Between classwork, jobs, clubs and other campus organizations, students are expected to maintain extremely busy schedules while still performing to the highest standard. It has become increasingly more common to see and experience symptoms of burnout while workloads only continue to increase. Students nowadays are expected to do too much, and they are struggling to keep up.
As tuition, cost of living, and all expenses rise, having a job or some form of income in college has become a necessity for the majority. Balancing a full-time course load and a part, or even a full-time job, is now a common sight that just decades ago was not needed. Having multiple incomes is also necessary for many students as tuition and housing costs are rising and only continue to do so. This adds stress of financial issues to attending a university which heavily assists in feelings of burnout.
Students are generally often expected to get involved on campus outside of class time. Clubs may not seem like they will take up much time in a person’s day, but being an active and engaged member does. From hosting events to holding a leadership position, being involved in a club on campus can quickly become a significant task that takes many resources and a large time commitment. This comes already on top of the regular responsibilities of being a student who also has a life and commitments outside of anything related to the university they attend.
Athletes are yet another group of students that are expected to uphold the highest of standards and performance while maintaining the same “college experience” as their peers. Student athletes practice for hours each day and attend all games or competitions of their given sport. Their success can also dictate a further mental load to carry. Success and winning could mean a boost in moral but also an extended season and increased strain they may take to play. Losing only worsens morals and overtime depletes motivation, or passion that made all the hard work in the sport worth it.
Another common form of involvement at UI is becoming a member of Greek life. Members of Greek organizations participate in events and in their chapters even outside of the school year. The time commitments can often be intense for many students who are also further involved with other organizations across campus in addition to their sorority or fraternity.
Across the board, students are burnt out and expected to take on immensely time-consuming responsibilities with minimal resources and abilities. While being involved on campus is important and often a transformative part of a person’s college experience, the extent of which has become unsustainable.
Expecting students to maintain good grades, leadership positions and opportunities across campus all while managing potential financial struggles is negatively affecting the upcoming generation’s future. While the heavy tasks and responsibilities may be manageable for some, expecting it from everyone is unrealistic. By putting too much on students, their success will only suffer and as a result, the organizations and classes they are part of will too.
Amelie Dobler can be reached at [email protected]