By Maysie Krause | LTVN Reporter/Anchor
It’s only my third semester, but if I could hibernate, I would. It’s honestly shameful how much I can get away with by procrastinating.
Take dental student Kay Chung on TikTok, for example; she studies up to 700 slides weekly by pulling all-nighters for her dental exams. That is a level of procrastination I could reach and have before, but we all have our limits. Some work better under pressure than others. Truthfully, I am not one of those people, and burnout has gotten the best of me before.
Feeling burnt out without being proactive can often lead to getting stuck in ruts and only having the energy to do necessary tasks. First, it’s essential to understand the consequences of these actions. The only person you’re harming is yourself.
Regardless of their major, anyone can get caught up in burnout in college, but it is important to get up and not let it define you. There are things you can do to help yourself.
The first answer lies somewhere you might not be looking: physics. Newton’s first law states that an object remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. Following this law is more critical at this point in the semester than ever.
Even though I don’t necessarily want to follow Newton’s advice, building momentum is essential to boosting productivity and getting the hard stuff done. Working very hard in short episodes is one thing, but consistency will keep you afloat in college, yield higher self-esteem and make you feel like a winner.
An excellent way to do this is by utilizing community resources, such as getting involved in a variety of volunteer opportunities in Waco. Doing something not only for ourselves but also for others can be a significant step to spreading good throughout the community and feeling like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Beyond making ourselves useful are ways to build ourselves up in the day-to-day. I think the best action to combat this is the one-thing-at-a-time tactic.
As the tasks get easier and you build more self-confidence, reward yourself. It’s OK if it’s instant gratification. What works best for me is going on night drives with friends while listening to music. Get your pent-up energy out and do something. It’s healthy and will yield something meaningful.
