Hi there! So… I’ve been struggling a bit lately. I’m not sure why I feel so overwhelmed and unmotivated all the time. Every moment I spend doing schoolwork is just painful. In high school, I used to be able to snap out papers in 2 hours. Now, it takes me the whole day to just start writing. Is there any way to stop this feeling of hopelessness? 🙁
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hey there friend,
it’s perfectly okay and normal to be struggling in uni, especially at this point in the semester. please don’t be hard on yourself for that.
it’s truly impressive that you used to be able to finish papers in two hours (i could never), but as i’m sure you’re aware, high school and university are not the same! university demands a lot more of you in terms of robust argument and rigorous research/analysis, plus you’re adjusting to new expectations. it took me until the end of second year to feel more at ease with writing uni papers. what i’m trying to say is that it’s valid that you’re having a harder time with papers than you’re used to. papers are hard!
with that said, is there a way to deal with those feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm? yeah, i do think there is. i’m glad you reached out and asked.
first, i want to remind you that you don’t deserve to deal with these difficulties without support.
i talk a lot about resources on this blog, and a lot of that is because seeking out campus resources has made such a difference in my ability to withstand the pressures at u of t. here are some supports that i’d recommend you reach out to:
if you’re dealing with feelings of hopelessness, this is the main campus support that i’d recommend. when you paid your fees for u of t, you paid for access to u of t’s embedded counsellors, who will offer you five free appointments to help you reach a mental health goal. the counsellor i visited walked me through cognitive behavioural therapy, which i found really helpful.
i should note, though, that embedded counselling is only available to students who are in ontario. if you want to see an off-campus counsellor, you should be covered for that under the utsu’s insurance plan, or greenshield if you’re a part-time student.
if booking an appointment doesn’t sound right for you at this time, you can also reach out to the MySSP program, where there are counsellors who will talk you through what you’re experiencing at any time of the day, 7 days a week.
either way, there’s a lot of value in looking after your mental health when you’re struggling with school. i can’t emphasize that enough. if any of these options appeal to you but seem confusing, feel free to shoot me another question and i’m happy to help you figure things out.
learning strategists are such a cool resource, and i think they should have them at every school. i think it would help you to book an appointment with a learning strategist to talk through your paper-writing strategies and your lack of motivation. they’ll be able to help you spot what’s not working, what improvements you can make to your schoolwork system, and just generally give you tips, encouragement, and a sense of perspective.
if that sounds like something you’d be down for, you can give your registrar a call.
just gonna throw in a side note here: i know sometimes these appointments feel like a waste of time when you’re overwhelmed and stressed and know you have a million things to do, but trust me. they’re worth the time. they’re an investment in your wellbeing and your ability to handle future schoolwork.
- writing centre
if it’s papers that are gettin’ you down, the lovely people at your writing centre will be able to help you out a ton. you can approach them at any point in the paper-writing process. i’ve found that sometimes, bouncing ideas back and forth with a writing centre instructor can be a really solid way to jumpstart a paper that really was not coming together when i was trying to tackle it alone.
if you’ve never been to the writing centre, i wrote a post on approaching the writing centre for the first time, which you can check out here.
sorry. i dunno why that spongebob gif is so intimidating.
apart from those resources, here are some of the things that help me, when i’m feeling the way that you described:
- reaching out to people
this school year is such an isolating one, and keeping up with the stress of midterms feels so much harder because of it. if you have good people that you trust, i find that it helps to reach out to them and let them know you’re having a hard time, so that you can commiserate.
or maybe you don’t have people, which is okay and honestly pretty normal right now. in that case, there’s value in seeking out online u of t social events, trying to reach out to people in your classes, or joining clubs. i think everyone’s feeling some degree of isolation right now, and because of that many people are open to making new friends.
any sense of connection you have will take some of the weight off you, i think. it’s easier to struggle as students together than alone.
- taking a break
there’s only so far you can push your brain before it stops serving you, lol. i do my best work after i take a walk or a run, or switch my brain into a non-study mode by cleaning my room/doing chores. if you find that you’re not productive for a long chunk of time, set your work aside. it’s okay to come back to it after a break. you’re a student, not a machine. you’ll do better, more efficient work if you feel refreshed.
there’s really no use in staring at a blank computer screen, waiting for your paper to come together when you know you won’t type a single line for another eight hours. so do something that makes you feel more like yourself for a lil while. it’ll help, i promise.
- getting enough sleep
sleep is a big one for me, personally. whenever it takes me too many days to put a paper together, which makes me feel absolutely useless, i know it’s because my brain and body are drained and i need to start sleeping better. as uni students we run a constant sleep deficit, so i don’t know how practical this advice really is lol. but if you’re able to block out some time for sleep, i do think that will help.
anyway, i hope that you made it to the end of this post, and there was at least something in here that sparked a little “oh, i can do that, that might help” moment.
i really do want you to feel capable, motivated, and supported, and wish you all the best of luck with the rest of the semester. you got this. you’ll make it through, and things will get better.
take care of yourself,
aska