am I burnt out or just lazy? (1 Viewer)

[salihaaaameeer]

So prior to these past few weeks, I went on a study rampage. It was the summer holidays and I barely left the house so I could get ahead in the HSC, which I did end up doing as I covered half of the HSC biology syllabus and consolidated my knowledge for all of my other subjects as well, notably math. But recently, I'm noticing a pattern of waking up stressed about my schoolwork and unable to do anything about it.

I come home planning to study 3 subjects, and by 11 pm, I barely sweep off one subject that I spent 3 hours on. I feel like this is a waste of my time which I could have used to interact with my family and friends, which I am also extremely deprived of and making me miserable. I feel sleepy and want to do work, but get nothing done every day, making me even more stressed about my workload. This takes up my weekends, which means I'm doing work 7 days a week for around 5 hours a day, and not making the most of it either. Help. Can some other high achiever provide their tips and what their schedule was like as well as their subjects, and how they found a balance.

I don't know whether I'm burnt out or plain lazy...

 

[ExtremelyBoredUser]

So prior to these past few weeks, I went on a study rampage. It was the summer holidays and I barely left the house so I could get ahead in the HSC, which I did end up doing as I covered half of the HSC biology syllabus and consolidated my knowledge for all of my other subjects as well, notably math. But recently, I'm noticing a pattern of waking up stressed about my schoolwork and unable to do anything about it.

I come home planning to study 3 subjects, and by 11 pm, I barely sweep off one subject that I spent 3 hours on. I feel like this is a waste of my time which I could have used to interact with my family and friends, which I am also extremely deprived of and making me miserable. I feel sleepy and want to do work, but get nothing done every day, making me even more stressed about my workload. This takes up my weekends, which means I'm doing work 7 days a week for around 5 hours a day, and not making the most of it either. Help. Can some other high achiever provide their tips and what their schedule was like as well as their subjects, and how they found a balance.

I don't know whether I'm burnt out or plain lazy...

first sentence automatically declares you guilty of....

being burnt out.

this is what happens when you just try to go all out. mad respect but this isn't the way and as from experience and my recommendation, avoid from doing that ever again.

How to recover from being burnt out?
- give up all your pre-burn out expectations, the car broke, u need to replace the engine
- try to aim to complete something small, perhaps just do X questions of maths and perhaps skim over paragraphs of english essays
....
keep on upgrading your study goals until you reach the point you were.

trust me, easier said than done but this is the way. If you try to do what you did before, you will further burn yourself out and be mentally fatigued.

your not lazy, your mind's just starting to avoid studying because its tired. You've forced yourself into a "study rampage" so naturally you will try to find other things to do. Just like how I tried to do a "study rampage" for english, it just led me to studying maths way more - the only way I got over this is by embracing english and just achieving small goals e.g go over an exemplar essay and highlight key things to writing 3 practice essays over a span of a month.

acknowledge your tired, just work yourself back up to consistency. Don't ever repeat the mistake. You'll do great, just achieve "consistency" and "routine" over going on a "study rampage".

A lot of people I knew got depressed over the same thing you're doing and the one thing they never did this, eventually they just gave up. They weren't lazy, they weren't not putting effort, they just were being impractical. You're only human.

 

[ExtremelyBoredUser]

So prior to these past few weeks, I went on a study rampage. It was the summer holidays and I barely left the house so I could get ahead in the HSC, which I did end up doing as I covered half of the HSC biology syllabus and consolidated my knowledge for all of my other subjects as well, notably math. But recently, I'm noticing a pattern of waking up stressed about my schoolwork and unable to do anything about it.

I come home planning to study 3 subjects, and by 11 pm, I barely sweep off one subject that I spent 3 hours on. I feel like this is a waste of my time which I could have used to interact with my family and friends, which I am also extremely deprived of and making me miserable. I feel sleepy and want to do work, but get nothing done every day, making me even more stressed about my workload. This takes up my weekends, which means I'm doing work 7 days a week for around 5 hours a day, and not making the most of it either. Help. Can some other high achiever provide their tips and what their schedule was like as well as their subjects, and how they found a balance.

I don't know whether I'm burnt out or plain lazy...

my balance in the HSC was pretty much chilling out with friends, going to movies, chatting with people - basically enjoying life and recreation while also achieving consistency in my studies so I only built upon my efforts in year 11.

