by Mary Afrane,
PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Stress in the
day-to-day life of a college student is common and expected. However, if stress
becomes unmanageable and interferes with academic performance and school-life
balance, the student might be suffering from a more serious condition called academic burnout. Academic burnout is
characterized by emotional exhaustion, educational pessimism, and feelings of
incompetence.1-2 Academic burnout is an important topic in higher
education because it can impact the relationship between students and faculty
and increase dropout rates.
Speaking from personal
experience after spending most of my adult life in school training for a career
in healthcare, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the constant demands and
responsibilities that drain your energy. Students who are in a state of burnout
often become cynical and start to lose interest achieving the goals that led
them to school in the first place.3 Students experiencing burnout may
display signs such as excessive absenteeism, lack of interest in academic activities,
and express a sense of meaninglessness toward educational assignments.1
Students may also display severe negative emotional symptoms such as
hopelessness, helplessness, and depression.
Not surprisingly,
academic burnout is negatively associated with academic performance and the
quality of student’s learning experience.1 Causes of academic
burnout are multifactorial, including environmental and individual reasons.
Stress and low self-efficacy are two variables that influence academic
engagement.2
Many students will demonstrate signs of burnout towards
the end of the academic semester or near the completion of their thesis or
dissertation program. This is generally not of major concern, given that a
break for recovery is in sight and most students are able to successfully complete
the remaining work. However, burnout becomes a concern if it occurs early on in
the semester and the student lacks tools for dealing with the chronic
exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of low personal achievement.
Burnout can be managed by using the “Three R”
approach:3
Recognize the warning signs of burnout.
Reverse the damage by managing stress and
seeking support.
Resilience towards stress can be built upon by improving
physical and emotional health.
There are other practical steps that can be taken
by students and teachers to reduce academic burnout. Faculty can help to
minimize student cynicism by developing instructional plans that stimulate
students’ thinking. Course assignments can be purposefully designed such that
the assignments are not perceived as “busy work,” but something that adds
meaningful value to the students’ educational journey. College students can
mitigate burnout by selecting courses of interest to them. Recognizing one’s
personal limitations to handle a heavy academic load can help to prevent
chronic exhaustion. In addition, students can take steps to address person
matters such as low self-efficacy. Students with high self-efficacy are able to
cope with a failure better because they able to attribute the failure to factors
such as low effort or gaps in knowledge and skills. By making the proper
attributions, those with high self-efficacy are able to bounce back.1
Addressing issues of low self-efficacy enables students to withstand overwhelming
pressures when faced with difficult tasks.
Poor time management can give rise to feelings of being
overwhelmed. It is imperative that steps are taken to achieve adequate
preparation for exams and completing major tasks. Properly prioritizing
assignments and achieving balance between personal and academic life can give
students control of stressful situations and reduce feelings of chronic
exhausting. Stress coping programs employing cognitive-behavioral therapy have
been shown to reduce exhaustion in students, with benefits often lasting 1 to 2
months after program paritcipation.4 Stress coping programs are
conducted with the primary purpose of highlighting the student’s maladaptive
response to stress and developing better stress coping skills. The participants
reflect on their thought process and are guided on converting negative thoughts
to positive ones. Physical exercise and relaxation can reduce stress levels and
can reduce academic burnout.4
Having a strong support system and realistic
expectations, when facing a heavy academic load can help students deal with the
intensive demands. When I was a college student, I attempted to complete two
science majors in four years by taking a 21 credit course-load each semester.
After listening to close friends and mentors, I realized that my plan was unrealistic
and was a set up for burnout. I reassessed my plans and made changes so that I
was able to complete both degrees in five years, which allowed extra time to become
involved in extracurricular activities — thing that gave more depth and meaning
to my college experience.
Academic burnout adversely impacts students’
performance and the student-teacher relationship. Students without good coping
skills might succumb to the pressures of a challenging academic workload.
Students can take steps to address low self-efficacy and teachers can be more
purposeful in designing academic instructional plans.
References
- Rahmati Z. The study of academic burnout in students with high and low level of self-efficacy. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 2015;171:49-55.
- Charkhabi M, Abarghuei MA, Hayati D. The association of academic burnout with self-efficacy and quality of learning experience among Iranian students. SpringerPlus 2013;2:677.
- Fallon SJ. Burn out: how to recognize, prevent, or recover. [Internet]. June 2009. Accessed October 31, 2015.
- Sonmez GY, Capri B, Lisesi SP. The effects of stress coping program on burnout levels of high school students. Int J New Trends in Edu and Their Implications 2013;4:148-64.
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