Alex's Answer
I don’t have enough time or energy to care about school anymore, I’m burnt out.
Your Question
I don’t have enough time or energy to care about school anymore, that’s it I’m “burnt out” I cared sooooo much in first year, over prepared for every test, over thinking all the simple questions getting 70%’s while others who didn’t study got 80’s and 90’s, i just can’t care anymore, between piano, and my other hobbies, and faking a personality to my “friends”. Mocks are coming up along with the junior cert, how am I supposed to care with parents who don’t even support me, I’m just soo tired I can’t sleep at night because I’m crying because I don’t have time to do the homework, I used to be smart and so full of energy and always happy, but now I’m painting on a fake smile. I spoke to my teacher I broke down in front of her and asked could I see the counselor she was very nice but that was a month ago and I’m starting to feel like she doesn’t care because the school isn’t that big that there would be a month waiting list for the counselor. I’m sorry that this is long, I would love to call, but it won’t come as a surprise that I’m too scared. I have made schedules in the past but they don’t work for me, I’m failing in school and when I used to care and get upset, I don’t care anymore, all I think about is college but what’s the point when I’m getting these results in tests.
Answer
Hi there, thank you for sending your question to Ask Alex, we’re glad you were able to reach out to us about what’s going on for you.
From what you’re saying it seems like things are overwhelming for you at the minute, you say that you feel your performance in school has slipped and even though you’re working really hard, you see other people doing better in exams despite their lack of effort. It’s understandable that this might be frustrating and disheartening for you, everyone has different strengths and abilities and sometimes it can be difficult when we compare ourselves to others. Maybe, being kind to yourself and acknowledging your hard work and the effort you’ve put in, might be worth doing, even if you aren’t getting the results you were hoping for. It also sounds like you are trying to juggle a lot of different things between school, extra-curricular activities and maintaining friendships, all while feeling unsupported by your parents.
It sounds like you’ve tried to reach out for support from your parents and your teacher and that maybe it didn’t go the way you had hoped, it can be hard to ask for help so well done for trying. Sometimes things might not go as planned and that can be hard and frustrating, would it be worth trying to contact your school counsellor yourself to make an appointment? Or maybe following up with the teacher you spoke to before? It seems like she was kind and willing to help so it could be a simple mistake on her behalf that things didn’t progress. You do have a right to get support when you struggling to cope so looking into the supports in your life does sound like it could benefit you. If you feel that talking to someone in your life about what’s going on isn’t the right option for you then of course that’s your decision, but there are people out there willing to listen to you and support you.
Childline provides a dedicated listening service for young people aged 18 and under, a lot of young people experience the same issues you mentioned such as: friendship issues, school stress, family relationships difficulties and generally finding it hard to cope with challenges in life. All young people have been through a very difficult time during the pandemic, so it’s important to know that a lot of people are going through similar experiences and that you are not alone. If you want to chat about what’s going on for you, Childline can be contacted 24 hours a day by calling 1800 66 66 66, texting 50101 or webchat via our website www.childline.ie. We also have a lot of articles on our website about a wide variety of topics that may interest you, they can be accessed from the link above. You can also access mental health supports if you feel you need it by going to www.yourmentalhealth.ie.
We hope this answer is helpful to you and that you find a way to get the support you need.
Take care,
Alex.