Burnout from Overstudying: How do I decide I've done enough?

[brutalmusic]

Hi, all!

I'm a college senior with a dual major in math and sociology. Every semester, I meticulously prioritize my assignments, required readings, pre-class readings, optional readings, and so on. I start out running, spending every spare moment doing anything I can think of to prepare for my classes.

My friends laugh at me because I read books when they would have just skimmed them. I read my math texts before I attend the lecture for that section. I review and condense my notes. I attend every session of every class, even if I know that the class lecture is less valuable than the study time I would gain by skipping it. (After all, I'll have plenty of time to study after the class.) I review old math classes in preparation for the GREs. And of course, I do all assigned homework and prepare for tests.

I keep up this superstudent routine for maybe two months each semester. I neglect friends, errands, housework, and downtime. By the time other students start bothering to study for finals, I'm so burnt out that I can barely keep going.

When finals begin looming, I often find I have already earned enough points to skip the final in some classes, so I can neglect them in favor for others. For the remaining classes, I do only the strictly required assignments, which makes it difficult to absorb the material toward the end of each class. I end up taking finals that emphasize material I haven't quite mastered because I exhausted all my energy overlearning the things from the beginning of the course.

I want to excel, but I know that I'm failing to cut away unnecessary tasks. I just keep working as long as I can think of anything that might help toward future lessons. And I can always think of something that might help.

How do I find some balance between my schoolwork and the rest of my life? Where (in terms as concrete as possible so that my perfectionist mindset will accept them as goals worth achieving) is the "You've done enough for now" line?

Thanks so much!
Danielle

[Daffy Duck]

Yo, Danielle!

Please, PLEASE read this book: Amazon.com: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less: Cal Newport: Books

It's the best book I've come across for real and specific advice on balancing school and life, while still getting straight A's (or in my case, close to straight A's). It's by Cal Newport, the guy who runs the Study Hacks blog: Study Hacks

You're already a senior but I think this book can help you finish out school. I've noticed some of the lessons, like on time management, also apply to other areas of life.

[shivraj]

Roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

Concentrate on high pay off efforts. In the end results matters most.

[brutalmusic]

Thanks, Shivraj and Daffy!

Amazon, here I come. I am a senior, but that doesn't mean I'll be done with school any time soon!

Danielle

[Writertype]

Hey Danielle, I am a medical student so I know a little about studying! The first rule of studying is to figure out what works for you. Some people soak up lectures like a sponge, others have to read it, others have to do something hands on. Figure out an efficient method for you for any given class and do it. For me reading the material at a reasonable pace and then answering questions cements it.

As for spending time studying, it sounds to me like you are overdoing it. I never studied like that in college taking 18-22 credits per semester, and I don't study like that in medical school. Try this (works for me). Go to class consistently, then read over the material for understanding. Then go on with your life. If you're in college, that might average three hours of class and four hours of reading per weekday, leaving you lots of free time. Then several days before the exam go on lockdown and read, re-read, practice, and do everything to master every detail. The added pressure will keep you moving.

People will tell you you will not remember a thing doing this. They're wrong. The key is really understanding as you go and then mastering right before the test, leaving yourself plenty of time to enjoy life in the meantime. That got me through classes with a solid GPA and ended with me scoring high enough on the MCAT to teach every section for Kaplan.

Oh, and the most important tip (which I hope you already know): love what you're learning. If you are learning something you really enjoy it will be so much easier, and incidentally it will take less time. Good luck, PM me if you need any tips!

[nhaasch]

How do I find some balance between my schoolwork and the rest of my life? Where (in terms as concrete as possible so that my perfectionist mindset will accept them as goals worth achieving) is the "You've done enough for now" line?

What exactly is enough? Define it. Precisiely.

You are maticulous. You can tell yourself precisely what you want and all the work you need to do to get it.

I'm curious about something. You talk about all the things you are doing to ensure you are being perfect in school. What are you doing to ensure you are being perfect with the rest of your life? Do you have goals for the other areas of your life? Do you have a plan? What will you do to ensure you excel with all areas of your life?

[aelle]

Hey Danielle,

I am also a double major (I have an MS in both) and was a straight A student for most of my schooling so I understand your issues! First, congratulations on being such an organized, industrious, strong-willed student. Flexing those hard-work muscles will give you a great edge on the people who got by on their natural skills (...that would be me).

