Essay title: Work-life balance at University

Student ID:

Name of course:

Name of university:
Maintaining work life balance at university can be difficult because of the high demands that
universities place on students. Many universities expect students to take a full course load,
participate in extracurricular activities, maintain good grades, and participate in internships or
other opportunities (Heckerson and Laser, 2016). All of this can be time consuming and can lead
to students feeling overwhelmed and unable to maintain a healthy balance between their
academic and personal lives. Additionally, because of the competitive nature of university life,
some students may feel pressure to put their academic and professional goals ahead of their
personal needs.

Financial pressures: Financial pressure creates a lot of stress for students trying to maintain a
work-life balance. It can be difficult to juggle the demands of school, work, and other
commitments while also trying to make ends meet. Financial pressure can lead to burning out
and feeling overwhelmed, which can lead to poor academic performance, and can also cause
students to neglect their social and emotional needs (Winkler, 2014). Students may feel like they
have to take on more hours of work than they can handle, sacrificing their studies in the process,
or they may feel like they have to take on jobs that don't pay well but are necessary to make ends
meet. Financial pressure can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression, which can have a negative
impact on a student's physical and mental health.

Social pressures: Social pressure can create a problem for students to maintain a work-life
balance. For example, students may feel pressure to take on more jobs or classes to make more
money, even if it means sacrificing their free time and personal health. This can lead to students
becoming overwhelmed, leading to stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Other students may be pressured
to get involved in extracurricular activities to look good on college applications, again sacrificing
time for personal health and well-being (Kaur, 2014). This can lead to burnout and difficulty
maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Time management: Time management can create problems for students trying to maintain a
work-life balance because it can become difficult to find the time to both attend school and work.
Long hours spent studying and attending classes can leave little time for a job or other
commitments (Downes and Koekemoer, 2011). Additionally, when students do have enough
time to work, they may not have the energy or focus to do so effectively. This can lead to
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conflict and difficulty in juggling many different tasks. Finally, if students are too focused on
their academic performance, it can lead to stress and pressure that can impact their mental and
physical health.

Unrealistic expectations: Unrealistic expectations can lead to students feeling overwhelmed,

stressed, and unable to maintain a healthy work-life balance. For example, some students may
feel under pressure to succeed in their studies, to take on too many extracurricular activities, or to
work too many hours. This can lead to fatigue, burnout, and difficulty managing personal
relationships. Unrealistic expectations may also cause students to be overcritical of themselves
and lead to feelings of inadequacy or failure (Schultz, et al., 2012). This can also lead to a lack of
motivation and lead to students putting off tasks or procrastinating. Ultimately, unrealistic
expectations can lead to students struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Designing an effective study plan is important for students because it helps them to stay
organized and focused on their academic goals. It also helps them to break down their workload
into manageable portions and develop a timeline to complete their tasks (Courey, et al., 2013).
Additionally, an effective study plan enables students to identify areas of difficulty and develop
strategies to overcome them. Furthermore, it can help to reduce stress levels and improve
performance, as students can work through their tasks in an organized and efficient manner.

Identifying the goal: Before beginning to design the study plan, it is important to know what the
goal is. Knowing the goal will help determine the scope of the plan and how much time needs to
be dedicated to studying (Reed and Card, 2016).

Creating a timeline: Students should create a timeline that outlines when the goal needs to be
accomplished. They should include breaks and other activities that will help ensure the goal is
reached by the deadline.

Identifying resources: Students should identify resources that will be used to help reach the goal.
This can include textbooks, online tutorials, practice tests, and study groups (Ratnawati, 2017).

Breaking down the goal: Break down the goal into smaller, achievable steps. This will make it
easier to track progress and identify areas of improvement.

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Setting realistic goals: Set realistic goals that are challenging but not overwhelming. This will
help ensure that the goal is reached in a timely manner (Chi, et al., 2014).

Getting organized: Organize the resources and steps in a way that maximizes efficiency. This
can include creating a schedule and tracking progress.

Rewarding progress: Reward progress with small rewards. This will help motivate the student to
keep going and stay on track (Klingner, Vaughn and Boardman, 2015).

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance at university is important for both academic and
personal success. It can help reduce stress, improve focus and productivity, and create a more
positive outlook on life. It can also help to prevent burnout and provide a sense of balance in the
hectic university environment. Students need to be effective with their study plan. They should
design their study plan is such a way which will help them to overcome difficulties. With their
study plan, they can learn many skills which will be beneficial for their future life.

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References
Chi, M.T., Bassok, M., Lewis, M.W., Reimann, P. and Glaser, R., 2014. Self-explanations: How
students study and use examples in learning to solve problems. Cognitive science, 13(2), pp.145-
182.

Courey, S.J., Tappe, P., Siker, J. and LePage, P., 2013. Improved lesson planning with universal
design for learning (UDL). Teacher education and special education, 36(1), pp.7-27.

Downes, C. and Koekemoer, E., 2011. Work-life balance policies: Challenges and benefits
associated with implementing flexitime. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 9(1),
pp.1-13.

Heckerson, E.W. and Laser, C.S., 2016. Just breathe! The critical importance of maintaining a
work-life balance. Nurse Leader, 4(6), pp.26-28.

Kaur, B., 2014. Maintaining Work-Life Balance: A Pragmatic Approach. Global Journal of

Finance and Management, 6(1), pp.47-52.

Klingner, J.K., Vaughn, S. and Boardman, A., 2015. Teaching reading comprehension to

students with learning difficulties, 2/E. Guilford Publications.

Ratnawati, R., 2017. Developing a Lesson Plan for Teaching English for Specific Purposes To
Adult Learners At a Private University. JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literacy), 1(2),
pp.33-42.

Reed, J.E. and Card, A.J., 2016. The problem with plan-do-study-act cycles. BMJ quality &
safety, 25(3), pp.147-152.

Schultz, N.J., Hoffman, M.F., Fredman, A.J. and Bainbridge, A.L., 2012. The work and life of
young professionals: Rationale and strategy for balance. Qualitative Research Reports in
Communication, 13(1), pp.44-52.

Winkler, J.C., 2014. Work-life balance: Strategies for attaining and maintaining work-life
balance. University of La Verne.
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