4 Signs Your College Goals Need a Mental Health Check: How to Balance Persistence and Well-Being

Discover when it's time to reassess your academic goals and routines to ensure they're supporting both your success and mental health.

Aug 22, 2024

Illustration of a young woman with dark hair tied in a messy bun, wearing oversized red glasses, sitting at a library desk. She looks tired and burnt out, resting her chin on her hands while staring down at an open book in front of her. The background shows blurred bookshelves and warm lighting, conveying a quiet, studious atmosphere. — Created with Meta AI

For me, getting through college was all about persistence—pushing through challenges, working hard, and striving for success. But sometimes, even when I was giving it my all, the results just didn’t match the effort. When that happened, it was a clear sign that I needed to step back and reassess my academic goals and routines.

Here are four key signs that, despite my hard work, my academic goals needed adjustment to better support my mental well-being.

1. My high levels of academic and work stress and anxiety negatively impacted my mental health.

Juggling work and school seemed doable at first, but I soon discovered it just wasn’t sustainable. Added to the stress of school and work were my mental health struggles and grief from losing my sister, which seriously messed with my health. To reduce this overwhelming stress, I made the tough decision to leave my job. This choice allowed me to focus more on my health and studies.

2. My grades and academic performance suffered.

Balancing a job with school led me to take classes later in the day and on weekends. One of my worst decisions was signing up for an 8 AM Saturday class—I spent more time fighting to stay awake than actually learning. I ended up with my worst grade in that class, which taught me an important lesson: I needed to choose my schedule more carefully to ensure my energy levels were at their best so I could fully engage in my classes.

3. I neglected other important aspects of my life and well-being.

I sacrificed sleep, social connections, and my physical health. It wasn’t until I prioritized getting enough sleep, found ways to incorporate friends through school activities, and started taking care of my physical health that I began to get through my classes without feeling like school was consuming my entire life.

4. I experienced burnout and a lack of motivation.

The summer I lost my sister, I was taking online courses. Instead of dropping them to grieve, I stubbornly pushed through, thinking I had to keep going so my hard work wouldn’t be wasted. Looking back, I should’ve taken that time off. Despite putting in the effort at first, my motivation tanked, and I didn’t even reach out to my professor after a mix-up with submitting the wrong document for my final. My grade took a huge hit, but by then, I just didn’t care. I could’ve saved myself a lot of unnecessary stress by giving myself the space to grieve and recharge.

If you find yourself facing similar stressors, it’s probably time to reevaluate your academic goals and routines to strike a healthier balance. Take a moment to consider what’s most essential, figure out how to meet your needs, and adjust or eliminate anything that isn’t serving you. Once I did, school became more manageable and enjoyable for me.

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