Before going to college, the last two years of high school are crucial for creating the perfect application. We all remember the stress that came with comparing ourselves to our peers in our efforts to stand out. I personally didn’t think I’d ever feel that type of pressure again — to be the best well-rounded student from Walt Whitman High School — but here I am. I made it to college, I survived my first year and now I need to score an internship, ace all my courses and thrive in my extracurriculars so I can get a solid job.

Are we doomed to a permanent cycle of burnout, only to find temporary relief?

Burnout is commonly associated and grouped with depression, making it hard to specifically diagnose. According to a New Yorker article [HYPERLINK: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/24/burnout-modern-affliction-or-human-condition], “a number of studies suggest that burnout can’t be distinguished from depression, which doesn’t make it less horrible but does make it, as a clinical term, imprecise, redundant, and unnecessary.” Depression and burnout have similar symptoms, butas someone who’s experienced both, they’re two different beasts entirely.

Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. Although burnout has been around for a while, it has only recently gained wider recognition. In 2019, the World Health Organization classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. Many governments are recognizing the rising concerns of burnout. In fact, Sweden, which ranks among the world’s best in its healthcare, grants sick leave for burnout. I think the least we can do to start catching up is recognize burnout as its own diagnosis.

College students often face symptoms of burnout due to their various commitments. In fact, studies show that “over 55% of college students experience some degree of academic burnout, with 20.5% reporting severe symptoms,” according to Crown Counseling. And that’s just the average. Students who hold more responsibilities have a higher chance of burnout, especially the 55 percent who work part-time to support their studies.

Because the impending fear of instability particularly looms over today’s college students, college burnout is a rapidly increasing concern. We know that soon after we graduate, we will enter a world of ever-rising costs, student debt and a highly competitive job market. This fear makes it feel as though if you’re not drowning in work, you’re not doing enough.

Internships are crucial to land high-paying jobs in your career path, because without any form of experience in your chosen field, you have no chance. However, the internship pool is the most cutthroat it’s been in years and students are forced to compete against each other to be the best candidate. In fact, a Forbes article [HYPERLINK: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmylucas/2023/06/20/getting-an-internship-is-more-competitive-than-ever-but-the-experience-has-really-eroded/] that examined the competitiveness of internships found that Citadel, a financial services company, “said applications were up 65% from last year, and that it accepted less than 1%, or about 300 of the 69,000 applications it received, to this summer’s program.”

Internships certainly feel hard to come by, but that’s not to say students aren’t right for them. So what’s the real issue? With the rise of remote opportunities, companies “can hire students from Arkansas or Kansas or across the country,” said Jane Ashen Turkewitz, who oversaw New York-based internship programs for University of Texas at Austin students. The internship pool is massive, and with the addition of remote jobs, candidates from all across the country — and in some cases, internationally — are being pitted against each other for the same position.

Qualified students send internship applications through platforms like Handshake and Indeed, and with their quick application features, they can send dozens of applications in a short period of time. With this combination of a giant candidate pool and an overflow of applications to look through, internships are difficult to come by.

This internship shortage is discouraging to students and creates a hopeless outlook in contrast to the years of school and preparation for their careers. To get an internship, you have to be the best of the best. The constant, never-ending pressure engulfs students’ ability to manage their obligations and further diminishes their hope.

And the best way to try to make yourself stand out? Stack your resume with everything possible. If you want a good internship, you’d better have a full plate of classes, clubs, jobs and various other obligations.

Burnout is a more recent issue for me. My sophomore fall course load ramped up significantly compared to my freshman year. I’ve struggled significantly to balance my workload, my job, my social life and even writing this column these past few weeks.

With the grace of extensions and a few mini breakdowns, I’m finally starting to get a handle on it. What worked best for me was developing an every-other-day schedule where I would do work for certain classes on specific days. This also applied to creating my work availability and blocking out time specifically to write.

There is no ultimate fix-all solution for burnout. Just like anxiety and depression, it’s important to learn strategies that work for you to cope. Just because burnout isn’t depression doesn’t make it less harmful. Burnout is extremely real, stressful and should be handled with care. Treat yourself, rest and do something to put that energy back into yourself. After all, once you’ve sent in all your internship applications, you have time to kill while you wait to hear back.

Deirdre Pryal is a sophomore majoring in English. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.