Burned out. Please help.

[Liz Cecilia]

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SDN, I don't know what to do. My exam is 5 weeks away, and literally, I have been studying my heart out since May. I am seeing myself do better on practice exams, but it still needs some tweaking. I miss my friends and feel like crying every time I look at a book or practice exam. I can't even run decently anymore, just because I'm always so TIRED. I feel like I can't study any more, but I know I have to. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to conquer this stupid waste-of-time feeling that won't go away? I don't know what to do :cry:

 

[jmh018]

Obviously everyone is different so my advice is what I would do, and did do, when I was studying and may not work for everyone. It worked well for me though. i found myself in that same situation. I would wake up and dread what was ahead of me after so many weeks of the same thing day after day. I would study but was getting less and less out of it because I was worn out studying for the same thing for so long.

When that happened, even though I knew I still had more studying to do, I took a day off. I was like you and still had over a month left, plenty of time to make up a day or two of not studying. I figured losing one day was better than studying poorly for several days because I was worn out. Giving myself sometime to recuperate allowed me to study better so it was worth losing study time.

But again, this was for me. Only you can tell if you are able to take time off.

Good luck!

 

[athomas]

Is all of the studying you are doing efficient? Are you actually retaining it all? If you are constantly tired, then probably not. I honestly think that the people who study 8+ hours a day are doing themselves a disservice, because running your body down and exhausting your attention on a daily basis isn't healthy. You need to take breaks and let yourself rest, otherwise your mental and physical state is going to deteriorate and you won't perform your best. You will test your best when you feel your best.

 

[J777]

When that happened, even though I knew I still had more studying to do, I took a day off. I was like you and still had over a month left, plenty of time to make up a day or two of not studying. I figured losing one day was better than studying poorly for several days because I was worn out. Giving myself sometime to recuperate allowed me to study better so it was worth losing study time.

Good luck!

IMO, this is GREAT advice. I felt the same way but continued to truck on. Though I hit many walls leading up to the big day, I was beyond burnt out about 1.5 weeks before my exam. Hesitanty, I ended up taking about 2 full days off. Keep in mind this was a lil over a week before my exam.

You have 5 weeks. I highly suggest considering a small break. Regroup, spend time with friends, do something active, RELAX. It will be more beneficial than continuing onward. In the scheme of things, one or two days will not matter too much. Go into the break with the comfort of knowing that your practice tests are improving and rest up so that you can conquer the rest of your studies. You are almost there.. Best of luck!

 

[john333]

Hey.. I feel you man. My test is in August and it sucks studying in the summer all day when everyone else is having a blast... When I get really drained out and burnt out from studying, I just take like a 2-3 hour break and listen to music, watch some TV and just relax on the couch aha. Take a day or two off, it will calm you down and just think positively! If you put in your effort, it will pay off! 😉

 

[nardim]

Take a break on the weekends! Get out and run/work out, it's how I get my mind off things during testing periods too!

 

[Dent35]

SDN, I don't know what to do. My exam is 5 weeks away, and literally, I have been studying my heart out since May. I am seeing myself do better on practice exams, but it still needs some tweaking. I miss my friends and feel like crying every time I look at a book or practice exam. I can't even run decently anymore, just because I'm always so TIRED. I feel like I can't study any more, but I know I have to. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to conquer this stupid waste-of-time feeling that won't go away? I don't know what to do :cry:

take a day off, watch a movie, vent to your friends or significant other ( i vent to my boyfriend a lot lol)
think about it this way, it will pay off, you are ONE exam away from dental school and then you can enjoy your summer.
coffee helps me a lot