Last week, I was sitting in my kitchen with my best friend as we contemplated our return to university life: she would be returning to her dorm at Le Moyne College and I to Binghamton. She groaned and laid her head on the table as we discussed a semester where we were both overloading our schedules with 18 credits.
Overloading refers to the act of taking more credits than necessary, or, in other words, working too hard. Normally, this would not be a detrimental thing; hard work is expected in college and in life, and no one gets anywhere without it. However, it can become harmful to one’s sanity and well-being overall if not balanced with leisure. I argue that although this practice is commonplace, more students should be paying attention to the sacrifices that they need to make in other areas of their lives in order to accommodate a larger workload.
Most professors state on their syllabus that their four-credit class will require 9.5 to 12.5 hours of studying outside of class. With 20 credits in an overloaded schedule, this would amount to 40 to 50 hours each week. Though we are college students and studying is expected, it can be extremely challenging for one to find time in a busy schedule to relax or practice the skills needed to uphold one’s mental health. Most days last semester, I would only see my flatmates — who are close friends of mine — in passing; we were all on our way to different places. I only went back to my room to grab books and sleep during finals week, and my busiest days left me an hour of free time right before going to bed at midnight.
It is extremely clear that this practice has harmful effects on students at BU. It is much more common to hear “I fell asleep in lecture this morning” than “I got a great eight hours of sleep!” Glenn G. Bartle Library’s silent study rooms are packed to the brim any week after the first. Coffee has become a substitute of adequate amounts of sleep. While not every student overloads their credits, every student is familiar with stress; this is why we need to make a change.
I am guilty of abusing this practice as well. Last semester, I took 20 credits in addition to my part-time job and crew. During the semester, I spent many nights wracked with anxiety over deadlines that happened to be on the same day or figuring out when to meet my friends for a group Spanish project when I had class until 3 p.m. and work at 4 p.m. Finals week crushed me; I was pulling all-nighters regularly, struggled to focus and forgot to eat. I hurt my friends, and mainly myself, in this process. By the end, it felt as if I was losing my sanity. It goes without saying that I am extremely hesitant to do this again.
However, we as students at BU are not completely to blame. Our rigorous work ethic is commendable, which is something the University should be extremely proud of; this is not what needs to shift.
Instead, the University needs to implement more regulations in order to protect our well-being. Yes, the requirement to have a 3.30 GPA or higher or petition in order to overload are helpful, but we need more structure than this. I suggest the implementation of recommended meetings with advisers for students who wish to overload; it could be helpful for the student to receive another perspective or perhaps even a different solution that does not require overloading at all.
In addition, the University could consider the implementation of a fee for students who wish to overload their schedules with over 18 credits, as Boston University does. This may encourage students to take more time to consider if overloading is truly worth the cost. Lastly, I believe that it should be a requirement for students to talk to the professor of the class that would require them to overload; similarly to advisers, professors could provide guidance, as well as inform the student if they are teaching the same class in a different upcoming semester.
While I understand that some students are forced to take more credits in order to graduate on time, they do not need to suffer because of it. We are in the beginning of a new semester; this is the perfect time to consider making a change. I urge the University to help us do so.
Kara Bilello is a sophomore majoring in English.