How To Prevent Burnout as a High School Senior Applying for College
High School Seniors Have a Lot on Their Plates…
Balancing AP classes, SAT prep, extracurriculars, and socializing while tackling college applications is a challenge for any high school senior. All these commitments can quickly lead to an intense issue: burnout.
Burnout can happen at any stage of life, but it’s particularly tough in senior year, as its effects can impact the quality of college applications. Senior year is an important period, giving you one last opportunity to show colleges why you belong there. Fortunately, there are effective ways to lower stress and prevent burnout as you finish high school strong.
What You’ll Discover in This Guide:
- Understanding Burnout
- Five Key Signs of Burnout
- Tips for Managing Burnout During College Applications
Understanding Burnout
Not familiar with “burnout”? It’s the buildup of stress and exhaustion that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Burnout doesn’t appear suddenly but accumulates over time, often due to a packed schedule that leaves little room for rest or personal interests.
The first hint of burnout often shows up as a lack of enthusiasm for school, extracurriculars, and other obligations. Daily routines like getting up and attending school become harder, and sticking to goals feels daunting.
Consider a senior who’s active in Student Government, leads a sports team, and takes multiple AP classes. Now add in SAT prep, college applications, and socializing. It’s clear why they could be heading straight for burnout.
If burnout reaches its peak, it could lead to a dip in class performance, a lower GPA, or missed college application deadlines. This overwhelming schedule can also negatively impact mental and physical well-being, leading to exhaustion and, ultimately, burnout.
The good news is burnout isn’t irreversible. By adding some healthy habits to your routine, you can prevent this stress from getting the best of you and finish your senior year strong!
Five Key Signs of Burnout
To manage burnout, you need to know what it looks like. Here are five common symptoms that suggest burnout may be taking a toll. If these sound familiar, it’s time to rethink your workload and focus on self-care:
- Dreading school
- Persistent fatigue or lack of motivation
- Irritability or unexplained anger
- Feeling like schoolwork and applications are unimportant
- Frequent physical complaints like headaches or stomach issues
For instance, a normally enthusiastic senior might start to dread school, leading to a drop in motivation. Unmotivated students often struggle to keep up, leading to mounting anxiety and physical symptoms like headaches or upset stomachs.
Some students think they can “handle” burnout since college applications will soon be over. However, burnout can still have consequences for college admissions. Mid-year grades are sent to colleges, so if burnout has caused a dip in performance, this can impact admissions decisions. That’s why it’s so important to tackle burnout early.
Tips for Managing Burnout During College Applications
Burnout can impact your applications if it causes lapses in motivation or concentration. Fortunately, you can keep burnout at bay with a few simple adjustments to your schedule and priorities.
1. Change Your Application Routine
If you haven’t already, create a checklist for your application process. Break it down into manageable steps, dedicating time each day to a specific part of the application.
This approach prevents feeling overwhelmed and helps balance applications with schoolwork. Instead of a vague “finish my applications,” you’ll have clear steps to complete.
2. Prioritize Self-Care
Healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate sleep all contribute to mental wellness, helping to minimize burnout. Research has shown that eating well and exercising at least 30 minutes three times a week can positively affect mental health.
While getting eight hours of sleep every night is ideal, aim for a minimum of six hours to ensure you’re well-rested.
3. Practice Saying “No”
One reason many seniors experience burnout is their growing list of commitments. As senior year unfolds, new opportunities may arise. Before agreeing to new activities, consider whether you can realistically handle them alongside your current priorities.
Sometimes, you may need to decline social invitations to focus on applications. Knowing when to say “no” helps you maintain control over your schedule and avoid over-committing.
Learning to set boundaries will benefit you beyond high school. Being aware of your capacity and saying “no” when necessary will help you focus on what truly matters during senior year.
4. Think About Your Future
When feeling overwhelmed, it can help to envision yourself next year at college, with all the hard work you’re doing now paying off. Keeping that vision in mind can be motivating; remember, it’s only a few months away.
This visualization makes today’s challenges feel more manageable, giving you that final push to keep going.
5. Seek Support
If burnout feels unmanageable, talk to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor. Outside perspectives can be refreshing and may offer solutions you hadn’t considered. They might help you decide what to let go of or help create a college application checklist to stay on track. Sometimes, simply having someone to talk to can make a huge difference.
Overcoming Burnout
While burnout is common among high school seniors, it’s not the ideal way to conclude your last academic year. Instead, try to recognize and address burnout symptoms early. If school feels increasingly discouraging, it might be time to adjust your habits.
Make sure to take care of your mental and physical health, allowing time for rest and learning to say “no” when necessary. Assess your current responsibilities and focus on what truly matters.
Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to a counselor if you’re struggling. Expert support can help create a balanced college application plan tailored to your life. If your schedule is crowding out application time, it’s time to reprioritize and make the process more manageable.
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