Starting the Semester When You’re Already Burnt Out
Why So Many Neurodivergent Students Start the Semester Burnt Out
Many neurodivergent students begin a new semester already exhausted. This pattern reflects prolonged exposure to academic, social, and sensory demands without sufficient opportunity for recovery. Scheduled breaks, such as reading weeks or winter holidays, are rarely restorative because they often involve transitions, family obligations, and unspoken expectations to “reset” or “catch up.” Starting the term in this state is consistent with neurodivergent burnout, a form of physical, emotional, and cognitive exhaustion that develops when ongoing demands exceed nervous system capacity over time. Burnout is associated with such as but not limited to, reduced access to executive functioning, emotional regulation, and stress tolerance, particularly under sustained academic pressure.
A key contributor to this pattern is cumulative physiological stress, often described as allostatic load which refers to the wear and tear on the nervous system that builds when stress responses are repeatedly activated without adequate recovery. For neurodivergent students, this load can accumulate quickly due to daily experiences such as sensory overstimulation, sustained social effort related to masking or navigating unspoken expectations, ongoing executive functioning demands, and the need to remain alert to potential stressors.
Recent research demonstrates the heightened risk of burnout among neurodivergent students. University students with elevated ADHD symptoms experience higher levels of chronic stress and burnout than their peers, which can negatively affect academic self-esteem and coping strategies over time (Erdal et al., 2025). Neurodivergent graduate students report additional pressures, including feeling the need to conform to neurotypical expectations, masking traits, and carefully navigating disclosure decisions. These efforts create a substantial cognitive and emotional load (Syharat et al., 2023). Despite these challenges, many students recognize strengths linked to their neurodivergence, highlighting the importance of supportive environments that reduce stress while affirming identity. Research from Sedgwick (2021) further identifies factors that increase vulnerability among students with ADHD. Academic performance may be affected by difficulties in time-limited exams, challenges with social adjustment, and lower self-esteem. High intelligence or strong grades do not prevent ADHD-related difficulties, leaving some students undiagnosed and without support.
Why “Starting Strong” Can Make Burnout Worse
Conventional advice to “get organized,” “set goals,” or “start strong” assumes that students have full access to their cognitive and emotional resources. For neurodivergent students, this assumption is often inaccurate, as executive functioning differences are commonly present and can become more pronounced during periods of burnout, particularly under sustained stress.
In this context, advice that emphasizes immediate productivity or performance can inadvertently increase distress, reinforce self-blame, and delay recovery, as research shows that autistic university students and students with elevated ADHD symptoms experience higher levels of chronic stress and burnout, which are associated with poorer academic well-being and increased risk of disengagement when expectations exceed available capacity (Cage & McManemy, 2022; Erdal et al., 2025).
Strategies for Starting the Semester While Burnt Out
Some strategies include, but are not limited to:
Prioritize physiological regulation
Access accommodations early (or reasonable adjustments)
Combining therapy with practical academic accommodations
Incorporating breaks and self-care into daily schedules
Monitor Your Stress Load
Practicing mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques
Final Thoughts
Whether you are neurodivergent or neurotypical and experiencing burnout, you are not alone. We offer student counselling that provides space to understand burnout within the realities of academic life, with support informed by lived experience and grounded in evidence-based practice.
References
Cage, E., & McManemy, E. (2022). Burnt out and dropping out: A comparison of the experiences of Autistic and non-autistic students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article e792945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.792945
Erdal, K., Adami, G., Gelléri, P., & Dettmers, J. (2025). Stress and burnout in university students with ADHD-like symptoms: The role of memory bias and daily stress. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 9, Article e100497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2025.100497
Sedgwick J. A. (2018). University students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A literature review. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 35(3), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2017.20
Syharat, C. M., Hain, A., Zaghi, A. E., Gabriel, R., & Berdainer, C. G. P. (2023). Experiences of neurodivergent students in graduate STEM programs. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article e1149068. https://doi.org/110.3389/fpsyg.2023.1149068
