By Tiffany Burhoe Wilson

Some may call it mid-term burnout, but it is possible for academic pursuits to consume a student's life. As the semester gets busier, some students don't keep their life in balance.

"Many students expect to come to BYU and be able to get A's, and be involved in extra-curricular activities, and do their church callings, like they did in high school." said Barbara Morrell, a licensed psychologist and clinical faculty for the Counseling and Career Center. "They feel this pressure and feel that they are a failure if they don't get a 4.0 GPA."

This self-imposed pressure can lead to unnecessary worry.

A student cannot study too much, unless that study is wrapped up in worry, said Norman Roberts, a clinical professor and coordinator of academic support at BYU.

Constant worry concerning academics may result in lack of focus, anxiety, isolation or physical illness such as headaches, he said.

"The push to do so well may result in the opposite: they start to push away." Roberts said. "They almost experience that burnout and that burnout occurs at the worst time ... and [it can] come somewhere [around] Thanksgiving or midterms."

Constant focus on grades and academic achievement can also have other side effects.

"Some people get those A's, but it is a high cost." Morrell said. "They don't have that social life; they don't have a balance in their life."

By focusing too much on schoolwork, some students' stress levels are always constant and they can forget to balance everything in their life, said Kimberly Mills, a senior majoring in math education.

"You don't enjoy the journey as much," she said. "It gets to a point you don't enjoy the learning because you are so stressed about grades ... and because there is too much of it without a break."

Without balance in life, a sole focus on studying can be detrimental.

If people believe that all they are going to do is study, then the quality of their studying may actually diminish because they have no rewards, Roberts said.

If students feel they cannot handle their stresses alone, there are free resources available to students such as the Counseling and Career Center at (801) 422-3035, the Stress Management and Biofeedback lab at 422-7261, or personal counseling at 422-3826.

Tips for having a balanced life

1. Plan a schedule: plan to play as well as to study

2. If all students are doing is studying, look to see if there are places where corners can be cut while still accomplishing goals.

3. Make time to take care of self: exercise, get enough sleep and eat healthy.

Copyright Brigham Young University 24 Oct 2007