Can You Really Get Through College Without Burning Out
Burn out is something that a lot of college students go through, and it’s something that a lot of incoming freshmen will hear about. That doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen to you in any way, shape or form. It’s all about being able to know what options you have available, take those options, and keep moving forward. First off, you have to realize that college is hard. If you plan to finish your Masters in Cyber Security within the next few years with flying colors, it is going to take a lot of patience and commitment. Learning how to respond to cyber-attacks, installing software and knowing how to efficiently gather evidence to prosecute pedophiles and hackers won’t happen overnight . There’s just no getting away from this concept. It’s not a walk in the park; otherwise there would be a lot more people going to college than ever before. In order to get through college the right way, you have to realize that you really have to buckle down. People think that just because they had a great time in high school and the subjects were easy means that college is going to be very easy. The reality is that it’s really not that way at all. You don’t want to give yourself the idea that college is going to be a cakewalk. If you do, then you’re going to be blown away when you see just how difficult college really is for you. The best thing that you can do with yourself is to make sure that set realistic goals. If you know going in that college is going to be difficult, then it’s a good idea to make sure that you know where the tutoring is located. It’s the tutor’s job to make sure that you really get your subjects properly. If that’s not the case, then you have to stick with it until you get it.
Learning not to burn out also means learning to ask for help. You have to make sure that you’re not expecting to go through college on your college. College is really all about teamwork. If you aren’t working with other people, then you’re setting yourself up to be isolated. Why do you think colleges encourage freshmen to live on campus? They know that you’re going to be in an environment where there’s a lot of learning to be found. You will definitely have your hands full, but that doesn’t mean that end of the world. It just means that you’re going to really need to measure your expectations accordingly. There’s nothing that says that you can’t get things done. It just means that you are going to have to change the way that you would normally do things.
Being honest with people at home is very important. If they’re used to you getting great grades and then you suddenly bring home not so stellar ones, they might feel like you’re not applying yourself enough. Before you get angry at their assumption, think about it from their perspective. They have only known you to be a stellar student, so when there are challenges ahead, speak up! Don’t just say nothing all semester long and then hit them with your grades at the end of it. It’s only going to confuse the daylights out of your parents, and make you feel even worse.
Are you really applying your best efforts? You might think that you are, but you also might be surprised at how much that isn’t the case at all. Look back at most of your days. Are you just sitting around online, or are you getting work done that wouldn’t otherwise be there? That’s something to think about. Maybe you really putting the maximum amount of effort that you can in your work. If that’s the case, then you definitely need to ensure that you speak up anyway. Show the times that you’ve gone to tutoring as proof that you are serious about getting your grades up. Of course, if you’re paying for college on your own then you don’t need to go through all of this. It’s completely up to you to figure out what you want to do, and how you want to get it done. Seize your future — don’t let yourself slide into being burned out.
Now then, as a side note — what happens when you KNOW that you are burnt out on school? Talk to someone. You might need to take a small break, but it shouldn’t end up being something that means you never go back to school. That’s the danger of “small breaks” — they ultimately turn into larger ones from school. That’s just not the path that you really want to walk down. Most colleges and universities have counselors on staff to help you through these tough times. You might even confide in a friend. Either way, don’t give up on the college experience just yet!