<p>S1 sent me a message on e-mail saying that he is so tired of school. Classes are okay but he is sick of all the homework, papers and tests. He actually is calling home more lately, but I think this is to delay doing homework. He seems to want to go back next year (we sent in a deposit for his room and he hasn't mentioned not going back.) Is this normal?</p>
<p>as someone not in college, i would hope that the answer is no… being burnt out as a freshman?? that’s a little early… how was he with high school? did he ever suffer burn out then, and if so, when? i’m burnt out with regard to high school but i’m a senior who already knows where i’m going to college</p>
<p>I have two science degrees and am exhausted just reading my son’s freshman homework for math and science. So, I know I would agree with a student saying he was burnt out. My son is off to Germany in May for an intensive language program through his college. I told him it would be a good change and may help him mentally for the fall. They may be tired of homework or maybe it’s really just the stress environment. Doing something totally different this summer should help.</p>
<p>I always feel burnt out at the end of the semester. After a couple weeks break I feel better.</p>
<p>Is he on a quarter or semester system? The quarter system can be very brutal–every time you turn around, it seems that there’s a test/paper/etc.</p>
<p>It’s important to schedule in down time, even if it is a half hour to refresh.</p>
<p>His high school must’ve been too easy.</p>
<p>D2 always feels burnt out right before finals. I got her semi-annual end-of-the-semester meltdown phone call on Monday. Everything feels due all at once and she really does have sucky exam schedule (4 finals in 2 days plus an “impossible” take-home math final due the morning of her first 2 exams) this term. Today when I talked with her she was very much more upbeat and at work studying for her exams which start Wednesday.</p>
<p>A summer doing something else (whether it’s a research internship or a brainless summer job) has always refreshed her mentally and she was ready to head back and get down to work in the fall.</p>
<p>My college son was burned out in high school. We seriously considered a gap year because he was just not interested in going to school, doing academic work. We looked at a lot of very different colleges and programs, and he slowly got some interest back but ended up picking a block schedule college which has worked well for him. </p>
<p>Yes, I can see someone burning out in interest of doing academics. As the work gets more difficult and demanding, if you really don’t like it, it gets harder to force ones self to do it. Some kids have found changing courses of study to something completely different helps. A friend of mine’s son was just so done with school but taking business courses got him going again. Or a leave of absence can help.</p>
<p>Even my third grade students are burnt out. But, when they’ve had a very productive morning, I take them out to the playground for an extra 20 minutes. I guess you can’t do that, can you? (Actually some exercise really does help the brain.)</p>
<p>I remember my oldest son getting really charged up with some courses that finally got out of the theorical. He said to me he was finally learning something “real”. Maybe your son a dose of something different like that.</p>
<p>S1 is on a semester system and all of his courses have been in sophomore science and math classes, both which involve alot of homework. He did have a very difficult senior year in high school (all AP and engineering classes) so he knows how to work hard and he seems like he is always studying when I talk to him. He was home for a funeral for two days this week and when I looked at what he had to do, I was overwhelmed. He only has one more month until summer break. I’m hoping that after a bit of a break his enthusiasm for school will be back.</p>
<p>College is hard, and the last few weeks of the semester are killer. They are crazy important and there is a ton of work in every class, all due at the same time. Feeling exhausted and ready for a good long break is totally normal. I wouldn’t be worried unless he starts talking about not going back/dropping out.</p>
<p>My D loves her college but she is coming home this weekend for the holiday and is excited to get a break. She is tired and stressed and ready to be done. It’s a tough time in the semester - as you approach the end and finals a lot of kids are running on fumes. So yes, I’d say burnout at this point in the year is not unusual - especially for science & engineering majors.</p>
<p>S is a college senior and I’d say stress at this time of year was normal for him as well. This semester he’s so close to the end, since he’s graduating next month (:eek: how did that happen so fast?) so now he’s sad that his time on campus is almost over.</p>
<p>Some students find that classes get harder as the years go on in college. But others find they get easier because they can start to choose electives that interest them more than the basic freshman classes. Either way, a nice summer break helps a lot.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And how exactly would you know this?</p>
<p>I think its very normal to feel this way as a full first year of college is ending, and normal to feel this way at the end of a semester…and heck, basically normal to feel this at random times during a tough year (everyone can have a bad day or a bad week). Now if it was a persistent attitude that lasted months, that might be indicative of something worth addressing. I imagine he’s just needing a few weeks to refresh.</p>
<p>
This was true for me in college (a challenging engineering program).</p>
<p>My other thought is – you say he was back home for a funeral. Could that have added to his stress? Something big like that in the real world might have changed his perspective on his coursework.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Excellent point, seattle_mom.</p>
<p>My daughter has had two medical leaves from college, one in the spring of freshman year, and one in the spring of junior year. I used to feel sorry for her. However, both times, when she got healthier, she had great experiences in the real world (first time she lived with a friend of mine in NYC, this time, she has two wonderful internships in her field), and I am almost starting to think that she is fortunate in taking these leaves (apart from the chronic illness part).</p>
<p>I strongly recommend considering a leave of absence if your son is truly burnt out (as opposed to being stressed at the end of the semester). If senior year of high school was difficult and stressful, all the more reason. One semester out will be no more disruptive than a semester abroad.</p>
<p>Let him have a month or so in that term of not doing a lot, or doing a part-time internship or job, so that he can have more down time. The he can ramp it up for a few months before returning to school.</p>
<p>He will return to college refreshed and with a clearer idea of what he wants to study or do for a career.</p>