Cannon Russo
Staff Writer

As the school year comes to an end, students reflect on how their year has been, and if they could think about anything other than their next assignment. 

Burnout affects almost everybody at some point, whether that be through work, school, sports, etc. Especially for college students as they close out the year.

CCC Counselor Juan Cortes. Provided by Clackamas Community College.

Juan Cortes works as a counselor for Clackamas Community College, helping students get through the year and supporting their well-being.

“Usually, the most common source of burnout comes from the most immediate stress factor; that can come from assignments, classes, work or other stressors,” said Cortes.

Stress and pressure performance curve. Provided by Delphis Learning

Stress comes from cortisol, a natural chemical the body produces. A normal amount of cortisol is made in our bodies in response to everyday stressors. It’s what motivates people to do everyday tasks.

“When you’re hungry, you eat. That’s sort of how stress works in the human body,” said Cortes. “If your body can’t address the immediate stress, we start to approach higher cortisol levels. This leads to emotional coping and avoidance.”

This stress level can manifest as a decreased work ethic, coupled with emotional avoidance and increased irrationality, which ends up spilling over from work into people’s outside lives.

Lucian Morgan, a horticulture student at CCC, has been particularly affected.

“It’s mental exhaustion; the work would pile up and alter how you perceive stress,” said Morgan.

Another student, Grayson Cook, said, “It’s really affected my self-esteem. There’s this voice in the back of my head telling me that I’m not doing well enough.”

Students suffering from burnout and stress might look for help to offset some of their hardship.

“Lean into your community,” says Cortes, “The best way to get to the optimal performance zone is to alleviate our stress by leaning into those support methods that we have.”

Some students look to mitigate burnout by taking online classes. This, for some, works, but more often than not, students lack the time management skills to succeed in online courses. 

“If you don’t have the discipline to hold yourself accountable, online classes will lead to more stress”, said Cortes.

The human brain works better when work is segmented and manageable. 

“Just doing work for 25 minutes and taking a break is the best way to manage the stress of assignments”, said student Lucian Morgan.

“Mindfulness actually really helps”, said student Grayson Cook. “You gotta talk to yourself positively, cause if you beat yourself up in the head, you’re gonna spiral.”

Cook. Photo by Jackson Smith

Going into the next year, students should prioritize a balanced schedule that allows time for school, work and self-care. When people push themselves over the limit for what they can handle, they’ll end up performing poorly.

Cortes says that campus resources are always available. “Tutoring is an amazing resource for struggling students. It gives them time to focus, while being unbothered at work with help available at all times.”

Teachers will also have office hours available for students who need specific one-on-one help. Just being in an environment with another teacher does wonders for productivity and burnout.

If the issue is more existential, Cortes recommends scheduling a meeting with the counseling office. 

“You should never feel bad for underperforming, how dare you feel human?” said Cortes. “We in the counseling office are always available for struggling students.”

For more info on how to manage burnout and stress in the next term, check out the student resources listed here.