In high school, I was the kid that took every advanced course available to me. From AP World to AP Computer Science, “Enriched” English to Advanced Drawing, my schedule was a point of mild concern for my guidance counselor, who thought I was taking on too much. I, however, thought it was just right. 

I was excited to learn, whether it was how to create an appealing level of contrast in a piece of art, or how to program a computer to play chess. When it was time to go to college, I was excited to finally focus on studying for my future career as a physical therapist.

Boy, was I in for a wake-up call. 

I thought that I would be happy to get away from the questions of “When will I ever use this in real life?” and “Why do I need to learn this?” But as year 2 rolled around and courses became more focused, I found myself exhausted by the idea of learning the name of another nerve, muscle, or bone while simultaneously feeling I wasn’t doing enough.

At volleyball

Going to volleyball practice resulted in anxiety about missed study time. I started to resent my favorite sport despite the ample time I had outside of practice and games to get things done. I started giving up on my classes, shrugging nonchalantly at grades that had the power to ruin my plans for the future if I let them. At one point, I spent a week playing Jenga with my textbooks rather than studying them. After getting a near-failing grade for a test on muscles, the bread and butter of physical therapy, I decided something had to change. 

I looked back at my years in high school when, despite being stressed at times and having hours of homework every night, I was happy and successful. As I reminisced, I realized what was missing: variety.

For all the complaining I had done about what had seemed to be unnecessary classes, they had kept me from burning out. The next week, I started splitting my time between studying for classes, doing something active that was completely unrelated to my studies, and a sprinkle of Netflix. Sometimes I would paint or draw. (I’ve included some of my art here.)

Sometimes I’d try to learn a new language. Sometimes I would write/practice music. I spent more time exploring campus and trying different on-campus activities. I started viewing volleyball practice as a useful rest for my brain rather than a distraction from my studies. I let myself enjoy volleyball again and leave my worries about academics in the locker room. 

The result? A much happier me. I won’t lie to you; my grades didn’t magically improve. I didn’t get straight A’s for the rest of my college career (nor did I plan to), but I felt more whole when I didn’t force myself to focus on the same thing for hours, days, and weeks on end.

It’s exciting to start spending more time learning about your life’s work, but it’s how you spend the rest of your time that will save you from burnout. There are many recipes that lead to success, but none of them list only one ingredient. 

Devon P. is completing a doctorate in physical therapy in 2022.