By: Chloe Kline ’21, Staff Writer 

With society closing in on nearly a year of living with COVID-19, many LVC students are feeling burnt out. 

Between academic and family responsibilities, isolation and potentially sick family members, students find themselves losing motivation. Online classes also present problems like unstable internet connection, inefficient technology and other obstacles that make learning even more difficult. 

Even low-workload classes can feel daunting. Skylar Aiken, a junior sociology major, feels exactly this way, stating that their music ensemble class feels especially difficult despite being a class with less work. 

“Knowing where your limits lie is a great start to preventing it, but you can’t always prevent it from happening,” Aiken said. “Burnout doesn’t always just affect your education, it can affect how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally.” 

Aiken also mentioned that the pandemic affects relationships with others as well. However, making sure you have a support network you can talk to in some socially distanced way is helpful. 

“[Burnout] is something to always be aware of and always ask for help to get through,” Aiken said. “It is like hitting a mental wall, and you want to give up but there are always people out there to help get you through it.” 

With case numbers falling and several vaccines ready to be distributed, there is hope that the pandemic will be over soon and that burnout will become less common.

If you are struggling with academics and/or your mental health this semester, you can reach out to counseling services at counselingservices@lvc.edu or by phone at (717) 867-6232.