Tab 1
Title:
Academic Stress and Burnout in the Tri-Semester System: A
Mental Health Perspective(Final Term Paper)
Course Name: Introduction to Psychology
Course Code: PSY101
Section: 7
Team: 5
Submitted To:
Sanzeeda Munir Prova
Lecturer, School of General Education
BRAC University
● Avinabo Tarafder(22101004)—Introduction
● Fatema Yashfee Chowdhury(22226074)—Methodology
● Syed Kaysan Faraj(22101204)—Results
● Fahmida Afrin(23201306)— Discussion
Academic Stress and Burnout in the Tri-
Semester System: A Mental Health
Perspective
Introduction:
As of now, the mental health of university students has become quite concerning, especially in
the context of complex educational systems and overwhelming academic demands. Many
students face academic stress and burnout due to difficult and lengthy tasks, strict deadlines, and
high academic expectations by the students. And as the issues of academic stress are overlooked,
it leads to burnout, which is a condition that makes students apathetic. It makes them both
indifferent to academic activities and results in a reduction in their sense of accomplishment,
resulting in poor academic performance and overall well-being. This occurs only because there is
a clear lack of a supportive educational environment.
Many universities use a trimester academic calendar to help students finish their degrees faster.
Tri-semester divides a year into three short semesters with little time for semester breaks.
Although it's efficient in saving time, on the other hand, it creates huge academic pressure for
students as they have to go through their syllabus in a very short amount of time. Moreover,
students in this situation often experience relentless academic pressure and do not have sufficient
time to recover. There are previous studies that have talked about academic stress, burnout, and
the overall curriculum or structure of the education system, but the case of burnout and academic
stress in the trimester academic structure has been overlooked.
This study hypothesizes that the tri-semester academic system causes academic stress and
burnout among university students due to the continuous academic pressure with limited time.
Methodology:
This study was conducted using a survey design to examine the levels of academic stress and
burnout among university students who are enrolled in a tri-semester system. This approach was
taken as it was thought to be appropriate for investigating psychological variables such as stress
and burnout at a specific point in time (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). We conducted a mixed-
method survey in one form: both qualitative and quantitative. We conducted a quantitative
survey using Google Forms to collect data (using scale) on students' academic stress and burnout
in the tri-semester system for our analysis and also qualitative survey by asking for suggestions
and coping mechanisms.
The study involved 42 students from different universities (mostly from private universities,
following the tri-semester system) and had different academic backgrounds and semesters.
Participation was completely voluntary and to prevent any influence on responses, no form of
compensation was provided. Data collection was done through Google form which was divided
into multiple sections. The questionnaire was distributed among students through social media
platforms.
To ensure ethical confidentiality, no personal information was collected and responses were
given anonymously. All data were stored securely which are only accessible to the group
members who conducted the survey as this study strictly ensures the protection, rights, and well-
being of all participants. All participants were already informed about the purpose of the research
and they had the option to participate voluntarily and withdraw at any point.As it is a sensitive
matter of mental health and stress, additional care was taken to avoid emotional discomfort for
the participants. Here, all data was used solely for academic purposes, and the results were
reported objectively without any biases.
Result:
Demographic Profile of Respondents
The research incorporated responses from 42 students from different private universities in
Bangladesh whose academic year follows a tri-semester calendar. Respondents from BRAC
University formed the majority of the sample (66.7%) followed by students from AIUB (23.8%),
North South University (7.1%) and Independent University Bangladesh (2.4%). The participants
were from different academic levels where the most represented group were students in their
third year or above (61.9%), indicating a population that had lived through several cycles of the
tri-semester system. The data suggests students have knowledgeable insights regarding the
impacts of the tri-semester system on students’ mental and academic health, both in terms of
retrospective and prospective evaluations.
Mental Health Status and Burnout Symptoms
Out of the total respondents, an astounding 95.2% reported that their mental well-being declined
throughout their academic journey under the tri-semester system (see Table 2). A considerable
number of students reported specific symptoms of burnout, with headaches (81.0%) identified as
the most prevalent. Following this were fatigue (76.2%), insomnia (66.7%), and loss of appetite
(52.4%) in decreasing order. Furthermore, the results indicated that a considerable number of
students, 71.4%, reported being emotionally drained after completing various academic activities
like assignments and examinations.
The findings indicate an alarming proportion of students experiencing stress and burnout, both
psychologically and physiologically. The high incidence of somatic symptoms, including
headaches and insomnia as a result of strained academics, depicts the increasing burden student’s
face. This supports other studies that have identified the relationship between chronic stress from
academic demands and burnout, along with psychosomatic illnesses.
Table 1: Reported Mental Health Status and Burnout Symptoms
Symptom/Condition Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Mental Health Got Worse 40 95.2
Headaches 34 81.0
Fatigue 32 76.2
Insomnia 28 66.7
Appetite Loss 22 52.4
Emotional Exhaustion after Academic Work 30 71.4
(Often)
Academic Workload, Free Time, and Work-Life Balance
As presented in Table 3, the students’ academic workload was reported to be heterogeneous in
nature – almost half 47.6% reported a workload of 3-4 hours per week and per course, while
28.5%% devoted more than 5 hours per course per week. Regardless of the academic workload,
the majority (64.3%) reported that they rarely found time to interact with family or pursue
recreational activities highlighting a significant personal life imbalance relative to academic
responsibilities.
