Like many other students right now, I feel myself starting to struggle to stay motivated and energized to keep up with schoolwork, clubs, and social activities. We’ve all been working so hard, with absolutely no breaks beyond the typical weekend, for nine weeks now. It’s so difficult when you find yourself starting to feel burnt out, and you feel like all you need is a little break or a mental health day; but the system isn’t set up to care about that. Here at Penn State, they give us one Monday off just three weeks into the semester, and then we work for ten weeks without any extra time off.

While this setup may resemble what is considered a typical schedule for a full-time working adult, I would argue that many students put in more time each day and more stress into their full-time job of being a student. For the average adult worker, they put in their 40 hours a week and maybe a few additional hours on top of that. For students, we put in 20 plus hours of class which are supposed to be matched with 20 plus hours of work and studying plus extracurriculars plus extra studying around exams (I’ve had at least one every week for 4 weeks now). In essence, we have a lot going on. That’s not to say that working adults don’t, but I think we can all agree that as first year college students we are not ready for and should not be held to the same time standards as adults who are out of college and in the workforce. Yet that seems to be the kind of work that our university, and our professors, expect. 

So, the question is, in a system that doesn’t allow appropriate breaks, how can you still take a break when you start to feel burnt out, or sick, or overly anxious, or anything else in between. While there’s no perfect answer, I would say that one of the best options is making very intentional use of your time. This means planning break times and committing yourself to resting during those times. Now, this might mean you have to work for your break. For instance, if you want to have a rest day on Wednesday, you’ll want to get all your Wednesday work done in advance so you can truly rest on Wednesday as much as possible. 

Image from Take A Break Vector Art, Icons, and Graphics for Free Download (vecteezy.com)

When you get to your actual break time, use your time intentionally. You could do this by utilizing any of the methods we’ve previously discussed; practice gratitude, take a moment for mindfulness, journal, get some exercise, reach out to a friend, or do something that makes you happy! Whatever you do, use that time wisely, because in such a rigorous environment, you have to make the most of the time you do have. 

On another note, only a few weeks until Thanksgiving break!

Until next time, 

Avi