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I almost guarantee you’ve heard something like this before:

“Make sure you don’t burn out.”

“Oh, I burnt out – don’t do that.”

“I’m so completely burnt out.”

“Year 12 simply burnt me out.”

“If it weren’t for the free and amazing advice offered for all QCE subjects on the ATAR Notes Forums, I totally would have burnt out – ooh, yes I would have.” 😉

And so on. It’s almost a cliché, now – almost mythical. But when we cut through all of the buzz words, we might ask: what actually is QCE burnout?! And, subsequently, how do you avoid it?

WHAT IS QCE BURNOUT?

Speaking generally, a lack of motivation. The feeling that even if you wanted to study, you’re too tired. Perhaps a reduced sense of hope or aspiration in regard to your QCE studies.

Quite clearly, this is not a state you want to reach (at any time of your life, but perhaps especially during Year 12). I guess that’s why people say that QCE is a marathon and not a sprint. If you tried to sprint the entire way – well, that just wouldn’t work out well.

The negative impacts of burnout can actually be quite drastic. If you burn out just a few months before end-of-year exams, you might miss out a lot of super important exam revision. If you burn out near the start of the year, you’re unlikely to reach your full potential. I mean, think about it quantitatively (with understanding that these figures are pretty arbitrary):

Say Student 1 goes absolutely hammer and tongs for the first two terms of Year 12 – they’re going at 100%. The good thing is that, well, they’re going at 100%! For those two terms, they’re getting absolutely everything out of themselves. They wake up, study, go to school, study some more, come home, study, and go to sleep. Great in the short term, but definitely not sustainable. In Term 3, Student 1 starts to considerably tire. They’re waking up later, never really feel refreshed, and are usually in a bad mood. The study timetable they so religiously followed in the first two terms has gone down the drain, and they’re starting to question the point of QCE in the first place.

Student 1 is burnt out.

As a result, Student 1 only goes at 50% for the remaining two terms. And it shows – in their end-of-year exams, Student 1 performs poorly, and way under potential.

Student 2, on the other hand, takes a more measured approach. They try really hard the entire year, but they’re careful not to do too much, too soon. They take a lot of small breaks and keep in touch with other elements of their life. Essentially, QCE is something that they’re doing, but not something that defines them. It’s not the be all and end all.

Student 2 goes at a steady pace (let’s say 90%) for the entire year, and the gradual work ethic pays off in the end. To show the difference graphically:

Again, those numbers are arbitrary, but I think you can see the point I’m trying to make. Fundamentally, QCE burnout is bad.

COOL – SO HOW DO I AVOID IT?

Great question, and I’m glad you asked it.

The first thing to do is to take a leaf out of Student B’s book. Don’t push yourself too hard, too early.

TAKE BREAKS

Even if you don’t want to. You might be able to study all day, every day for a week, or a fortnight, or even several months. But it will catch up with you in the end.

I get it, though – breaks interrupt study. Breaks can make you lose your train of thought, or your concentration. I promise you they’ll be worthwhile in the end – and they don’t have to be lengthy. A break could literally constitute getting up from your seat, walking around for a few minutes, stretching, and having a glass of water. Then you get back to it.

Aside from the physical benefits of not being static for like 93 hours straight, you’ll also work better. If you stay healthy and if you rest, you’ll be able to study for longer periods without losing concentration. Ultimately, not giving yourself time to rest is actually quite likely to be counter-productive.

JUST… BE SENSIBLE

QCE is important. Trust me – I understand the desire to do well. And when I was in Year 12 myself, I (to my detriment later on) probably couldn’t see the bigger picture of what it actually meant.

But it’s not the only important aspect of your life.

If you end up entirely surrendering your social life, or your hobbies, or your family, or whatever else for the sole sake of QCE, you’re not constructing a particularly balanced life. Pro tip: that’s a bad thing – even for your QCE results.

You need those other aspects of your life to provide perspective of what you’re actually undertaking. QCE is hard, but it’s not designed to be insurmountable. It will become a lot more difficult, though, if QCE is all you’re concerned about. You will get burnt out.

HAVE REALISTIC GOALS

“I’m totally going to study 22 hours a day and sleep is for the weak and it’s all good I’ll just have lots of coffee and study lots and then I’ll get good marks and get into Medicine and become a doctor because I studied heaps and there’s a linear relationship between the number of hours I sit aimlessly at my desk when I really should be sleeping and the marks I achieve in my assessments and exams lol yes awesome this is going to be great.”

Okay.

Cool.

Not the case.

The thing with goals is that, if you don’t hit them, you’re pretty likely to be disappointed. So if you construct these horribly unrealistic goals, things aren’t going to end well. And you may burn yourself out in pursuit of those aspirational goals.

If you’re setting yourself goals during QCE (which is a pretty cool thing to do and something I recommend generally), make sure they’re achievable. Not easy, but achievable.

FINAL WORDS

When I was in Year 12, it was sort of weird. I’d heard so much about burnout during Year 12 that I sort of just… waited for it to happen. In the end, that was probably counter-productive, because I almost talked myself into being burnt out. Pretty weird.

If you’re feeling completely fresh (not phresh, but fresh in the usual sense) and motivated, that’s great! QCE burnout isn’t inevitable. It doesn’t happen to everybody. It’s just important to recognise that it’s something that does exist, and something that might happen to you at some point during Year 12. And that’s where the advice in this article comes into play.

All the best for the rest of your QCE!