The grindset is a recipe for burnout. Photo by Grace Hensley.
MEGAN DRAKE | OPINION COLUMNIST | medrake@butler.edu
Staying up late to cram for a test at 8:00 a.m. or doing homework that is not due for another week are just a few aspects of the grindset. The grindset is the state of mind that someone has in order to fit into a standard of productivity within societal norms. The feeling that you have to be productive every hour of the day or that you constantly have to be doing homework to be successful comes from the ideals of hustle culture.
While someone operating under the grindset might appear as someone who is on top of their game and successful, it is more harmful than beneficial. So, with that said, we need to kill the grindset at Butler University.
As someone who falls into the pressures of feeling like they need to be productive, I can say first hand it needs to stop. We all know that taking some time for yourself to watch a little Netflix or take a walk with your friends is not single-handedly going to make you flunk out of college. So, why do we all act as if it will?
Hustle culture is not only relevant when you are actively doing homework or completing tasks — it can also fall into place when you are trying to take some time for yourself.
First-year biology major Julia Rock talks about how difficult it has been to take time for herself because the grindset is so prevalent on campus.
“[Hustle culture] is just that constant thought of ‘I gotta do my homework, I got to study, I got to get my stuff done,’” Rock said. “It just prevented me from taking the time to myself,”
Once you fall into the hustle culture, it can be incredibly difficult not to let it take over your academic life and your social life.
Personally, when I start to slip into the mentality of the grindset, it quickly becomes difficult for me to enjoy the time I set aside for myself. This is because I am constantly worried about school, and it affects me even after all my work is done. The hustle culture makes me feel like I have and should be doing work, when in reality everything that needs to be done is already done. This is unhealthy, and it needs to end.
The idea that college requires work constantly and that you never get time for yourself is inaccurate and misleading.
Noah Phillippe, a junior pre-pharmacy major, talks about why the grindset can be misleading to underclassmen.
“I think there’s a lot of students that get into the mindset of, ‘Oh, I gotta be studying all the time to do well,’” Phillipe said. “But when you go and look at your peers and upperclassmen, they are still having a good time while they are getting their education.”
It might look like the hustle culture is the only way, but when you take a step back, you really see that the grindset is not essential to success. There are so many other ways to be successful and so many other ways to avoid hustle culture.
Lucia Mercado, a sophomore health sciences and business double major, talked about how she avoids the grindset by involving herself in clubs that she enjoys instead of clubs that look good.
“I look forward to doing that,” Mercado said. “Versus I know I’ve done stuff just for my resume sometimes where I don’t look forward to it.”
Involving yourself in clubs you genuinely enjoy and want to be a part of rather than clubs you feel like you have to join will allow you to have that time to be productive, but also enjoy what you are doing. This is an easy way to help minimize the grindset.
Phillippe talks about how he avoids the grindset while still being successful academically.
“I don’t think that you have to be busy to be successful,” Phillippe said. “I think that you just have to manage your time well.”
Having a schedule where your events, homework and classes are pre-planned will allow you to schedule some time away from academics.
Personally, I love a Google calendar moment. I have my classes, job and homework scheduled into my day, but I am also able to schedule time for my friends and myself. I set aside time in my day to do the things that need to get done like academics, and I am still able to set aside time for things that fuel me positively.
Some might call me a little crazy for putting free time in my Google calendar, but intentionally making note of when I want to spend time on myself is essential for my work life balance. Not scheduling time for myself and my friends would just lead me to always be working on academics. This will only lead to burnout, and trust me, you do not want to burn out because you’re doing work you think you need to do.
You do not need to be doing homework constantly to be successful. You can have a relaxing evening or a fun weekend and still be successful at school. So with that being said, let’s all take a moment to take some time to ourselves and set a schedule so we can finally kill the god-forsaken grindset.
