As the end of the third quarter has passed us by, the time to study for AP exams begins. This often comes with the feeling of burnout from the long school year affecting students’ study and work habits. Sophomore Gabriella Gbebry said, “It’s such a struggle for me to keep up with all seven classes and in addition to that find time to study for two AP exams. I’m burnt out from the school year and am just not motivated to put in double the effort for these last two months. I mean it’s the final stretch and stuff, but it’s so hard just to push yourself.”
It can be hard to find the motivation to complete work on time, study for tests and find time to review for AP exams with summer and freedom just around the corner.
Burnout affects students across all grade levels, but seniors who only have a month left before graduation may feel it worse than most. Since most have already committed to college, they may feel that school almost becomes optional. This effect is commonly known as “senioritis.” Senior Will Jong said, “As a senior, the workload feels more like busy work since you’re already waiting for college decisions to come out. Having to study for AP exams after a long year makes it even more stressful since you have to study again to get a good score on the exam. Yes, I have terrible senioritis and school just feels optional at this point for me.”
Burnout can also take the form of procrastination: students don’t complete their work in class and leave it for later when they get home. This causes a build-up of assignments and stress throughout the marking period.
Despite all these struggles, there are several ways students have found to cope with burnout and upcoming AP exams. Sophomore Ruth Bayou said, “On the days I don’t have a lot of homework after school I often take naps or just branch out and watch some TV. I use my time on the weekends to study for AP exams, and sometimes just watch videos instead of using my review book. Personally, it helps me more than using the review book, it’s as if someone is teaching me the material. It’s a very useful study method that has helped me, I recommend other students try it out.”
Although burnout can come off as students just being “lazy,” it can have a serious effect on grades and mental health. Burnout can lead to students not being able to get up from their beds physically or stay in school and finish work. This ultimately affects students’ futures and self-confidence. Unchecked burnout can lead to depression and other serious mental health problems. Stress levels are high, and so is sleep deprivation, as the past eight months of school catch up to students.
