Makiah Osborne

Chinook Writer

As students begin their college careers, a new workload is placed on their shoulders, all while balancing school, life, and work. While this combination can often feel overwhelming, college can prepare students for their futures, building their tolerance for the demands of life. However, through this acquisition of tolerance, burnout can commonly occur.  

According to a 2025 article from Organization of Science Insights titled, Student Burnout Statistics: Causes, Prevalence, and Impact, “For college and undergraduate students, approximately 40 percent to 55 percent report experiencing symptoms of burnout, with over 56 percent of university students reporting high emotional exhaustion globally.” 

As interviewees weighed their experiences, this exhaustive state occurs for many reasons. A lack of preparation after high school, participating in classes for unclear reasons, and a poor school-work-life balance ranked highly.  

Sophia Diaz, an engineering student at CC said, “I was top ten percent of my class out of 

470 people, and so I think I went from being so accomplished academically, to struggling, (and) it was a weird switch in my brain where I had to remember that I am still the same student — it’s just that the work got harder.” 

After high school, some students find that they need a new approach to school, feeling unprepared for college. Many students expect the college workload to reflect their high school experience, but through this learning curve, many find dissonance that is discouraging.  

Diaz explained that the gap between high school and college is larger than she expected and has struggled accordingly. She proposed that through this transition, high school students need held accountable beyond mere attendance, standardizing quality work made through deeper thinking.  

As students enter college, some pursue their degree with a clear plan in mind, while others target gen-ed courses, leaving room for exploration before committing to a career path. However, with room to discover their passion, pushing through mundane classes can feel daunting.   

Sami Toombs, an undeclared student at CC said in a message, “As a student taking gen ed classes, I find myself feeling unmotivated and uninterested in some of my courses at times. Not working towards a major can feel daunting, (when) you’re not really working towards a big goal so why do you even try with your work?” 

Contrastingly, entering college as an undeclared student presents classes that one might not expect to enjoy, blooming an unexpected career path.  

Aliesia Edmunds, a media communications alumnus and current graphic design student said, “If you don’t have goals, your main focus here in college should be to stay curious and go and try out those classes that you don’t think you would. If you have a slight interest, just try it out.”  

Through curiosity and an intentional decision to keep learning, paths open and resistance to burnout can form.  

Along with a heavier school workload, students commonly juggle work, relationships, and creative endeavors. 

Diaz said, “I just felt like there was a lot of days where I didn’t even know what day it was, what time of day it was; it was just work, school, work, school, work, school, and rinse and repeat.” 

Navigating so many tasks can feel challenging, though through time management and analyzing priorities, one can find balance. Though each step feels detrimental, it is the redundant effort to keep working that makes everything come together. It is common to struggle, but the college experience can build fundamental skills for life after school.  

Joey Tholl, a communications major at CC said, “Looking at adults, you realize that they started in the same position as you, really overwhelmed and scared.” 

Feeling overwhelmed and burnt out is not an experience spent alone but is the precipice to learning lifelong skills. 

Tholl continued, “But you realize that they’ve just learned and crafted their life and adopted and overcome whatever they’re dealing with, to make it to a point where they’re … hopefully satisfied with their choices (and) in the life decisions that they’ve made.”