How many of us have felt overwhelmed by undergraduate and graduate school today? I think we all have experienced the stress of being students. Universities have become a stressful atmosphere where students struggle to maintain their well-being while completing multiple tasks. The stress we experience today is part of a flawed system that sustains mental challenges for students by requiring too much from students.
During the summer of 2024, I got sick with a virus, and it took me weeks to get better. I was taking summer courses, and I felt exhausted. I was juggling assignments, readings, essays, discussions and keeping up with other responsibilities. I made a self-reflection, and I realized that the stress was coming from school. Sometimes I would stay up past midnight and wake up at 8 a.m. to complete assignments. I was not learning during that summer: I was completing homework assignments just to retain enough knowledge to pass the course. This was during the summer and my spring semester, both of which were online, which happened to be my first.
One of the goals I have set for myself is getting good grades, which have come at a cost. In addition to this personal goal, my department also generally holds a high academic standard. I often feel tension throughout my body, experiencing fatigue, anxiety, restlessness and an overall sense of unwellness. My pulse rises, my breathing becomes shallow, and my stress levels become unmanageable. These symptoms are signs of unhealthy stress, which can lead to problems in the long term.
These are the side effects of graduate school: Students are constantly doing multiple tasks at a fast pace. Most graduate students often do research, papers, assignments, tests and other projects. It is easy to fall behind when you are not keeping up with the pace. Then comes the burnout, where you lose control of your daily life and focus only on completing tasks. No wonder several clinical studies show that graduate and doctoral students feel overwhelmed and burned out. Things can quickly get out of hand.
The system of higher education is to blame because it has established a framework where students focus on completing assignments rather than learning. As a graduate student, I have experienced firsthand the weight of competitiveness, strict deadlines, long hours spent writing papers and lack of quality sleep. This situation becomes more challenging for students who enrolled in online courses to maintain a flexible schedule. Many believe that enrolling in an online course offers greater ease but this is often more demanding than anticipated.
I remember when I went to school online for the first time in 2003. From my experience having been on-campus, I found online courses overwhelming. However, in my experience courses are still much harder when online. Let us take, as an example, discussion threads. Discussion threads for me are time consuming. You must log in a few times weekly, post a discussion, and reply to other students. Some courses, such as “Historical Methods” and “The Budget Process” at Hopkins, require students to write a final paper of 25 pages long and post weekly discussions that run up to 750 words per discussion not, including 500–600 words per reply to classmates.
From my experience doing online courses since 2016, discussion threads are the worst part of online learning. I find myself often spending too much time preparing posts that run from 1 page to 1 and a half pages long. Discussions are meant to keep students engaged while off campus, but this has become overwhelming. These discussions can feel tedious, time-consuming and useless for my learning experience. I feel compelled to participate simply because it is a requirement. Most students must post about what they have learned in that week and then respond to others, often leading to repetitive exchanges.
Most of my courses have included 6–7 chapters per week, including articles, participate in discussions, do assignments, draft papers and take exams. It is easy to find yourself spending hours in front of your computer, forgetting to eat or drink, because you feel pressured to do research, read and post. There is a lot of writing involved for most graduate students! Often, it seems like students merely complete one task after another. How can someone absorb so much information when they have ten tasks to complete in a week?
A working student comes home after a long day and, rather than having a flexible schedule, finds themselves spending several hours in front of a computer completing online tasks. Instructors are no longer present for immediate support. Today, online teaching primarily relies on pre-recorded videos and lectures, resulting in little to no interaction with instructors. They do not know who you are, and seeking help can take hours, if you are fortunate enough to get a response. Going through an entire semester without directly interacting with your instructor is possible.
When I pursued my undergraduate degree from 2016–2019, we had instructors who met with us twice a week to deliver live lectures. However, as of 2025, I usually find myself barely knowing who some of my instructors are. We are paying a premium for courses that lack any live lectures, where we are forced to figure things out on our own. This issue affects not only online students, but also on-campus students. From 2018–2022, hybrid courses have increased and on-campus classes have incorporated more online assignments.
Other variables can contribute to burnout such as financial debt, the overall health of a student and lack of personal support from family and friends. On the other hand, the burden on students juggling multiple assignments, lengthy papers, laboratory work and other activities do add to the problem. There has been an increase in depression and other stressors since the 1980s. Most students surveyed by this study complained that they feel burnt out and overwhelmed by the amount of things they need to do in school.
Despite the increasing availability of support services for students, such as the Hopkins Student Health and Wellness Center, which provides complimentary psychological consultations and a variety of other resources, many students continue to grapple with profound challenges related to anxiety, depression and burnout. Further research is warranted to explore the complex relationship between academic workload and mental health, particularly among students at Hopkins. Initial studies are emerging that focus on the overall mental well-being of college students, shedding light on this critical issue.
Eliam Levin is in his second year at Hopkins completing a master’s degree in Public Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a certificate in network security. Previously, he wrote articles for the Tunxis Community College Newsletter about bloodborne infections and health. In his free time, he likes going to the gym, listening to music, reading Philosophy and practicing meditation.
