As the end of the school year is nearing, so do finals week and AP exams, the most demanding periods for students. Most students begin to burn out right when it matters most after tests and assignments pile up for months. Students’ motivation are especially low at this time due to juggling multiple responsibilities and high expectations.
“At the beginning of the year I had some kind of excitement [for] what classes I’d be in [and] interactions with my new teachers,” sophomore Shriya Desikan said. “But now at the end of the year, I think I’m kind of over the studying and exams and prepping for school.”
Student burnout is when prolonged stress causes students to be emotionally and mentally exhausted. Students often feel “checked out” academically and have low energy and difficulty focusing on academics. Many students see these signs in themselves as the school year ends.
“I spend far too long doomscrolling when I should be studying,” junior Amrita Kumar said. “I take more naps than I normally do, and I think generally, I just [feel] more tired and [have] lower energy at school.”
By the end of the school year, student burnout usually peaks due to stress building up for months, especially with exams adding more pressure. This also can directly affect students’ academic performance, with some noticing a decline in their grades.
“Summer break is so close, so [students] can’t wait,” Kumar said. “It’s pretty difficult, because you have the hardest studying to do [with] AP exams at the end of the year, so you have to get through the hardest obstacle before you can get to summer break.”
As exhaustion peaks during finals and AP exam seasons, burnout becomes a shared experience between students. Students identify the causes as sleep deprivation, schedules getting disrupted, as well as energy levels dropping.
“I feel like part of it could also be the fact that, because we’re in exam season, people are getting less sleep,” Desikan said. “And when you’re tired, you automatically just burn out. You feel less motivated and [have] less energy.”
However, students have created structured study plans and time management strategies to combat the loss of motivation. Teachers have even offered a helping hand with study plans and provide stress fidgets to help with the pressure.
“One of my teachers actually made us create a study schedule for a grade,” Desikan said. “I feel that’s kind of helped me, because I just know what units I need to be completed by the date.”
Teachers have also begun to burn out during this time of the year. The pressure and stress for educators looks different, but is just as real.
“As a teacher I feel mentally and emotionally drained from constantly supporting others and making multiple micro decisions each day,” Dees said. “But students often feel pressure from grades and deadlines I think both are exhausting just in different ways”
Although this is a packed and busy time for all, many teachers sympathize and understand their students. After teaching and helping their students all year long, they can easily see the impacts academic pressure has on them.
“I feel proud of students who choose to keep going even when they’re tired,” Dees said. “Finishing the year and continuing to try is something that really matters and I hope that by the end of the year they know their self worth.”