Furthermore, 69% of the participants were in the opinion that even taking a short academic break
like 2-3 days was unfeasible, demonstrating the lack of flexibility and the all-consuming nature
of the work. Such relentless academic engagement seems to mitigate the opportunity for quiet
time and recovery needed to sustain the student’s academic performance and mental well-being.
Coping Mechanisms and Mental Health Support
The various coping methods academic stressors were organized in table 4. According to the
report, the most frequently used coping strategies include spending time on social media (69.0%)
and seeking emotional support from friends and family (61.9%) . More than half of the students
(52.4%) reported sleeping as a temporary escape. In contrast, only 23.8% sought to utilize
professional mental health services. This reflects a possible lack of access, awareness, or the
stigma that is often attached when seeking mental health support.
Surprisingly, more than half (54.8%) of the respondents reported inadequate support from their
universities when it comes to caring for one’s mental health, further emphasizing the need for
institutions to shift focus and develop awareness strategies to promote a proactive approach.
Table 2: Coping Strategies and Use of Support Services
Coping Strategy / Support Accessed Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Social Media Usage 29 69.0
Talking with Friends/Family 26 61.9
Sleeping 22 52.4
Physical Exercise 14 33.3
Sought Mental Health Support 10 23.8
Perceives University Mental Health Support as 12 28.6
Adequate
Perceives University Mental Health Support as 23 54.8
Inadequate
Holiday Enjoyment and Recovery
Most of the students (76.2%) reported enjoying breaks; however, they expressed concern about
the length of holidays during the academic year. Approximately 85.7% of students reported that
the time off does not allow sufficient duration for both physical and mental recovery (Table 5).
This suggests that while breaks offer some respite, their limited duration is insufficient to address
the exhaustion resulting from non-stop schooling.
Peer Comparison and Sense of Control
The findings also reveal that 71.4% of students frequently compared their academic performance
with their peers, often leading to feelings of inadequacy and increased stress (Table 6). Only a
minority (33.3%) felt that they had control over their academic workload and schedules, while
two-thirds (66.7%) expressed that the academic demands often felt overwhelming and beyond
their capacity to cope.
Suggestions for Reducing Academic Stress
The qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses showed central standpoints on students'
concepts for lessening academic strain within the tri-semester arrangement. Transitioning toward
a bi-semester system was the most prominent suggestion expressed by an enormous majority
perceived as more sustainable.
Other key recommendations included:
● Students urged for curriculum revision and workload management that includes assignment
intensity and course load reduction per semester.
● Institutions should improve mental health support: Participants highlighted universities
need to make mental health counseling services accessible as well as visible furthermore
campaign to reduce stigma.
● A lot of survey participants advised adding planned pauses in semesters. They also
recommended organizing non-academic activities for promotion of well-being.
Discussion:
Analysis of Results in Light of Psychological Theories:
Our data revealed that a significant portion of students reported emotional exhaustion, lack of
motivation, trouble concentrating, feeling detached from studies, sleep disturbances, mood
swings etc. These symptoms strongly correlate with the psychological concept of burnout, as
defined by (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). According to their three-dimensional model, burnout is
characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal
accomplishment. In our survey, 78.6% of the students reported that they feel emotionally
exhausted where nearly 42% stated that they frequently feel down. Only 17% of the students
have a sense of self accomplishment or fulfillment. Selye (1950) proposed three stages of stress
response: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion in General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS) theory. In our study, the observation and data reveals that in the tri semester system
overwhelming exam pressure, countless assignments deadlines from multiple courses with
limited time works as stressors, causing academic distress(Uncontrollable, prolonged, or
overwhelming academic stress) for students which aligns with increased sympathetic activity
and triggers the fight-or-flight response as described in GAS theory’s alarm reaction stage.
Furthermore, 63% of students frequently feel that this workload is beyond their ability to cope
which can be related to fight or flight response. However, as the semester continues, students
try to cope with the fast paced system and they use various strategies to restore energy and
maintain functioning like spending quality time with family, physical exercise, counseling,
therapy and surprisingly use of substances(33% of the students) relating to the adaptation
stage. Also, they were asked for suggestions and they mentioned strategies like time
management as coping strategies. Our study clearly reveals that the majority of the students face
burnout and when they push themselves hard to keep up with the system, this leads to mental
fatigue (82.9%) and emotional strain. This matches Selye’s(1950) exhaustion stage, where
prolonged stress causes physical tiredness, headache, demotivation, and health issues as
mentioned by students. Moreover they face difficulty concentrating, detached and frequent
mood swings. At this stage burnout symptoms peak due to prolonged academic stress and it’s
clearly visible that their ability to cope has collapsed in the exhaustion stage. Students also
mentioned that the workload is not distributed well during the semester and the crushing
workload hits in the middle and last of the semester pushing them into the exhaustion stage.
