Do you need advice or recommendations from a friend? Have a question for Ritika? Submit here! Ritika cannot wait to share her recs with you all!
Do you have any advice for how to deal with burnout that isn’t the stereotypical “just take a break?” As a college student, it feels impossible to “just take a break,” and I don’t know what to do.
Burnout is extremely real, yet there is no real answer or solution to fix it. College is always a competing factor in trying to strike a perfect balance of being involved with activities on and off campus, meeting new friends and hanging out with old friends. You must figure out how to balance your school work. Then, on top of these expectations, you must ensure you are still enjoying the D.C. experience and securing internships. Some days, it feels like a never-ending amount of work and tasks to complete, with never enough time.
This past semester, I hit my max, and every time I tried to look for an answer, I was always slapped in the face with the same useless advice: “Touch some grass” or “Compartmentalize your tasks.” Reading this generic advice does nothing but make me feel worse about my situation. I think I can speak for many of us when I say that when we start to feel burnt out, we just sit down and shut down.
Instead of battling burnout alone, it’s much more about discovering how to handle burnout when it arises and seeking support from others. Establishing clear boundaries, allowing yourself little breaks for self-care and concentrating on what you can control can help make you feel more empowered. Plus, sharing your feelings about burnout with others — whether it’s friends, family or classmates — can transform the experience. It fosters a supportive atmosphere where mental health is valued, making it much easier to navigate through burnout over time.
I touched on this further in another piece; click here to read more.
How can I figure out what to do with my life?
Feeling uncertain about the future is a normal part of the college experience. Society has tasked us with figuring out our lives at a young age, but it’s okay if you don’t have a detailed plan yet. We’re all still exploring our interests and figuring out what we love and don’t. It’s perfectly normal to feel a little lost during this journey.
I’ve had a similar experience when grappling with this question. I’ve always felt a calling towards politics and wanted to immerse myself in that world, but I often struggled to define what that truly meant. Arriving at a place like American University can make it seem like everyone else has a detailed 50-year plan mapped out, and that can feel overwhelming. Remember, we’re all coming to college fresh out of high school. It’s perfectly normal to feel a bit lost during this journey. I remember feeling lost when I arrived at AU, unsure of what I wanted to do. But over time, I’ve realized that it’s okay not to have all the answers right away.
I have been doing internships to figure this out. In D.C., especially for politics, we can work at the highest level of government and politics. I have set a goal for myself to do an internship or gain experience in a different field or type of politics every semester. This allows me to have a semblance of knowing what I want to do in life while also having absolutely no clue. Now, I hear how crazy it sounds to do all these different types of internships, but this way, I get firsthand experience in learning what I like and, more importantly, what I don’t like, so I don’t need to wait until after I graduate and start my first “big girl” job to figure this out.
This idea isn’t limited to politics: It can shine in any career field! Those interested in journalism can consider joining their school newspaper or other media organizations instead of doing an internship. You can explore different departments each semester and give yourself a chance to “audition” and discover which one is the perfect fit for you.
And this doesn’t just have to be limited to internships or clubs: Do this with all your classes, like taking a class in every school at AU. Test out the different courses and opportunities each school has to offer. During my freshman year, I took a Habits of Mind class in the Kogod School of Business, which quickly showed me that business administration may not be my career path. AU’s Habits of Mind courses allow us to take low-stakes classes across different schools.
Being in college is such a unique opportunity, so why not take advantage of everything it offers? Try all the different clubs, internships and classes until you find the best fit. And hey, maybe you’ll accidentally discover something you didn’t know you’d like — that was how I felt getting involved with student journalism! I encourage you to explore all the opportunities AU offers. This can help you figure out what you’re truly passionate about and what you want to do with your life.
Ritika Shroff is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Emma Brown and Nicole Kariuki.