But before addressing the minutiae on how to be more efficient etc. (which others are doing well already) I'd like you to consider why you want to excel? Why so much perfectionism? What's your objective here?

Do you need good grades to get into graduate school or get scholarships?
Do you need to prove something to other students? To you? Isn't there enough proof already?
Do you want approval from your professors? (that was a big one for me)

Good grades for the sake of good grades only take you so far. After a lifelong of schooling it's hard to forget that the rules are arbitrary, and that you can set your own. And when we leave academia for the real world, in which there are no grades, no one to tell us if we get an A at life, it's easy to feel lost and scared. But the fact is that you are living real life already and you can bypass the rules.

Next time you get an assignment or a class, instead of rushing because that's what you're expected to do, think about what it will actually bring to you, and what would skipping it bring to you. You always have this choice.

Does any of that ring a bell?

[Eric Roosevelt]

Originally Posted by brutalmusic

How do I find some balance between my schoolwork and the rest of my life? Where (in terms as concrete as possible so that my perfectionist mindset will accept them as goals worth achieving) is the "You've done enough for now" line?

The line is crossed when you're seeking help on the internet about feeling burned out from over-studying.

Perhaps it's time to consider how important getting a perfect grade in everything is compared to, say, your health or your friendships. In any case, maybe a part of the solution for you could be meditation and exercise, which can both be great ways of decreasing stress.

And I would urge you to consider the questions that aelle brought up as well in the post above mine, which I think seem quite fundamental. What exactly are you trying to achieve?

[funchy]

I don't think it's a drive to get As that is pushing you. Maybe it's lack of confidence that you can study and do well? The reason I say that is that it's illogical to skip a final exam, even if you'll still pass the class, because it'll pull everything down.

Maybe it's also a stress issue and not a time issue? If you studied in a relax way, perhaps you wouldn't feel the burn-out.

It is not that abnormal to have to ignore most social contact if you're in college full-time trying to get two majors. It's important to get decent grades. I've noticed the students who seem to have plenty of leisure time are the C- students or those who will be repeating classes. There is nothing wrong with taking the time you need to do well and master the material. If friends hassle you that you're busy, that's their problem not yours.


So why do you feel you stress out and overstudy? Are there some ways of learning that take longer than they should -- perhaps we can make suggestions on more efficient ways to learn? I know for me sometimes it's memorizing huge chunks of information in a short period of time that's hard, so I've had to develop ways to assimilate it all without my head exploding.

Do you study with classmates? I've found it helpful to zero in on the students aiming for As in my classes, and then we go over notes together. Sometimes I don't realize what I do not know until I review it with someone else.

And have you reconsidered the bigger picture: the courseload. Perhaps you simply signed up for too many courses. I feel it's better to do only 3-4 classes and get As than to squeeze through 5 or 6 classes with Cs.

[alainplus]

Be more specific. What are your grades? What's your GPA? Give us a weekly schedule. With the amount of studying you're putting in and even doing extra work, the logical conclusion would be that you would finish your coursework much earlier than the class.

Burnout typically comes from cramming lots of material in a short period of time. Or if you're studying something you really really hate. If you studying daily, this shouldn't be a problem. Just give us more information.

[brutalmusic]

Thanks so much to everyone!!!

Writertype:

My learning style is primarily visual, so I get the most value out of staring at the whiteboard during a lecture, reading, looking at examples, and absorbing the contents of a cheat sheet. When I have to memorize difficult terminology, I will either memorize the way the word itself looks, or I'll memorize a bad pun complete with stick-figure illustrations. I get unhappy when I see the same information in several different forms because the visual memories start to compete with one another.

At the beginning of the semester in my social science classes, I tell myself that I'm going to read the entire textbook and any other required reading that is assigned. I put a fair amount of effort into meeting this goal, even if I have an instructor who tells us that he tests only on lecture notes. Closer to the end of the semester, I get a bit more reasonable and stop reading, as I know that if I cram a maximum of four hours before any major social science exam, then I can expect a grade above 90%. Social science classes, therefore, are a source of easy 'A's, but they're also a major time sink.

