Editorial: Embracing Unproductivity — A Culture Shift

The college’s recent snow day was a rare gift, offering the perfect opportunity for a whole day of rest and fun; a chance to sleep in, build a snowman, or just hang out with friends. We’ve also seen the college’s improved commitment to celebrating Valentine’s Day this year, with roses at Keefe and a surplus of candy and decorations at Val. Yet, for many, the instinct wasn’t to embrace these unexpected breaks but to catch up on work instead. At Amherst, the emphasis on productivity is deeply ingrained in our campus culture, often pushing the narrative that self-care and fun must be “earned,” turning breaks like these into sources of guilt rather than relaxation. The Editorial Board emphasizes the need for students to take advantage of these opportunities for connection and self-care, especially in light of the college’s recent initiative to create more opportunities for the student body to spend time together.

At Amherst, the fear of missing out doesn’t just apply to social events, but to schoolwork as well. The campus emphasis on productivity causes students to feel pressured to match the academic hustle of their peers, making taking a day away from work feel like falling miles behind academically.

Many students have been stuck in this cycle since high school, conditioned to believe that success directly comes from working all the time and that working yourself to exhaustion isn’t just normalized, but expected: It was only through hard work that we were admitted to Amherst in the first place, and it will be only through more hard work that we will continue to be as successful. The college’s culture and its emphasis on prestige continue this narrative, encouraging students to take on a plethora of tasks and goals to busy themselves with, whether it’s multiple majors, high GPAs, or packed extracurricular schedules.

While this culture can be motivating for some, it can also create an unsustainable and harmful environment — one that can create negative relationships with learning and working, transforming genuine intellectual curiosity into an exhausting pursuit of impressive credentials. Readings and problem sets become nothing more than tasks to check off for the day, rather than valuable educational experiences.

Following the pandemic, a burnout culture emerged on campus, causing students and professors alike to feel overworked and exhausted. Even now, nearly a year and a half since the Center for Disease Control announced the end of the national public health emergency, the idea of a third space — one separated from work and sleep — still barely exists. In fact, socializing often feels like something squeezed in between deadlines rather than something students are actively present for. Even if students get together to study, an open laptop always sits in the background — a constant reminder of an unfinished task.

Google Calendar culture echoes this sentiment, promoting the idea that if an activity isn’t blocked in, then it doesn’t exist. Students often schedule every moment of their day on their calendars in an effort to be as efficient as possible, recording lunch breaks and even what time they’re going to shower. Hyper-scheduling offers no time for spontaneity, a once natural part of college life, and creates a sense of dread that every moment of the day must be thoroughly planned out and justified. Admittedly, blocking in so many tasks on our calendars may serve as a way to exert some control over our lives, especially in an era where it feels as though we are losing more and more of our agency as individuals every day, whether it’s the loss of our basic rights or a declining job market.

But this isn’t just about being overworked. It’s about how we currently define success and time well spent — and how we can change it.

Productivity doesn’t just need to be what goes on our resume. It can be an expanding and subjective term. We can move beyond perfect grades and accolades and instead value the depth of our learning and the richness of our experiences. Watching a movie with friends, sledding down Memorial Hill, or simply taking a walk can be just as valuable as another hour in the library. The solution isn’t to work less, but to work differently, prioritizing other aspects of life and creating a culture that values alternatives to constant studying and working. And by resting more, perhaps we can be more productive and feel more fulfilled during work.

We understand this conversation comes from a place of privilege. Many people our age are not afforded the luxury of attending a college that organizes campus events meant to encourage fun, build community, and help students find a work-life balance. Some students may also find it difficult to physically contribute to the campus because of underlying chronic illnesses. However, we also believe that we deserve a fulfilled and rounded life that is more than just completing classwork, building resumes, and getting through the week.

It’s time for a culture shift at Amherst, one that can only be achieved through a communal effort — one that resists the idea that true success comes from constant productivity and participating only in career-related activities. We can strive to feel less guilty about rest and instead reframe it not as laziness or indulgence, but as a necessity for long-term success.

College is more than just a stepping stone toward one’s career. It’s also about being present for every unexpected conversation on campus, every spontaneous adventure, and every unique experience Amherst has to offer. Unproductivity doesn’t need to be characterized as a waste of time or a mere pause from the “real work.” Instead, we can learn to live with it and see it for what it truly is: an essential part of a balanced and fulfilling college experience, a call to spend our time more intentionally, both during work and relaxation. By redefining productivity now, we can cultivate a healthier relationship with learning and work, carrying the true spirit of a liberal arts education with us for the rest of our lives.