Balancing Work and Life: A Graduate Student's Challenge
Written by Michelle Panulla, ORP

Based on and adapted from "What We Know about Balancing Work and Life" by Ann Crouter, as presented at the October 4th, 2005 workshop co-sponsored by The Graduate School, The Office for Research Protections and the Graduate Council Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues.

The life of a typical graduate student is usually summed up in one word: busy. Taking classes, teaching classes, working on research projects and paying bills with a limited budget can take a heavy toll. Add a partner and children in the equation and suddenly Einstein's Theory of Relativity looks like simple math. Tipping the scales in one direction or the other can lead to a disastrous crash, so how can graduate students find balance while juggling so many weights?

At the Balancing Work and Life workshop, Ann Crouter, Professor, Human Development and Family Studies and Director, Center for Work and Family Research, offered some insight into the research of balancing work and life, and tips for achieving this balance.

What the Research Says

Research has shown that the "spillover" model is predominately supported. Spillover occurs when events and emotions from work impact life outside of work and vice versa. This can be both negative and positive. Negative spillover can result from chronic stress or experiencing a negative event. Positive spillover can result when skills such as multi-tasking carry over from one area to another.

Results have also shown that even though time spent at work cannot be made up at home, the quality of the time spent at home is what's important. Being "present" at home, both physically and mentally, will contribute to the quality of life outside work.

How to Make It Work

The research seems easy to understand, but putting the gained knowledge into practice isn't so easy. How can a graduate student make it work?

On the home front, make sure you find, and use, good child care. Don't feel guilty about needing time for work. Remember to make the time you spend at home "quality time." Create a routine for you and your family, including work time and home time. When everybody is on the same page and has the same expectations, everything is a little simpler.

Creating shared expectations can be difficult, so communication is key. Talk to your partner often. Don't let resentment build if the routine isn't working. Financial expectations are also a weighty consideration. Economic strain is hard on relationships, so invest your money in ways that will help, such as child care or a laptop for work.

The work environment also makes a big difference. Find a mentor who will be supportive (or at least not unsupportive). Seek out assistantships that allow you to be in control. Having flexibility while working more hours per week is likely better than no flexibility working fewer hours per week. Be passionate about your work! If you love what you're doing on the job, you will have more energy at home.

Another important tip is to plan - for crunch times during the semester, for emergencies, and for yourself. Extra busy times at work are guaranteed, but can usually be anticipated. Family emergencies arise, but with a backup plan in place are easier to handle. And if you keep yourself healthy and happy, you'll be able to better shoulder your responsibilities.

Tips from the Trenches

The workshop also featured a panel of five graduate students who agreed to discuss their own experiences in striking a balance. Of the three women and two men, all were married and had at least one child.

The themes most often mentioned by the panelists were support and prioritization. Every panelist stressed the importance of having a support system in place. Most live far away from friends and family, so they have established their own support networks, such as babysitting clubs, to help when an emergency arises or they just need a break.

Prioritizing the demands placed on time is also extremely helpful. Graduate Panelist Patricia Thompson offers this advice, "As a doctoral student, wife, and mother, it is impossible to keep the work-life balance scale from tipping to one side or another. Instead of striving for equilibrium, I think it is important to identify priorities in work and life outside of work, then consciously make decisions that reflect those priorities. That way, even when life is at its craziest, you can stay focused on what you deem important."

Ann Crouter also states, "'Having it all' does not mean having it all at once. There will be times when work gets all of you, times when your focus is almost entirely on life off the job, and times when - miraculously and, usually, temporarily - you feel balanced. Those fluctuations are normal."