My math classes suffer from my inefficient study habits. If the social sciences aren't devouring all of my study time, then I'm likely fighting with one homework problem for five hours straight. When I tutor math, I tell my students to set aside unsolvable problems and bring them in to the prof or a tutor. I don't follow my own advice, though. Part of that is simply enjoying fighting with such difficult problems. The problem is, those five-hours-and-still-not-done problems are never the last ones in the problem set.


nhaasch:

That's my trouble, I can't define what's enough. As far as I'm concerned at the beginning of the semester, anything assigned on the syllabus (even those things that won't ultimately improve my grade) is a requirement. Obviously, I know I'm overstudying, but I keep telling myself that 'sure, it's not going to help much, but it'll help."

I'm thirty years old, so I've had a few adventures and I've had a major derailment. Right now, school is my passion more than it is my goal, and my current career goal is to teach remedial math at the community college level, which requires a bachelor's. I have many good friends and I think I need to wait for a serious romantic relationship until after grad school, when I'm done moving from place to place. I'm good at managing money and other responsibilities. So really, school is the only area of life that is important to me right now. I just need to keep from burning out on it.


aelle:

Thanks! School has always come easy for me, so I try to set challeges worth working for.

I know that there's plenty of reason to assume that I'm in my early twenties as I'm an undergrad, but I took my 'experience of the real world' up front, right after graduation, and now, at age thirty, have just completed my first two semesters at a four-year college.

Why so much perfectionism? Because I love seeing that shiny 3.9* on my transcript. It's a point of pride, and it is an extension of knowing that I can do it, so I had better do it. The A's themselves are the cookie that I work for because, like a collection of antique knicknacks, I like to stare at them and know that I earned them. Some of them were easy, some of them were ridiculously hard, but all of them were mine. I do plan to attend grad school, but I expect that I'll get accepted to a program worth doing, get scholarships, etc. just by meeting my own standards.

I can prioritize quite well, but I get stuck in the trap of studying things that I don't need to study, just because I think it could possibly help a tiny little bit. But I suppose that the heart of the matter is indeed in your words on comparing what I get out of an assignment as compared to what I would get out of other non-school activites. The thing is, I absolutely enjoy my work. I'm far enough ahead in my program that I only take classes in my major areas, and I find both areas fascinating. In truth, there usually isn't anything else to do that I would find more interesting, and it's not for lack of friends or hobbies. But if I let myself work constantly, I inevitably overspend my store of energy.


Eric Roosevelt:

"The line is crossed when you're seeking help on the internet about feeling burned out from over-studying."

You are so right. Trouble is, even as I know I've crossed the line, I have no idea where the line is. Even during those times when I am trying to relax or exercise, I can't help but wonder every ten minutes, 'Am I ready to go do the stuff that I'm horribly neglecting?' Even when I've already earned an 'A' in a class, I'll consider doing extra credit. I just don't know how to say 'no' to another batch of work, even the totally worthless ones. I'm stuck in a "study=good" mindset. I know that my perfectionist mind should be able to change that to "study x per week maximum=good" or whatever, but the trouble is figuring out what that 'x' is.


funchy:

Some profs at my university give optional finals. That is, if you like the grade you've earned throughout the class, you can have it and skip the final. Otherwise, you can take the final in hopes of improving your grade. I almost always earn an 'A' before the optional final arrives.

It's both a stress and a time issue -- I give absolutely everything I have to my studies until I'm completely out of fuel. And when I do take down time, it's not much of a down time because I am busy berating myself for not working harder.

I occasionally study with others in the math lab, but I often find that I'm that student that everyone else just wants to copy from. My courseload this past semester was unfriendly: 16 credits, where standard is 12. I received a 'B' in one of those classes, leading me to finally face the fact that I am being incredibly inefficient in my study habits. But I've known I was inefficient for a long time; I just can't resist the temptation to do just a little more and just a little more.


alainplus:

At my first college, I earned 78 credits with a 3.97 GPA. My second college, 111 credits, 3.93 GPA. At my current university, I've earned 29 credits with a 3.90 GPA.

Last semester, I took 16 credits. Six credits were in math, seven in social sciences, and three in humanities.

Monday: 2 hours of class, 1 hour of math club, and 2 hours of work
Tuesday: 3 hours of class, 5 hours of work
Wednesday: 3 hours of class
Thursday: 3 hours of class, 5 hours of work
Friday: 5 hours of work
Saturday: 4 hours of work

You're quite right, I had more than enough time to master the material for each class. Trouble is, after I finished doing the necessary studying, then I began doing things that I really didn't need to do, such as reading textbooks that only needed to be skimmed. I simply don't have a point where I say to myself "I know this stuff. Time to go do something else."

