Abstract
Too many undergraduate students are not experiencing success. Graduation rates at CSU are increasing, but still low (The California State University, 2020). A possible explanation for low graduation rates might be burnout, which may negatively impact a student’s perceptions of their studies. This study examined the role burnout may play in how a student perceives their studies and what prevention measures are recommended. Negative effects of burnout, including diminished identity, depression, and detachment are only multiplied when considering the realization that more students are attending college than ever before, leading to competition for jobs, resources, and the potential for students to partake in breaking rules and regulations to get a more suitable placement in the competitive environment (Saville et al., 2018). While research has been conducted on burnout in a variety of settings, including medical (Leyba, 2009) and teaching profession (Kokkinos, 2007), there is a relative absence of studies on burnout among university students that makes use of the qualitative voice of students themselves. Findings from this mixed-methods study suggested students often suffer emotional, physical and psychological tolls while living the burnout experience. This study uses the constructs of exhaustion, cynicism, professional efficacy, autonomy, competence and relatedness as a theoretical lens with which to view the burnout experience in undergraduate students as an untapped resource of support. Recommendations for practice and policy conclude this study.