College burnout refers to a state of exhaustion students may face when balancing academic performance, extracurriculars, and a new social life. Worrying about grades and the future can leave many overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed, sometimes leading to mental, emotional, and physical fatigue. As a result, they may have difficulties focusing and coping with stress.
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What Is College Burnout?
College burnout is a state of chronic stress or exhaustion students may feel due to the many demands they face. They may become overwhelmed and drained by their workload, disconnected or cynical about their classes, or struggle with reduced academic efficacy.1 Additionally, managing classes, extracurriculars, an active social life, or jobs while away from home or their built-in support system can be challenging for many college students.
College Stress Vs. College Burnout
Almost every college student can relate to feeling stressed about their coursework, grades, or academic future. These anxieties are typical college experiences, but certain events (like choosing classes or studying for final exams) can heighten school-related stress. On the other hand, college burnout is a more pervasive, underlying sensation of mental exhaustion. Students may feel cynical, detached, or completely unmotivated in school.
College Burnout Symptoms
A college student experiencing burnout may feel disconnected from their academic experience, appear unmotivated, skip classes, or miss assignments. Burnout in college often looks very similar to what an adult experiences with work burnout, as being a student is the equivalent of having a full-time job.
Symptoms of college burnout may include:2
- Overall exhaustion: College students may feel physically and emotionally exhausted by school. While this fatigue can develop suddenly, symptoms often emerge gradually.
- Increased substance use: Some students might turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with emotional pain or to numb stress.
- Lack of interest in activities: College burnout can diminish the desire to engage in normal routines.
- Poor academic performance: Burnout can result in a loss of motivation, poor concentration, and poor study habits, all of which can affect grades.
- Difficulty connecting with others: College students may withdraw from others or prefer spending time alone.
- Chronic stress
- Feeling emotionally drained
Lower Your Stress & Avoid Burnout
Therapy can help. BetterHelp has a large network of licensed therapists worldwide who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. Take a brief assessment and get matched with a therapist who fits your needs in as little as 48 hours. Insurance options may be available for eligible members.* *Insurance availability and coverage may vary by state, plan, provider network, and therapist availability.
In My Experience
“Recovering from college burnout can be difficult, but recreating a new and healthy relationship with college, your studies, and yourself is possible. Engaging in activities that help you build self-awareness and provide a better understanding of your learning style can support self-improvement and success.”
College Burnout Infographics
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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World Health Organization (2010, May). Burnout an “occupational phenomenon.” Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
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The Hechinger Report (2021, July). College burnout symptoms. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/burnout-symptoms-increasing-among-college-students/
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Calestine, J., et al. (2017). College Student Work Habits are Related to Physical Activity and Fitness. International journal of exercise science, 10(7), 1009–1017.
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The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2017). College students and sleep. Retrieved from https://aasm.org/college-students-getting-enough-sleep-is-vital-to-academic-success/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Leah Rockwell, LPC, LCPC (No Change)
Reviewer: Rajy Abulhosn, MD (No Change)
Primary Changes: Revised sections titled “What Is College Burnout,” “College Burnout Symptoms,” “Causes of Burnout in College,” and “How to Deal With College Burnout” to improve factual accuracy. Fact-checked and edited for improved readability and clarity. New content written by Nicole Artz, LMFT and medically reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.
Author: Leah Rockwell, LPC, LCPC
Reviewer: Rajy Abulhosn, MD
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