The internship program, which runs from mid-May until the end of the school year, is a strategy that the school uses to combat senioritis by creating another motivator that students are passionate about. “Internships give every senior a chance to experience something brand new, and it can also motivate them career-wise,” Ms. Vernon said. “It’s also a wonderful way to combat the lack of motivation in students.”
There are several ways to combat academic burnout and finding the right balance is important for students who are experiencing burnout. “Just don’t overwhelm yourself,” Drew said. “Stop thinking about what’s happening in a month because that’s not helping you with what you’re going to have to get done tomorrow.”
