Burnt out already

I'm only a couple weeks into term and I already feel like I'm burnt out. I'm a second year law student and the reading lists we've been given so far are just so long. there is approx 20-30 cases and 6 articles on each reading list as well as a written assignment and I have 3 of these reading lists every 2 weeks. Up until this weekend I was feeling pretty motivated and was putting in 7 8-10 hour days a week but I already feel like I'm starting to burnout and this weekend I've been feeling really exhausted and demotivated.

But the thing is, I'm not doing particularly well at my course, for all the work I'm putting in I can't seem to get above the low 60s and my tutors always seem to act as if I've just sat there doing nothing all week because I'm struggling even though I'm putting the work in, which is really demotivating. but if I take even one day off I will not get through all the work and will be further humiliated in tutorials so there's really just no solution other than to drag myself along getting bad grades and hating it here. I've tried to study more effectively so I don't have to work as long hours but the sheer volume of reading and my lack of natural talent means I can't reduce my working hours without reducing my already *****y grades

Reply 1

University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Official Rep

14

Original post by Username123ab

I'm only a couple weeks into term and I already feel like I'm burnt out. I'm a second year law student and the reading lists we've been given so far are just so long. there is approx 20-30 cases and 6 articles on each reading list as well as a written assignment and I have 3 of these reading lists every 2 weeks. Up until this weekend I was feeling pretty motivated and was putting in 7 8-10 hour days a week but I already feel like I'm starting to burnout and this weekend I've been feeling really exhausted and demotivated.

But the thing is, I'm not doing particularly well at my course, for all the work I'm putting in I can't seem to get above the low 60s and my tutors always seem to act as if I've just sat there doing nothing all week because I'm struggling even though I'm putting the work in, which is really demotivating. but if I take even one day off I will not get through all the work and will be further humiliated in tutorials so there's really just no solution other than to drag myself along getting bad grades and hating it here. I've tried to study more effectively so I don't have to work as long hours but the sheer volume of reading and my lack of natural talent means I can't reduce my working hours without reducing my already *****y grades

Hello @Username123ab,
Sorry to hear you are feeling burnt-out.
Law is a burdensome subject in respect to the volume of reading required and preparation work for classes.
Whilst it is great to put in time and energy to uni it is essential that this is effective. You need to give yourself time to rest, recover so that when you are studying and doing work you can be focused and engaged.
Low 60s are not failing grades and uni is challenging but I know it can be disheartening. My advice is to take note of feedback and ask for further if needed and ask what you can do to improve. I would encourage reaching out to lectures and tutors and asking for their advice - if you feel you are doing all the work yet feel humiliated and underprepared this will make you demotivated but sometimes asking for clarification and assistance can really make it better for you to see areas you need to work on and focus more on.
In terms of the workload it might be worthwhile seeing if there is a possibility to make a study group with come classmates and that way divide up readings, collate your notes and help each other out. The added benefit is also that you can discuss if you all take the same thing from the cases/readings/legislation/assignment criteria which can help you to gain a deeper understanding and feel more on the right track and supported.
I really hope things feel more settled to and you can find a workable rhythm that allows you to rest, socialise and give yourself the best chance for doing well with uni. Catherine - Strathclyde University Student Ambassador

Original post by Username123ab

I'm only a couple weeks into term and I already feel like I'm burnt out. I'm a second year law student and the reading lists we've been given so far are just so long. there is approx 20-30 cases and 6 articles on each reading list as well as a written assignment and I have 3 of these reading lists every 2 weeks. Up until this weekend I was feeling pretty motivated and was putting in 7 8-10 hour days a week but I already feel like I'm starting to burnout and this weekend I've been feeling really exhausted and demotivated.