I just had goals with practical reasons. it wasn't just 'study maths for 5 hrs' and 'study english for 3 hrs' then chill. It was more, 'do X practice papers ensuring that all mistakes are recorded so I am prepared for trials' or 'study X,Y,Z exemplars for Mod C as I am struggling in writing creatives'.

I would study about 3-4 hrs a day on weekdays and 4-6 hours on weekends. Even nowadays I only study 3-5 hours but I tend to go over in the exception. In this way, I'm motivated to keep on learning since I don't feel like I've overexhausted myself. I would give priority to the subjects I was struggling the most and pinpoint my weakpoints and dedicate my time improving that.

 

[salihaaaameeer]

my balance in the HSC was pretty much chilling out with friends, going to movies, chatting with people - basically enjoying life and recreation while also achieving consistency in my studies so I only built upon my efforts in year 11.

I just had goals with practical reasons. it wasn't just 'study maths for 5 hrs' and 'study english for 3 hrs' then chill. It was more, 'do X practice papers ensuring that all mistakes are recorded so I am prepared for trials' or 'study X,Y,Z exemplars for Mod C as I am struggling in writing creatives'.

I would study about 3-4 hrs a day on weekdays and 4-6 hours on weekends. Even nowadays I only study 3-5 hours but I tend to go over in the exception. In this way, I'm motivated to keep on learning since I don't feel like I've overexhausted myself. I would give priority to the subjects I was struggling the most and pinpoint my weakpoints and dedicate my time improving that.

Hey, thank you for the advice it really helped me, I'm gonna try to keep a balance from now on because I really want to enjoy my last year of school like you and also want a 95+ atar (sounds like a lot to ask for).
In terms of the actual exams, when were you finished with the content for all your subjects before trials, and what were your marks on your past paper exams?
Again, thanks a lot

 

[HazzRat]

So prior to these past few weeks, I went on a study rampage. It was the summer holidays and I barely left the house so I could get ahead in the HSC, which I did end up doing as I covered half of the HSC biology syllabus and consolidated my knowledge for all of my other subjects as well, notably math. But recently, I'm noticing a pattern of waking up stressed about my schoolwork and unable to do anything about it.

I come home planning to study 3 subjects, and by 11 pm, I barely sweep off one subject that I spent 3 hours on. I feel like this is a waste of my time which I could have used to interact with my family and friends, which I am also extremely deprived of and making me miserable. I feel sleepy and want to do work, but get nothing done every day, making me even more stressed about my workload. This takes up my weekends, which means I'm doing work 7 days a week for around 5 hours a day, and not making the most of it either. Help. Can some other high achiever provide their tips and what their schedule was like as well as their subjects, and how they found a balance.

I don't know whether I'm burnt out or plain lazy...

It might just be the sleep schedule too. I find that when I go to bed at 1am and wake up at 8am in the school holidays, I wake up and feel perfectly normal, but when I go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 6am for school, I wake up tired and burnt out. I guess I'm just nocturnal.

 

[ExtremelyBoredUser]

Hey, thank you for the advice it really helped me, I'm gonna try to keep a balance from now on because I really want to enjoy my last year of school like you and also want a 95+ atar (sounds like a lot to ask for).
In terms of the actual exams, when were you finished with the content for all your subjects before trials, and what were your marks on your past paper exams?
Again, thanks a lot

I basically finished my MX2 content in year 11, like getting familiar with the content. I would say I mastered (understanding concepts thoroughly, doing routine qs easily, being able to tackle harder qs) in midway year 12. Trials mark was 97ish?

MX1 I didn't really pursue like MX2 since most of the stuff I learnt indirectly through year 11 e.g integration, diff eqs, induction and is the reason I was not as competent in statistics as I should've been. I finished the content in midway year 12 and mastered it the same time. Trials mark was 96ish?

English was by far the worst. I would always delay it, cram, BS etc. For some reason I would always be rewarded with an 18 or 17 despite my efforts which was demovating when I did try for it. When I stepped up my game in year 12, as there were the english toppers/sweats, I would start to near the 18 to 19 zone. Did horribly in my school's trials (got 80%) however I destroyed my externals [relatively LMAO] because I just grinded english for 2 weeks before the HSC non stop, with all my effort.

Physics was the one I put a lot of effort in but I had the worst teacher who I really didn't get along with, that really put a dent in my progress. Despite the challenges such as having to chase marks, speaking to head of faculty etc. I received a 95% which I was grateful considering the bias.

