Balancing school and work can be overwhelming. This is the focus of two research papers written by University of Sioux Falls students.
Full-time college students are expected to spend between 45 to 60 hours each week either in the classroom or working on coursework. At the same time data shows more than 40 percent of all college students work at least part-time.
Finding work life balance as a college student was the focus of research papers Kiersten Durrin and Coriann Bollwerk wrote for a class Fall 2022. Through research, they discovered tips they plan to implement this semester to help reduce anxiety while keeping up with work and school.
As a high school student in Winner, South Dakota, Kiersten Durrin maintained straight A’s and worked part-time.
She expected to achieve the same academic success while taking 16 credits and working about 30-hours a week when she began classes at the University of Sioux Falls fall 2020.
And at first everything was OK.
And then it wasn’t.
“I called my mom and said, “I can’t do this. I’m going to have to drop out,’” Kiersten Durrin said.
On the other end of the phone, Durrin’s mom, Diane, listened to her tearful daughter and gave her an ultimatum.
“I said, OK, well you have two choices, you can either come home and regroup for a week or you can drop out. It’s up to you,’” Diane Durrin said.
Kiersten Durrin chose option one. She texted her boss and called her professors to let them know she was taking a mental health week at home.
“I went home and kinda got everything under control and I came back,” Kiersten Durrin said.
While she was home, she met with her family doctor and was prescribed a low dose of anxiety medication. Durrin also decided for her own mental health to cut back on work hours during the school week.
This was the right decision for her. Two years later Durrin is on the dean’s list and plans to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration after she graduates with her bachelors in 2024.
Durrin’s experience is not unique explained University of Sioux Falls junior Coriann Bollwerk.
“My freshman year I had two jobs and I didn’t really have a set schedule at the first one, it was just whenever they scheduled me. So, I had a hard time trying to balance when to do homework and getting ready for work. So, during that semester I failed or dropped out of two or three classes because I didn’t do my homework on time,” Coriann Bollwerk said.
Bollwerk said she knew something needed to change but she did not feel like she could choose school over work because she needs the income to cover tuition and other living expenses.
“I would have to choose work first because I can’t call in every time that I have a bunch of homework to do,” Bollwerk said.
However, having to retake three classes was a wakeup call. Today the business management/entrepreneurial studies major manages her work schedule so that some days each week she can focus solely on school. This is not to say all her worries are over.
Again Coriann Bollwerk.
“I get a little anxious or nervous knowing how much homework I have to do. It makes me feel overwhelmed because I have three or four homework assignments due the same day, so I have to plan my whole day around my homework,” Bollwerk said.