But the thing is, I'm not doing particularly well at my course, for all the work I'm putting in I can't seem to get above the low 60s and my tutors always seem to act as if I've just sat there doing nothing all week because I'm struggling even though I'm putting the work in, which is really demotivating. but if I take even one day off I will not get through all the work and will be further humiliated in tutorials so there's really just no solution other than to drag myself along getting bad grades and hating it here. I've tried to study more effectively so I don't have to work as long hours but the sheer volume of reading and my lack of natural talent means I can't reduce my working hours without reducing my already *****y grades

Hi there, I am sorry to hear that you are burnt out. Second year of law is definitely quite challenging. It is good that you are trying your best with the workload.

During my second year of law, I also struggled at the start since it was quite a large jump from first to second year. You are not alone in your situation. I understand it can really demotivating considering grades and tutors.

I found what helped me in second year was to study smarter not harder. For me, this meant really paying attention to the lectures, as these will form the basis of your understanding. It is quite impossible for myself to read 20-30 cases, so instead I would look for summaries. However, for important cases (e.g. leading cases/ those mentioned in lectures) try to gain a more in depth understanding of these.

Studying 8-10 hours for 7 days a week is no doubt draining. In my opinion, it is very difficult to keep up this standard of work for the whole year. So if possible, I would recommend taking at least 1 day or half a day off just to relax and do anything apart from studying. It is so important to maintain a work life balance at University. (Also please take care of your health & wellbeing.) I find doing exercise really helps to gain more energy, and it helps you feel refreshed so you can refocus on work afterwards.

For improving grades, I would suggest going over feedback from last year, see what you are doing well and not so well, and try to change these in this year's coursework. Do reach out to your academic tutor if you are struggling. :smile:

Good luck!
Chloe
-University of Kent Student Rep

Reply 3

cheadle

17

Speaking as a tutor, no tutor is ever going to be worried or think negatively about any student who is attaining grades over 60%.

Sure, there is room for upwards improvement - getting your marks consistently to the mid 60s area would be a good target - so look for feedback on small or self-contained aspects of assessments eg referencing, essay structure where extra marks can be picked up without too much effort.

It sounds to me that you might be going for quantity of work rather than quality - perhaps be a bit more focused on your background reading, skim read some articles to get a feel, and DEFINITELY have time off and lots of breaks - your brain stops taking stuff in after 45 minutes - so breaks are essential to consolidate learning.

Original post by Username123ab

I'm only a couple weeks into term and I already feel like I'm burnt out. I'm a second year law student and the reading lists we've been given so far are just so long. there is approx 20-30 cases and 6 articles on each reading list as well as a written assignment and I have 3 of these reading lists every 2 weeks. Up until this weekend I was feeling pretty motivated and was putting in 7 8-10 hour days a week but I already feel like I'm starting to burnout and this weekend I've been feeling really exhausted and demotivated.

But the thing is, I'm not doing particularly well at my course, for all the work I'm putting in I can't seem to get above the low 60s and my tutors always seem to act as if I've just sat there doing nothing all week because I'm struggling even though I'm putting the work in, which is really demotivating. but if I take even one day off I will not get through all the work and will be further humiliated in tutorials so there's really just no solution other than to drag myself along getting bad grades and hating it here. I've tried to study more effectively so I don't have to work as long hours but the sheer volume of reading and my lack of natural talent means I can't reduce my working hours without reducing my already *****y grades

Hi there,

I'm sorry to read about your struggles but I totally understand. I was in a similar place in my second year. I think that the best thing to do is try to arrange a meeting with your tutor and express your troubles and your goals for the year. They can talk you through your options and give you advice where possible. Then, try to go to the office hours for each of your modules. Again, tell them your goals and where you're at - they should be able to give you advice on how to improve and what you're missing out on for each module.

It can be easy to burn out when you're working hard but you may not be working in the right direction. Express how hard you trying and get the advice, then it's just putting the work in - which you've proven you can do by already getting 60%+.

I hope that these tips help! Good luck for the rest of the year!

All the best,

Jaz - Cardiff student rep

Burnt out already

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you