Tired of School? How to Handle “Academic Burnout” Before You Crash
You wake up. Your alarm is ringing (probably that annoying default sound on your phone). You look at your Physics textbook or that massive JAMB past question pack, and you just feel… empty.
You aren’t lazy. In fact, you want to pass. You know your parents are counting on you. But right now, your brain feels like fufu—heavy, stuck, and refusing to process anything. You stare at one page for 30 minutes, but nothing is entering.
If this sounds like you, you aren’t just “tired.” You are likely dealing with burnout.
It happens to the best students. The pressure to score 300+ in JAMB, the fear of WAEC, or the stress of a wicked lecturer in university can crush your motivation. But you don’t have to stay stuck there.
In this guide, I’m going to show you exactly how to handle “Academic Burnout” when you are tired of school, get your mojo back, and pass your exams without losing your mind.
Is it Laziness or Burnout? (Know the Difference)
First, let’s stop the guilt trip. A lot of Nigerian parents (and even teachers) will tell you that you are just being lazy. “Go and read your book, you are pressing phone too much.”
But there is a big difference.
Laziness is when you are able to study, but you just don’t want to because you’d rather watch TikTok or play video games.
Burnout is different. Burnout is when you want to study, but your brain and body physically refuse. It feels like your battery is at 1%.
Here are the signs you are burnt out:
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Constant Exhaustion: You sleep for 8 hours but wake up tired.
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Irritability: Small things make you angry. Maybe your younger sibling asks a question and you snap at them.
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Detachment: You stop caring about the grades you used to obsess over.
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Brain Fog: You read a sentence five times and still don’t understand it.
If you are nodding your head right now, keep reading.
Why Nigerian Students Burn Out Faster
Let’s be honest, schooling in Nigeria is an extreme sport. It’s not just the books.
It’s the environment. You are dealing with NEPA taking light when you want to read overnight. You are stressing about ASUU strike rumors. You are sitting in a jammed lecture hall with 500 other students and no fan.
That extra layer of stress drains your mental energy faster than you realize. So, don’t beat yourself up. The system is tough. But you have to be tougher.
Practical Steps to Fix Academic Burnout
So, how do you fix it? You can’t just “drop out” (unless you want your African mother to disown you). You need a strategy to recharge while still moving forward.
1. The “Do Nothing” Strategy
This sounds counter-productive, right? You have an exam in two weeks, and I’m telling you to do nothing.
Yes.
There is a law in Economics called the Law of Diminishing Returns. At a certain point, putting in more effort yields less result. If you study for 12 hours straight but only remember 10% of it, you have wasted your time.
Take one full day off. No books. No past questions. No guilt. Sleep, eat, or watch a movie. You need to reset your brain’s dopamine levels.
As we discussed in our article on health is better than wealth, your physical state dictates your mental performance. If the machine (your body) is broken, the work won’t get done.
2. Stop the “Marathon Reading”
A common mistake students make is trying to cover the entire Chemistry syllabus in one night. That is a one-way ticket to burnout city.
Break it down.
Don’t write “Read Biology” on your to-do list. That is too big. Instead, write: “Read Chapter 3: Photosynthesis.”
When you complete that small task, your brain releases a chemical reward. You feel good. You feel capable. This builds momentum.
If you are struggling with how to structure this, check out our guide on how to prepare for an exam in a short time. It breaks down the process into manageable chunks.
3. Change Your Environment
If you always study in your room, your brain associates that room with stress.
Switch it up. Go to the school library. Stay back in class after school. Go to a friend’s house (a serious friend, not the one that will distract you with gist).
Sometimes, a change of scenery is all you need to trick your brain into focusing again.
4. Fuel Your Body Correctly
You cannot run a generator without fuel. You cannot run your brain on just Garri and sugar.
When you are burnt out, you tend to eat junk or skip meals. This makes the brain fog worse. Try to drink more water. Dehydration causes fatigue. Eat fruits if you can.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, diet plays a massive role in how we handle stress and recover from mental exhaustion.
5. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
This is a major killer.
You see your classmate posting on WhatsApp about how they finished the syllabus twice. You panic. You feel you aren’t doing enough.
Stop it. You don’t know if they actually understood what they read.
Focus on your own race. If you can only handle 2 hours of study today, do a quality 2 hours. That is better than 10 hours of pretending to read while staring at the ceiling.
Adopting effective study habits that work for you specifically is better than copying what the class scholar is doing.
When to Ask for Help
If you try all these tips and you still feel hopeless, depressed, or unable to get out of bed, please talk to someone.
Talk to a school counsellor, a trusted teacher, or your parents. Burnout can sometimes lead to depression, and that is a serious health issue. There is no shame in saying, “I am struggling.”
Resources like Verywell Mind offer great advice on recognizing when stress has crossed the line into something more serious.
Final Words
School is important. Passing WAEC or graduating with a 2.1 is a great goal.
But you are more important than your grades.
Learning how to handle “Academic Burnout” when you are tired of school is a life skill. You will need it in university and even in your future job. Listen to your body. Rest when you need to. Then, get back up and crush that exam.
You’ve got this.
