Burn out + Managing my time ?

Hi!!

I just wanted to ask for advice because I’m already going through really bad burn out with sixth form; I feel really overwhelmed with work already, that it’s piling up and that I’m already falling behind :frown:

I feel really tired and I know I’m not the only one suffering but I’d like some advice with dealing with this

Also I feel like I’m not as interested in my interests and hobbies anymore, but I really want to get back into them!! How can I manage my time to make time for both school and my own life? I know A-Level requires you to give up some of that to work hard for exams but I really don’t want to burn myself out even more by focusing on only school ://

Thank you!!

Original post by chloeisok

Hi!!
I just wanted to ask for advice because I’m already going through really bad burn out with sixth form; I feel really overwhelmed with work already, that it’s piling up and that I’m already falling behind :frown:

I feel really tired and I know I’m not the only one suffering but I’d like some advice with dealing with this
Also I feel like I’m not as interested in my interests and hobbies anymore, but I really want to get back into them!! How can I manage my time to make time for both school and my own life? I know A-Level requires you to give up some of that to work hard for exams but I really don’t want to burn myself out even more by focusing on only school ://
Thank you!!

Have you spoken to anyone in your sixth form staff about how you’re finding the workload? They might be able to suggest things that could help 🙂

Reply 3

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by chloeisok

Hi!!
I just wanted to ask for advice because I’m already going through really bad burn out with sixth form; I feel really overwhelmed with work already, that it’s piling up and that I’m already falling behind :frown:

I feel really tired and I know I’m not the only one suffering but I’d like some advice with dealing with this
Also I feel like I’m not as interested in my interests and hobbies anymore, but I really want to get back into them!! How can I manage my time to make time for both school and my own life? I know A-Level requires you to give up some of that to work hard for exams but I really don’t want to burn myself out even more by focusing on only school ://
Thank you!!

Hi,
I hope you are well!😊

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and burned out, but thought I'd hop on here as I know how you feel and have experienced burnout too!

What A-Levels are you taking? 😊 Have you got a revision/study schedule?

I'm currently in my third year studying Social Science, but I took Psychology, Sociology and Criminology at A-level, and know the feeling of being overwhelmed, behind, exhausted, and constantly doing work.

A-levels are such a big step up from GCSE's, you're expected to study independently, and from my experience, I could come and go from school in line with my timetable, so wasn't expected to be there for the full day, so definitely felt a lot more independence when learning compared to my GCSE's.

Some top tips which I found really helpful to keep on track were:

•

Have the specifications printed out and highlighted, so you can see which topics etc that you need to revise when it comes to exams and coursework. This can be helpful to plan out a revision schedule.

•

Have a revision/study schedule, or a to-do-list- The revision schedule doesn't have to be super specific with timing e.g. Psychology study time (9-11:30) Criminology (11:30-1), timing works for some students, but I liked to do to-do-lists and tick off jobs as the day went on, and move on from each subject when I was done. I still gave myself the day to complete the revision/study, but didn't like giving myself timing.

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Keeping a schedule or to-to-list really helped me, and I had a part-time job and played some sport during Sixth Form too, so adding this to my lists helped me to plan out my week and days, and not forget anything.

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Plan ahead for coursework and exams- don't leave it till the last minute if you can! I found that doing little revision resources e.g. at the end of the week to summarise a topic, was really helpful to look back on in the lead up to my exams. You could use flash cards, an A4 sheet of paper, or any other revision method you like. This really helps to consolidate your knowledge, check your understanding, and takes some of the revision workload off when it comes to exams.

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I found it helpful to have a calendar too, where I put the dates of mock exams, tests, and my final exams dates for year 13. Having a visual of deadlines and exams etc is helpful to plan what you need to revise and when.

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Practicing past exam questions and papers is super important. This helps you to better time keep during exams, and gives you an insight into the questions you'll be asked and how long you have to answer them! Checking mark schemes is super helpful too, and allows you to check what examiners are looking for in different types of questions.

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Knowing your paper and the layout is helpful too. For Psychology, I had to make sure I answered the right topic sections, and knowing the structure (e.g. shorter answer questions first, followed by some longer, then an essay or 16m question) is helpful because knowing paper layout meant I knew what to expect and this reduced some anxiety on exam days too.

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I also found that attending revision sessions was helpful, and even checking out some of the resources online helpful too. Tutor2u had online sessions for Psychology and they would also recorded them, so I made use of these!

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Teachers sometimes have some fun revision resources up their sleeves, and so do exam boards, so check to see if they have any!

In short, I would say that for me, planning was super helpful. It helped me keep in control of what I had coming up (exams, homework, and coursework) and helped me plan what I needed to do. Making little revision resources as I went was helpful, and knowing the specifications, and practicing questions really helped me too.

Lastly, taking time for yourself is super super important! Its so important to recognise that A-levels are a bit step up from GCSE's! And you should be proud of how far you've come already! A-levels are tough! But if you keep going, and have a schedule, then staying on top of things will be a lot easier. Schedules and to-do-lists can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, especially of theres lots on them! But I found that taking time for myself to recover, getting in some early nights, and taking the evenings/weekends off to myself to chill, or watch something I wanted to, really helped to let my brain recharge. Taking time off can be hard when you know you have lots to do, but from experience, taking that time for yourself will benefit you a lot more than continuing to trudge on when you're already exhausted!

Remember to reach out of you are feeling really overwhelmed, or feel that your studies are affecting your well-being. I remember talking to teachers and have done so many times at university when I feel overwhelmed, and exhausted. Teachers/pastoral are there to support you and your wellbeing, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it!😊

I hope this helps! I apologise for the very long response! But know that A-Levels are tough! I'm sure you are doing amazing! 😊 Take time off for yourself, and reconnect with some of your hobbies! 😊

Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any other questions!

Best wishes for your studies,
Josie
Uni of Kent Student Rep🎓️