Does this happen to you often? After a full day of classes, club activities, and internship responsibilities, you just want to go home and sleep. But you cannot, because of pending deadlines, maybe a midterm, or a presentation that just needs a little fixing.

You promise yourself that tomorrow will be better, but the routine repeats itself like clockwork.

A third-year student from Bangladesh University of Professionals shared that even though he has two remote jobs, he still feels it might not be enough to land a good job in the future.

He mentions that listening to what his peers are doing makes him feel like he needs to do more, even though it is not humanly possible for him. We cannot blame him for feeling this way. If anything is to be blamed, it is the employment situation in Bangladesh. Intense competition naturally leads to peer pressure.

What others are doing may not actually be more than what one person is doing, but when heard collectively, it can feel overwhelming.

BBA is not a degree that deals with complex maths or critical human anatomy, so it is often perceived as a simple and straightforward degree. However, that might not be the case.

If you are competing in the corporate rat race, you will find yourself trying to juggle seven things at once. Attending classes is no longer enough. There are exams every other week, group projects that require coordinating five different schedules, presentations that must be creative to help you stand out, internships that take up half your day, and maybe even a side hustle you feel guilty for not having.

On top of all that, social media constantly reminds you that someone your age is doing more, achieving more, and somehow managing it all effortlessly.

A senior academic figure at BUP once shared her own early career story, explaining how she faced rejection after rejection despite having studied at one of the country’s most respected institutions.

She spoke about being rejected from 27 interviews because she believed reading in a reputed university like Dhaka University would be enough. It was not. She also described how opening Facebook during that time felt overwhelming, seeing peers announce new jobs, promotions, and opportunities while she was still searching. With each post came frustration and regret for not having done more earlier.

Her intention was not to discourage students, but to prepare them for what lies ahead. The message was straightforward and honest: in today’s world, academic credentials alone are rarely enough. Students are encouraged to do more not because they are inadequate, but because the system demands it.

Sanjana, a BBA student from NSU, laughed when asked what a normal day looks like. She said her mornings begin at university and are followed by long hours at the office. After returning home, her day is still far from over, filled with online classes, assignments, and preparation for the next day.

She paused for a moment before admitting that despite always being busy, she constantly feels as though she is falling behind. No matter how much she does, it never feels like enough.

That feeling of nothing being enough comes up again and again among business students. Even when the effort eventually leads to success, the process of getting there leaves marks: mental exhaustion, a constant sense of being behind, and the pressure to keep proving yourself, even when you are already stretched thin.

The human cost is frequently overlooked in discussions about competitiveness and employability. Students are instructed to get ready for the real world, but they are rarely instructed on how to cope with it without becoming burnt out. Rest begins to feel undeserved, and productivity becomes a measurement of value.

This is not an argument against hard work or ambition. It is just an acknowledgement that students are dealing with expectations more than ever before. It does not make students weak when they acknowledge this pressure.

It enables us to see reality for what it is. And maybe that is the first step to creating an environment where success does not come at the expense of wellbeing, growth is sustainable, and work is appreciated.