I absolutely love the subjects I study, but I keep at them until I have exhausted myself, even when I know the extra effort isn't going to make a difference.

Thanks again, everyone!
Danielle

[alainplus]

So you KNOW the problem, which is good. A lot of people pretend not to even know where to start that's frustrating for both parties.

1. I recommend this tool here. Anki - friendly, intelligent flashcards
Most people don't have the discipline to use it, but these people tend to be the kinds that don't do well at school anyway. So here you go. Just read the site and download it. It's essentially a flashcard program but it does most of the organizing for you.

If people asked me why I get all A's without trying much, that's my first tip.

The software utilizes something called SRS. Read this site for more information: Super Memory

The tool pretty much guarantees you'll never have to study for finals ever again if you have the discipline to use it consistently from the beginning of the semester.

2. I have no problem with you reading extra. In fact, it actually brings tears to my face knowing some people out there are go off the beaten path. Most students I encounter ♥♥♥♥♥ about school 5 days of the week and get drunk the other too. You seem to enjoy it too, which is good. I burn myself out doing what I love every day. I typically wake up early the next morning ready to burn myself out again. I don't really have the heart to tell you stop reading extra.

3. I know this is cliche, but I gotta say it. Set clear academic goals. You make a conscious effort to read extra. It's not some uncontrollable habit, you're the one who chooses to read extra. So type out your academic goals and use them as bookmarks for all your textbooks and paste them on every notebook you own. Therefore you get constant exposure to your goals. Every time you're about to read extra or do something detrimental to your grades, read the goals. Ask yourself. "Have I done all the necessary coursework that's due for all my classes before I read extra." Reading extra is not part of the course, it's a hobby. So just prioritize your required academic activities and those that are not required. Set specific times in the week when you all you do is required academic activities. Set some other time preferably a whole day for other activities. Maybe, Friday. Make that your unrequired coursework day, as well as your errand day and housework day. Everything you do that day is not required. Every other day is required coursework.

[MartinP]

@alainplus

Anki is awesome!
I used to make index cards. What a pain!
I wish this had been around when I was studying!

Nice one!

[brutalmusic]

alainplus:

Back in... it had to be '99, I asked a programmer friend to write up a flashcard program for me, but when I stumbled upon an old floppy with a copy of it a few years ago, it didn't even occur to me to actually start using the thing again. Thanks so much for the reminder! The extra frills on Anki look quite intriguing, and its ability to use images are simply necessary if I want to use images of mathematical algorithms. Anki has quite a lot to offer to someone who learns visually.

I was scouring the Study Hacks blog that Daffy suggested and found a suggestion that reflects Steve Pavlina's advice to cut back on hours to increase efficiency. So I've been wondering how many hours etc. to allot per week. However, I think your advice is likely to be so much more helpful.

It's so simple and obvious yet I never would have seen it for myself: playing with course materials isn't studying; it's a hobby. And it's ridiculous to harass myself for being lazy when I've finished my coursework but I'm not attending to my hobby. Because, of course, I do harass myself for not spending every spare minute "studying."

But I can indeed draw a line between studying and reading or reviewing for enjoyment, such that I will finally -- finally! -- have a finite list of things to study.

That annoying perfectionist voice in the corner says, 'But what about studying for the math GREs? Isn't that true studying?' Only if I'm studying only those problems that appeared on the exams for that class. Reviewing a textbook section by section doesn't count.

So, here's the rough draft of my goals:

Premise:

Studying:

1. Earning points toward a better GPA
2. Reviewing the core elements of a mathematical subject when deemed necessary as preparation for the GREs or a future course

Academic playtime:

1. Time spent in any academic pursuit other than studying
2. Time spent studying inefficiently

Nonproductive downtime is as valuable as academic playtime

Goals:

I will consistently and reliably differentiate between studying and academic playtime

For each class, I will create a firm, finite list of study tasks that can be pruned but cannot be lengthened unless a professor reveals additional coursework

Each time I harass myself for neglecting to allot academic playtime, I will remind myself that indulging in academic playtime is a hobby

As for creating a specific list of study tasks, I'll have to wait until Monday, which is when my second summer school class begins.

Any suggestions to add?

Thanks much,
Danielle

[brutalmusic]

Originally Posted by alainplus

1. I recommend this tool here. Anki - friendly, intelligent flashcards

Oh my... Anki can use latex. This thing is going to be my friend forever.