Economics was the one I barely studied for. I would just cram and look of study notes, should've been more dilligent in this but I enjoyed the content so I did well in trials (94%) since I could memorise decently.

----

I would say that 95 is not too hard to reach as long as you put in the effort and achieve consistency and you have that determination, definitely doable. The worthlessness of ATAR really is something special, as you can never understand it until the day of the ATAR drop... so a futile request to not worry about ATAR unless its a prereq on your course e.g medicine, hard double degrees. Despite that, the ATAR is just something you can treat as a commemoration of your efforts and as a motivator for you to keep on going in the future. Give it your all in the HSC, worst case you don't hit your ATAR goal, best case you do but just know it's never the end.

DO NOT MISS out on socialising or going out with friends. I promise you the best moments of my HSC is not at all studying/grinding or even the ATAR reveal but just having 2-4 best friends that I can go out with and chat. Enjoy your last year in high school with your mates and not at home, you'll treasure it.

 

[salihaaaameeer]

I basically finished my MX2 content in year 11, like getting familiar with the content. I would say I mastered (understanding concepts thoroughly, doing routine qs easily, being able to tackle harder qs) in midway year 12. Trials mark was 97ish?

MX1 I didn't really pursue like MX2 since most of the stuff I learnt indirectly through year 11 e.g integration, diff eqs, induction and is the reason I was not as competent in statistics as I should've been. I finished the content in midway year 12 and mastered it the same time. Trials mark was 96ish?

English was by far the worst. I would always delay it, cram, BS etc. For some reason I would always be rewarded with an 18 or 17 despite my efforts which was demovating when I did try for it. When I stepped up my game in year 12, as there were the english toppers/sweats, I would start to near the 18 to 19 zone. Did horribly in my school's trials (got 80%) however I destroyed my externals [relatively LMAO] because I just grinded english for 2 weeks before the HSC non stop, with all my effort.

Physics was the one I put a lot of effort in but I had the worst teacher who I really didn't get along with, that really put a dent in my progress. Despite the challenges such as having to chase marks, speaking to head of faculty etc. I received a 95% which I was grateful considering the bias.

Economics was the one I barely studied for. I would just cram and look of study notes, should've been more dilligent in this but I enjoyed the content so I did well in trials (94%) since I could memorise decently.

----

I would say that 95 is not too hard to reach as long as you put in the effort and achieve consistency and you have that determination, definitely doable. The worthlessness of ATAR really is something special, as you can never understand it until the day of the ATAR drop... so a futile request to not worry about ATAR unless its a prereq on your course e.g medicine, hard double degrees. Despite that, the ATAR is just something you can treat as a commemoration of your efforts and as a motivator for you to keep on going in the future. Give it your all in the HSC, worst case you don't hit your ATAR goal, best case you do but just know it's never the end.

DO NOT MISS out on socialising or going out with friends. I promise you the best moments of my HSC is not at all studying/grinding or even the ATAR reveal but just having 2-4 best friends that I can go out with and chat. Enjoy your last year in high school with your mates and not at home, you'll treasure it.

I had to move schools in year 12 (rural), and to say the least, I don't really have much company of friends nowadays :<

 

[dumNerd]

not to sound mean or invalidate other people's experience --> but in my opinion being burnt out = being lazy --> saying your burnt out is simply an excuse for laziness.

However, when you are studying all day (as you are) being lazy is inevitable as you are tired. So instead of thinking your "burnt out" and your "in a slump" that you can't overcome --> try to either 1. get into the routine of studying as much as you currently are (eventually you get used to it) or 2. take breaks and try to figure out how much studying you can sustain a day and study that much everyday without fail (routine makes it easy)

Also in my experience you should take half the day off (I didn't do shit for whatever time I was at school [like nothing, no homework - no work at all] but when I got home I was studying for a lot of the time)

As for feeling sleepy - you just have to study at a time you won't be sleepy - feeling stressed about not achieving your goals is good because it motivates you to study the next day, however, it is unhealthy if it starts building up --> instead you should set goals for a week rather than a day

Anyway that's just my two cents

 

[ms_grape_taco]

I personally feel like being lazy stems from not being burnt out but being compelled to continue in a cycle of studying and stuff. Maybe take a break and for one day with completely no work and start fresh on a new day.

Also, this seems cheesy, but if you forcefully smile while doing your work, it somehow makes it better...?