Midterms are almost over, and spring break is slowly approaching.

We have officially hit the point in the semester where your in-person class with over 25 students has dropped to about 12 students, and you may be starting to use that Zoom class option more often than you should. A lot of students are experiencing loss of interest in classes, loss of motivation and even exhaustion.

This is called student burnout. Student burnout tends to happen after prolonged studying and taking on more than one can handle. The days are getting longer. The temperatures are getting warmer. It’s getting harder to focus on school when all you can think about is that summer vacation you have planned in June.

Hang in there! There are about six weeks until the end of the semester. Everything you are feeling is normal and happens to all of us. Here are five tips to help you with student burnout: 

1. Eat and rest well. 

Eating and resting well are key to helping with burnout. Making sure you eat well-balanced meals and get enough hours of sleep will give your body the rest it needs. Eating well has been proven to help with better alertness and improve academic performance. Ensuring you get at least seven hours of sleep will help you to stay focused as we finish out the semester. 

2. Set some goals for the rest of the semester.

Setting goals is an easy way to stay motivated. Once you set goals for yourself, you’ll feel more inclined to go to class, do homework and spend some extra time in the library to complete these goals. You’ll feel so much better at the end of the semester when you see all your hard work pay off. I recommend using a daily planner or even something as simple as the calendar app on your phone to keep up with your deadlines. 

3. Establish relationships with your classmates.

By now, you should have a good idea of who’s in your class and what their names are. Try asking the person you always sit next to if they’d like to form a study group before finals. Making friends with your classmates will make attending class a little bit easier in the home stretch. You all can also help each other and hold each other accountable when it comes to coming to class and studying. 

4. Spend some time outside.

A brief walk to the fountain on campus will surely give you a moment to exhale. Studies have shown that spending some time outdoors will help reduce stress levels. Being outside will give you a much-needed brain break from your computer screen. 

5. Take a step back.

Of course, we all want to pass our classes and have a 4.0, but it is important to also have play-time along with work time. Going home for the weekend and spending time with family, if you can, or going out to eat with friends will help rejuvenate you when dealing with burnout.