Background on Maritza

• advanced classes since freshman year. 
• Current schedule: dual-credit World Literature, Government, College Algebra,Statistics, AP Economics, AP Calculus,and Research.

Senior Maritza Balderas tends to procrastinate to avoid stress. She only worries about work when it comes unavoidable.

 “I’m a procrastinator, so I always push my work back”  Balderas said 

When burned out she chooses to sleep or zone out. It’s easier for her to avoid stress that way. However, those things intended to prevent stress actually just kick the can down the road, causing burnout later anyway.

Strict deadlines tend to add unwanted stress. The constant thinking about the deadline for each class and what needs to be done first.  Ap classes require you to remember so much material Which then can potentially turn into a burn out. The consequence of being in Advanced classes is knowing you’re going to have homework. Since there is twice the work as a level class but having to complete it in the same amount of time.

 “Burnouts are essentially self imposed because you go into those classes knowing that you will have a heavy workload,” Balderas said. “ One thing that does help being in those classes is that you are always surrounded by people who want to learn,” which in a way is motivating for her. 

One way Balderas keeps her head on straight is by always making herself presentable. It keeps her motivated because looking good is comfort for her.  

 “I believe if you look good you feel good”. 

Balderas typically gets burnout during weeks where she has multiple tests in one week. . 

Background on Melissa 

• Mostly level classes since freshman year. 
• Current schedule: Starlettes, En Fuego, college prep math, economics,forensic science, and dual credit English 

Senior Melissa Quintana chooses to take level classes because she wants to avoid the stress. She believed she had the ability to take more advanced classes but knows she can later. 

“ Why add more stress when you know you can do it later,”

The workload is easier but also easy to avoid. Procrastination takes control.

 “Most class work you can do on the computer which makes it easier to push the work back.” 

“It’s not affecting me right now, why should I worry about it,”.

 Task avoidance is one of the main effects of burnout and specifically what it looks like for Quintana. Recovering from procrastination is the hardest with extra work to get done in time. Not only that, there is more distractions 

Although the burnout happens, Quintana said it is just as easy to get through. 

“I just tell myself that I should get it done now so I don’t have to do it later,”.Granted that level classes are manageable, if you just do the work as given there is more room for personal time. 

Background on David 

• Current schedule: college prep math,social media marketing, government, astronomy, english 4, economics 

English is not Senior David Castaneda’s first language which causes his burnout to look a little different than an academic burnout. 

When it comes to an assignment, castaneda will have a friend to translate if he can’t understand what he is supposed to be doing. He tends to struggle more in English than his other subjects because you have to read and write.

 “I’m not very good at reading but I am somewhat good at writing,” 

Burnouts happened often due to the constant need of having to translate academic work. Especially when it comes to needing to say something and never knowing the right words. The frustration from having to repeat or re due work due to language barrier is the main cause of burnouts. 

Alongside that, there are times where help is not always available.

 “When no one can help, It is easier to just not do it,” said Casaneda. “ I just go to sleep or play on my phone,”. 

Timothy Williams’ brain was fried after his sophomore year; three college classes, two sports, and consistent tutoring, by the end of second semester, he could hardly find motivation. Williams was overwhelmed in a never ending pit of responsibilities. Looking at his schedule just made his brain scatter. When he stopped enjoying his freetime, he knew something had to change.

“I didn’t know what to do with my free time anymore; I guess I was bored in a sense,” Williams said. “I was just ready for school to get done, so I didn’t really have any motivation to do anything because I just had so much to do. I didn’t want to do my work but I didn’t even have the motivation to get on, my (video) games or lift or anything else I enjoyed.”

He struggled to finish his work timely because of his time-demanding football and powerlifting practice, but also in-part due to his bus schedule. Williams’ bus ride is an hour long, meaning he wakes up at 4:50 a.m. every day, and gets home around 7p.m.

“I usually had to sleep on the bus, because I go to bed around like 10p.m., so I’d get five ish hours of sleep a night,” Williams said. “The loss of sleep was super impactful on my motivation. I always stressed out because I didn’t have enough time at home, getting home so late, I just didn’t have enough time.”

 His practices cut into his study time more, leaving him just two hours to work at home. According to a survey taken on Caney Creek student burnout, of the students participating in multiple extracurriculars are 102% more likely to report burnout. Under the pressure of classwork and coach expectations, he found himself in that group. 

“With practice and doing piles of homework every day from class, and then having after school notes for the entire week, you know, really crushes you,” Williams said. “It was hard because I want to play my sport, and then on top of that, my coach is getting mad at me because I’m not getting enough practice for what they want me to do, but if I wanna play the sport I have to keep my grades up.”

Williams takes his grades seriously, intending to graduate in the top ten of his class. When the tutoring began interfering with his sports, he received multiple complaints from his coaches. 

“It was so stressful,” Williams said. “I just told myself, ‘I need to keep my grades up.’ It got to the point where I wasn’t motivated to do it anymore, because I had so much workload and no freetime for myself.”

When football season came around near the end of the year, Williams left himself out of tryouts. He claims the demanding workload was a large factor for his leave, despite loving the sport.

“I quit so that I can focus on my grades and make sure that I stayed in the top of the ranks, because that’s where I want to be,” Williams said. “I did enjoy it, but it took up so much of my time. This year, I think that I’m a lot less stressed because I don’t have football.”

 Now as a Junior, he attends six college classes, participates in power lifting and joined the National English Honor Society, but hardly finds himself burnt out. The difference is his increased personal freetime.

“I think just finding time for myself is really what solved my problem,” Williams said. “It goes back to mental health; burnout also kind of made me feel depressed. I think just giving yourself time, to get mental health together, and also finding people to be supportive to you during that time is a great way to get out.”

Williams is still an advocate for being active in the community; now he also promotes the importance of freetime. According to the same survey, students who incorporate time management skills into their schedule are 29% less likely to experience burnout. Learning from his overwhelming experience last year, he wants other students to enjoy their free time a little more.

“Just finding ways to get yourself more free time after school and getting your work done in school will make a big difference,” Williams said. “Instead of sleeping after you finish your work for that period, instead start working on work from another class y’know. I think it just depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in, anyone can do it.”