Furthermore, participants mentioned that semester breaks are shorter than required in the tri
semester system and due to the ongoing exposure to academic stress and almost no time to
recover causes chronic academic stress.
Reflection on Implications :
The study reveals an urgent need for attention from both students and university administrations.
If the concerning impact of the tri-semester system on students' mental and physical health is
unaddressed, academic stress and burnout will lead to serious consequences. This system affects
cognitive functioning, reducing academic performance, and has a very negative impact on
students' mental and physical health. Our main purpose of conducting this specific study was
to shed light on the unbearable sufferings, the students from Tri semesters university go
through and bring it in front of the concerned authorities and decision makers. From a
policy perspective, our findings suggest that academic institutions should re-evaluate the
structure of the tri-semester system. While it aims to accelerate academic progress, our study
reveals how crashing affects this system has on students' academic life causing academic stress
and burnout. And this brings the possible negative consequences into light. Students suffering
from burnout and academic stress may experience memory problems, poor decision-making, and
increased class avoidance or irregular attendance. Over time, this could contribute to higher
dropout rates, lower GPAs, and negatively impact students’ well -being. Also, this study
worked as a student's voice and through this work we were able to address the problem
which clearly shows the tri-semester system among the university students causes academic
stress and burnout. Moreover, we took suggestions from students and learned about various
effective coping mechanisms students use to survive in this system through this study. Besides,
we could learn about the negative impact like use of substances as coping mechanisms through
this survey, which will help concerned authorities and parents to work on this. An important
learning was that workload is not distributed evenly throughout the semester.This finding
will help make the system more efficient by informing effective syllabus design, updated
evaluation methods, and more even workload distribution throughout the semester, based on
student feedback. Significantly, one more important aspect revealed by the study is that
50% of participants said that universities do not provide adequate mental health support,
an important area for improvement! Moreover, our findings call for student-oriented reforms.
Students expressed the need for better time management training, mental health awareness. In
conclusion, this study not only highlights the pressing challenges of the tri-semester system
but also offers a student-driven pathway toward a healthier, more supportive academic
environment.
Limitations of the Study:
● The data was self-reported, which may introduce biases and exaggeration
● Students may underreport or overreport their stress and burnout levels based on personal
perceptions or emotional states during the time of the survey.
● Sample size was limited, this may not be generalizable across all institutions employing a
tri-semester system.
● The study did not include physiological or clinical assessments of stress or burnout
Potential Improvements:
● Expand sample size
● Using standardized psychological tools to measure burnout and stress.
● Gathering input from faculty for a balanced perspective.
● Incorporating comparison with other academic systems (e.g., bi-semester).
● Proposing clear, actionable policy recommendations.
Conclusion
Study findings reveal critical mental health issues faced by university students under the tri-
semester academic system. Here, time is compressed, continuous assessments are the order of the
day, and very little rest is offered-creating a toxic environment in which to harbor academic
stress and burnout. The most common symptoms described by students were emotional
exhaustion, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue, raising serious concerns about the impact of an
intense academic system on their mental and physical health. Furthermore, the results of the
study show that when it comes to offering mental health services, the universities fail their
students more often than not and hence leave them to cope in unpleasant ways. Among these are
excessive social media use, avoiding sleep, or, in some instances, substance abuse. Added to the
already alarming stressors is the widespread culture of comparing oneself to others, thereby
eroding any sense of control over one's schedule.
These observations all strongly align with established psychological theories, such as that of
burnout by Maslach and Jackson (1981), which considered it to be the very phenomena of
emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment
that were largely ruled in by the student responses. According to Selye (1950), General
Adaptation Syndrome elucidates how students who suffer from chronic academic stress would be
trapped in a long-lasting stage of alarm, resistance, and finally exhaustion, which is somewhat
the very pattern recognized in the current study. The irregular flow of academic workload,
specifically with its peak pressure situations during midterms and end-semesters, fast-tracks the
feeling of burnout symptoms to hamper students' ability to sustain either academic performance
or personal well-being as time progresses.
Given these insights, future research should aim to expand the scope by including larger and
more diverse samples across different universities and academic systems to allow for
comparative analysis. Employing standardized psychological assessment tools would offer more
robust and objective measures of stress and burnout. Additionally, incorporating the perspectives
of faculty and administrators could provide a more balanced understanding of workload
expectations and open up dialogue on potential curriculum restructuring. There is also a need to
explore the long-term consequences of tri-semester-induced burnout on students’ academic
success, mental health, and career trajectories. Finally, examining the effectiveness of
institutional interventions, such as time management training, mental health awareness programs,
and the promotion of healthy coping strategies, could offer valuable insights into building a more
student-centered, supportive academic environment.
Reference:
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal
of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205
Selye, H. (1950). Stress and the general adaptation syndrome. BMJ, 1(4667), 1383–1392.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.4667.1383
