Is the cost of success our sanity? We’re approaching this stark reality, seeing dropout statistics and suffering students across the country. Students pay thousands of dollars, usually more, to receive an education that will ultimately gain us experience, opportunities and respect for the rest of our lives. The pressure to achieve academically is on and as profuse as ever.
The obligation to succeed as an undergraduate student is pushing a considerable number of young minds over the edge. College students are more than aware of the cost of sitting in a university lecture. We know the privilege of learning from the experts of the professions that we aspire to someday be a part of. Some would argue that this instills a feeling of fear within ourselves. Even if you are a strong student academically, there is far more being demanded than only this; college takes effective study habits, staying on top of the substantial workload, and a balance between school and our social lives to truly be successful.
The influx of Canvas notifications, along with professors claiming we should be studying eight to 10 hours a week for their class alone, begins to add up. I find myself constantly cramming, whether it be staying up all night studying or allotting all of my free time in general to homework. While cramming feels necessary in the moment, as if it is the path to all A’s, this is extremely off base. As college students, we need to strive for a healthy balance between our schooling and self-care, or else irreversible damage can be done.
Dropout rates are escalating as students feel the increasing need to keep up. According to Gallup, in 2024, 35% of college students nationally reported they had considered leaving their program in the past six months. Some cited the difficulty of the coursework and personal mental health issues as reasons for this consideration. This is a jarring statistic to face — how can we prevail and prevent the classic college burnout?
There has to be a middle ground. Somewhere between the frantic, panicked studying and a lack of initiative, there is harmony, something in which all university students should be striving toward.
On social media outlets, we get a glimpse of people’s academic and even career-centered highlight reels, but it isn’t always such smooth sailing. Students feel both proud and comfortable to post those exciting job acceptances and brag about their academic successes. While this is exhilarating, it tends to leave our peers insecure about their own progress, which can cause an entirely new source of internal pressure. Juggling important courses and a career search while comparing yourself to someone your age who has now “made it” is tough. As a college student, you are putting all of your effort, time and energy toward chasing this path to success. The cycle is exhausting.
You must take a stand for your own sake. To avoid crashing and burning, we must organize our time and balance our priorities. While it may seem like a minute detail, this could be the difference between graduation and the possibility of dropping out.
Isabell Norman is a freshman at UT this year studying journalism and media. She can be reached at [email protected].
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