Burnout doesn’t feel dramatic. It feels… over-easy.
When you’re a university student, burnout is normalised, joked about, even expected. But for students from immigrant families, it runs deeper than late-night deadlines or juggling too many shifts. It’s laced with guilt, cultural expectations, and the weight of succeeding not just for yourself, but for your entire family.
According to a 2023 Orygen report, students from migrant and refugee backgrounds reported significantly higher rates of psychological distress, yet were less likely to access support services. For many, there’s an internalised belief that struggle is normal.
It’s burnout, with layers.
Further research from a 2021 study published in Children and Youth Services Review found that immigrant youths, particularly those from low-income households, often hold extremely high academic aspirations, shaped largely through family expectations. While this can drive achievement, it also creates a powerful source of pressure. The study noted that even if students wanted to succeed, systemic barriers and emotional fatigue made it difficult to follow through, especially when asking for help feels like admitting weakness.
This pressure is compounded by what psychologists call intergenerational expectation–-the belief that children must “repay” their family’s sacrifices through academic and career success. For many students from immigrant backgrounds, education isn’t just a personal milestone: it’s a legacy. One you are expected to carry carefully, no cracks allowed.
Burnout isn’t always loud. It doesn’t scream. It hums quietly under everything, like the fridge. You don’t notice it, until it stops. You still submit assignments. You still show up to class. But inside, you’re running on empty, you’re scrambled and scraping the pan for whatever energy is left. You forget who you are outside of achievement, and when you finally take a break, you feel guilty.
This pressure isn’t uncommon. In fact, a 2022 ReachOut survey found that 72% of young Australians feel the pressure to succeed. For many students from immigrant households, that pressure is rarely just personal, but rather reinforced by cultural narratives, family sacrifice, and the burden of being “the dream”.
Even if you know you’re lucky and privileged, guilt is a shell that doesn’t crack cleanly. It lodges in your throat and cuts you into pieces. That’s why, despite all these pent up emotions, students push through and study. But pushing through doesn’t mean you’re not overwhelmed. You tell yourself to be strong like your parents were–forgetting that strength without rest eventually breaks you.
Support exists, but students need to know it’s for them.
At UTS, free counselling is available to all students. The team supports everything from study stress and anxiety, to more complex personal struggles.
If sitting down with someone face-to-face feels daunting, there's also TalkCampus, a 24/7 peer-support app available to all UTS students. It allows you to talk anonymously with students around the world who truly understand what you’re going through.
Despite these services, many students, especially those from cultures where mental health isn’t openly discussed, hesitate to reach out. For some, asking for help feels like admitting failure. For others, it’s simply not how they were raised.
We need to rethink strength.
The reality is, no amount of gratitude can protect you from exhaustion. And pain isn’t a competition. Just because someone else carried fire doesn’t mean you’re not burning.
Eggs are fragile, but they’re also full of potential. They can be anything from your favourite breakfast to the beginning of the circle of life.
Maybe it’s okay to crack a little. Maybe it’s okay to slow down.
Even an egg needs to rest before it becomes something nourishing.
Where to get help:
UTS Counselling Service
Free and confidential sessions for all UTS students. Visit
https://www.uts.edu.au/for-stu... lp for more info.
TalkCampus App
24/7 anonymous peer support.
Download and register with your UTS student email for full access
Lifeline Australia
Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 anytime
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