The long 2020 fall semester has come to an end. It would have been a satisfying semester for some, but it could have been a very disappointing and painful semester for others. For me, the 2020 spring semester was a painful one.
At the beginning of the spring semester, I was obsessed with the thought that I should perform everything perfectly. One could call it perfectionism. I was afraid of losing even five points from a task of 100 points. So, I spent an enormous amount of time to complete even the smallest tasks.
However, it was such inefficient work. I spent too much energy on small tasks and got tired easily. I became afraid to even start small tasks because I knew that they would consume too much time and energy. As time went by, assignments to do and lecture videos to watch piled up. I was overwhelmed to catch up, and this pressured me mentally. Eventually, I messed up my midterm exams.
After the midterm exams, I was just devastated. Already, the lectures were too far ahead of me to keep up with, I failed my assignments, and the exam results made me feel ashamed. The sense of self-destruction led to feeling helpless, making it impossible to do anything, which led to a vicious cycle. After all, by the end of the spring semester, I had no choice but to give up studying. My final GPA was approximately 2.2 out of 4.3.
I tried my best to get good grades, but it led to disastrous results. I later found out that I was experiencing burnout syndrome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.” These were exactly what I experienced.
Fortunately, I took enough rest and escaped the syndrome during the summer recess. However, it was obvious that I would suffer from the same problem when the fall semester started. So, I set the following rules to avoid burning out.
Firstly, do not be obsessed with getting good grades. Of course, ambition is needed to get good grades. However, if you try too hard to get perfect grades, even on small tasks, you will easily get tired and will be unable to use your energy when you need it, leading to worse results. The more you become obsessed with grades, your grades would become lower, ironically.
Secondly, create schedules in advance and distribute the workload. I wrote down every task on my laptop calendar and allocated it to avoid doing too much work in one day. Doing excessive work in a short period may seem effective, but it causes stress and harms the body, eventually decreasing the effectiveness in the long run.
Lastly, take care of your health and sleep well. Sufficient stamina is the driving force behind steady work. If you are lacking stamina, exercise. Although it is hard to go outside due to COVID-19, there are many exercises one can do  indoors. Getting enough sleep is also important. I tried to avoid staying up all night because I could not work properly the next day.
Following the rules listed above, the fall semester was quite successful, and I did not repeat the tragedy of the spring semester. I hope other Postechians do not experience burnouts like I did and successfully achieve what they aspire.
Thank you for reading the article. I hope readers have a happy new year.