[alainplus]

Sounds good. Don't be afraid to make adjustments along the way as you see fit.

I wish this had been around when I was studying!

Education is a lifelong endeavor!

[Rapid]

Thanks so much for the recommendation! This year I've been working on simplifying my life and letting go, including cutting out volunteering, association meetings, social activities, etc. I really like Cal's tip on picking one main extracurricular activity and becoming really outstanding in it. I was thinking about all the non-work-related, non-school-related activities that I've ever been involved in; most of them did not do much for my career path but eventually created the feeling of burden in me. It took me a while to realize that, even if I don't jump in, somebody else will volunteer. It feels good to not being in charge for a change.

So it is true that one secret to living a happy, peaceful, and fulfilling life is to not be involved in too many things. On the other hand, I admit that occasionally I still feel a little guilty for not volunteering as much. But I was very busy for many years already so I shouldn't feel bad for pulling back now.

[QUOTE=Daffy Duck;359147]
Please, PLEASE read this book: Amazon.com: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less: Cal Newport: Books
[QUOTE]

[MartinP]

@Alainplus

I never want to sit another exam in my life! ;-)

[funchy]

Originally Posted by brutalmusic

I occasionally study with others in the math lab, but I often find that I'm that student that everyone else just wants to copy from. My courseload this past semester was unfriendly: 16 credits, where standard is 12. I received a 'B' in one of those classes, leading me to finally face the fact that I am being incredibly inefficient in my study habits. But I've known I was inefficient for a long time; I just can't resist the temptation to do just a little more and just a little more.

If I had to name the #1 reason why people get burn-out in anything, it would be because they failed to set boundaries.

In your case 16 credit hours maintaining a high GPA is too much. 12 can be quite a bit, depending on the classes. If you need to pick up some credits, do a summer session or online accredited class, if available. It's not worth it to risk total burn-out and drop out, give up, or have anxiety attacks.

Also, say no to the sponge classmates. I have them in my classes, too. They interrupt my studying to "borrow" my notes because they're too lazy to take good notes of their own. Set boundaries! It's ok to say "no" sometimes. I don't mind helping a sincere student who just needs a little tutoring to get through a challenging concept, but I am not giving you my notes because you decided to sit in the back of class and text-message the whole lecture. If they ask, I just give them some polite excuse, and I return to my studies. I used to feel bad, but I came to realize if they're this bad off they're getting a C or an F anyway, so one day's notes won't matter.

My strategy is to be a good listener the first few weeks of class and I identify which of my classmates really want good grades. Then I single them out and we share in studying, comparing notes, or teaming up on projects. If I study with someone doing better than me, I think it helps me do better & inspires me to work harder.

I do feel your pain. I'm an adult returning to college for the second time. This time I'm on a medical track, and I'm killing myself to keep a straight A average, because I'm dreaming of Grad school. Right now for example, I'm taking one of the challenging 4 credit hour classes over the summer. This allows me to focus 100% on the material without getting brain-fried during a regular semester.


And just keep reminding yourself that all this work IS worth it! A good education opens so many doors for you.

[brutalmusic]

funchy:

Boundaries have something to do with it, though for me it's fairly easy to say no to people -- it's saying no to myself that I haven't been doing. I want to do a huge long list of studying, and it's hard for me to figure out what stuff on my study list is good to do and what stuff just exhausts me needlessly. But I am getting better at that one.

I've been relabeling anything that actually earns me a grade (homework, papers, cramming for exams) studying, and all else is just a hobby called learning. Then I'm not allowed to play with my hobby and pretend that I'm actually accomplishing something beyond relaxation. I'm starting to see a difference in my mindset and behavior, in that I don't harass myself for neglecting to read things that I really didn't need to read, and I also attend to the studying first (instead of playing with the unnecessary reading first).

Here's something else I've stumbled upon, which looks quite valuable to someone like myself, who tends to trade sleep time for learning time... The Now Habit: Chapters 4 - 6. The author of the page, who is reviewing a book on procrastination, says "By scheduling all the non-work activities that you have you overcome the false notion that you have twenty-four hours a day to work on your projects."

Well, I disagree with the idea that I have twenty-four hours a day to work. I need at least four hours to sleep, you see. So the unschedule is my next idea for fixing this problem of disallowing myself down time. Maybe it's hard for me to decide how much work is enough, but I'm betting I can decide how much play time is enough.