Learning how to manage university stress without burning out will set you up for success this semester.

Written by Simon Spichak, MSc, Co-Founder of Resolvve

Many university students find themselves juggling courses, a social life, and basic self-care. The pressure to do well on exams and assignments — to secure a good job, graduate or professional school admissions, or for personal pride — makes the stress accumulate and could lead to burnout. 

Working too hard without taking care of yourself can start a cycle where stress builds and turns into burnout. Understanding where your stress comes from, how to spot the signs you’re burning out, and how to take a step back at the right time will help you manage the pressure this semester. While it’s impossible to eliminate stress altogether, these strategies could help you build a plan to manage it. 

Understanding Academic Stress 

Stress is the body’s normal response to a perceived threat or trigger. It provides a temporary boost of adrenaline to sharpen focus and motivation. Some people even thrive on this pressure to finish assignments on time.

“Stress really is a temporary cognitive overload where you’ve got a lot on your plate,” says Resolvve therapist Yossef Kurtz, RSW. That feeling of stress passes along with the temporary trigger. But in university, the stressors are persistent and common.

What Causes Academic Pressure In University?

There are many reasons that you might feel stressed at university:

  • High-stakes exams and midterms worth a large chunk of your grade
  • Competition for limited spots in your academic program, or future jobs or professional schools
  • Pressure from family, scholarships, graduate school aspirations
  • Balancing other responsibilities including part-time work, extracurriculars, and a social life
  • Personal identity tied very closely to academic achievement

Many high-achievers are also perfectionists, may experience impostor syndrome, and may have a fear of disappointing their parents or family if they don’t do well, adding to the stress. 

When Stress is Actually Good 

In 1908, psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson developed a psychological concept called the Yerkes-Dodson curve. They found that performance on certain cognitive tasks was poor when there’s not enough stress, high when there’s an optimal level of stress, and low again when there’s too much stress. 

The inverted U-shaped relationship suggests that the hormones and neurotransmitters released by stress may have an arousing and cognitive-boosting effect in the right amount. Learning how to get yourself to that optimal peak of the Yerkes-Dodson curve without being overstressed can help you perform better in class.

How Academic Stress Becomes Burnout

Persistent stress can exhaust your emotional, cognitive, and physical reserves, leading to burnout. “It makes you say to yourself ‘I can’t do it,’ and makes you feel like nothing will help,” says Kurtz. 

Small moments of stress build up, and before you know it, you can’t handle it anymore. Common signs include constant exhaustion, detachment from university and social situations, and a lack of motivation to do anything. Unlike stress or feeling tired, burnout often doesn’t get better with a little bit of rest. It may require more systematic changes to your routine that will help you get out of the rut and prevent it from recurring. 

Tips to Manage Academic Stress

1. Don’t Work Long Hours. Work Smart Instead 

Schedule out times to work with breaks in between. The Pomodoro technique, for example, involves working for 25 minutes followed by a five minute break. If you find that you’re most effective working in the morning, schedule your cognitively heavy tasks for that time. And make sure to turn off notifications on your phone and email, only checking them at designated times throughout the day so it doesn’t derail your focus. 

2. Don’t Chase Perfection

In high school, getting 90% or higher in all your courses may have been achievable. In university, it’s much tougher to reach perfection. Sometimes students may stress over the tiny details, trying to memorize everything perfectly and miss out on the core concepts they need to master for a course. Other times, recognizing that it’s okay to get a B, is the mindset shift you need to keep your stress in check.

3. Make Rest and Recovery a Necessity

Sometimes, students will punish themselves for procrastinating or not doing well enough by studying all night and neglecting their sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social life. But these are essential for your cognitive wellbeing, memory, and emotional regulation. These are essential components of your health, and not rewards.

4. Build a Support Network with Peers, TAs, and Profs

Join study groups that will keep you accountable. Explaining concepts to others also helps strengthen your own understanding and confidence. Visit office hours to get to know the TAs and profs, who might drop important hints about doing well. Visit the writing center and other academic services for help early on, far ahead of deadlines. 

5. Understand the Stress

Journaling, talking to friends and family, and speaking with a therapist can help you understand the source of your stress. Some people feel fear or shame about not doing well, others are burdened by expectations from their family. Identifying the source of the stress is the first step toward working through it. 

6. Know What Support Is Available

Speak with the registrar, advisors, and accessibility services to understand your options when something isn’t going well. Many universities offer accommodations for anxiety and other mental health conditions. Academic advisors or the registrar can help you drop courses early so they don’t negatively affect your academic record. 

Signs You Need to Step Back and Re-Evaluate

When you find yourself studying all day, pulling all-nighters, and neglecting your health, it might be time to step back. It doesn’t mean that you’re giving up or that you’re a failure, but it can stop the cycle of unsustainable stress and burnout. 

Speak with academic staff at your university, seek out free or low-cost therapy that’s often available at your institution, and consider the potential benefits of medical or mental health leave, deferrals, or lightening your workload. 

We detail the common signs of burnout below.

Emotional Signs

  • Constant feelings of dread, unfulfillment, and emptiness
  • Feeling hopeless or cynical about your courses, academics, and future 
  • Losing interest in friendships, hobbies, or activities you normally enjoy
  • Agitation, irritability, apathy, or crying
  • Frequently shaming or guilting yourself about not “doing enough”

Cognitive Signs

  • Trouble concentrating and paying attention, even in the absence of distractions
  • Problems with remembering and retaining information, as well as complex thinking and planning 
  • Trouble making simple decisions
  • Constant all-or-nothing thinking like “If I fail this midterm, my life is ruined.”

Physical Signs

  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Feeling fatigued even after a long night of sleep
  • Frequently feeling ill or exhausted in the absence of any other medical conditions
  • Headaches, stomach issues, or muscle tension 
  • Skipping meals, changes in appetite, or stress eating

Behavioural Signs

  • Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities
  • Constant procrastination
  • Using alcohol or other drugs to cope
  • Constantly skipping classes
  • Working nonstop or compulsively

How Resolvve Can Help

Don’t navigate university stress and burnout alone. Unlike your university, our therapists don’t have a long waitlist and can meet with you on a flexible schedule. Working with a professional could help you identify the source of the stress or burnout, and work on healthy strategies that will set you up for success. Resolvve also directly bills many of the insurers that provide some level of coverage for university and college students in Ontario. If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out and book a free 15-minute consultation with us.