Balancing Academic and Personal Life: A Study on College Students

Academics

1. Working research question: How do college students balance their time between the different facets of their identities?

Academics

a. Class

b. Homework

2. Social Life

a. Friends and family

b. Extracurricular activities

3. Work

a. Multiple jobs

b. On-campus vs. off-campus jobs

4. Importance of Prioritizing Time

a. Choices

b. Responsibility

Sample Topic Sentence Outline

Working research question: How do college students balance their time between the different facets of their identities?

1. Academics are a huge part of students’ identities and require a significant amount of their time.

a. In order for students to be successful, they have to attend class.

b. Even if it is not their favorite free time activity, successful students also spend time on homework.

2. Although academics require a significant amount of students’ times, it is also important that they have a social life.

a. A student’s family and friend group are important because they help create a support system for the student to lean on during stressful times.

b. Many college students also go out of their way to join extracurricular activities.

3. In addition to time spent on academic success and personal relationships, most students have to work in order to afford college and other living expenses.

a. There are many students who work two or more jobs while taking classes.

b. Students may need to balance their time between on- and off-campus jobs.  

4. Because each student has different facets of their identities, prioritizing their time is essential.

a. Ultimately, college students have to choose how they will prioritize their multiple responsibilities within the time that they have available.

b. Actively prioritizing their time helps students take responsibility for their lives.

Conclusion

Working thesis statement: College students face the challenge of balancing their time between many different facets of their identities.  

1. Academics are a huge part of students’ identities and require a significant amount of their time.

a. In order for students to be successful, they have to attend class.

b. In his book, Navigating the First Year, E. Grange (2019) argues that consistent attendance is imperative for student success.

2. Even if it is not their favorite free time activity, successful students also spend time on homework.

Social Life

a. Wright (2017), a math professor at Stanford University, studied how the amount of time spent on homework impacted test scores. She discovered that students who spend at least two hours each night on homework are more likely to score higher on a test than those who only spend an hour (p.72).

b. Although academics require a significant amount of students’ times, it is also important that they have a social life.

3. Donaldson et al. (2010) claim that students’ social lives are equally as important as their academics (p. 32).

A student’s family and friend group are important because they help create a support system for the student to lean on during stressful times.

In a recent interview, E. Jobe (2021) credits his academic success in college to his older brother, who helped him study and provided him with a place to live.  

4. Many college students also go out of their way to join extracurricular activities.

McLendon (2004) found that about 47% of students are involved with an extracurricular activity (p.19).

a. In addition to time spent on academic success and personal relationships, most students have to work in order to afford college and other living expenses.

b. There are many students who work two or more jobs while taking classes.

5. Jobe, a recent college graduate, had to work two jobs his entire time in school. Jobe (2021) explained, “My job at the local grocery store wouldn’t cut it. I picked up hours sorting packages at Amazon to help pay my bills” (personal communication).

a. Students may need to balance their time between on- and off-campus jobs.

McLendon (2004) encourages students to research on-campus jobs because they these positions often offer additional flexibility around class schedules (p. 26).

b. Dusseau (2019) stresses the importance of communication when balancing multiple jobs. She states, “Students need to be honest about their schedules and boundaries. It’s easy to take on too many hours between multiple jobs, then run out of time for coursework.”

c. Because each student has different facets of their identities, prioritizing their time is essential.

6. Ultimately, college students have to choose how they will prioritize their multiple responsibilities within the time that they have available.

a. According to S. Reinel (2018), “Occasionally, people will have several assignments to complete at a time. They all need to get done, and there’s only so much time to do them. . .  we have to choose where to start and when to switch tasks.”

Work

Actively prioritizing their time helps students take responsibility for their lives.

b. According to Reinel (2018), it is difficult in the moment to know if people made the best choices. She explains, “Sometimes we prioritize a task that could have waited until later, which can leave us pulling an all-nighter for the assignment due at midnight. That’s not great, but we learn from those mistakes so we can do better next time.”

1. Working thesis statement: College students face the challenge of balancing their time between many different facets of their identities.

a. Academics are a huge part of students’ identities and require a significant amount of their time.

b. In order for students to be successful, they have to attend class.

In his book, Navigating the First Year, E. Grange (2019) argues that consistent attendance is imperative for student success.

c. Even if it is not their favorite free time activity, successful students also spend time on homework.

2. Wright (2017), a math professor at Stanford University, studied how the amount of time spent on homework impacted test scores. She discovered that students who spend at least two hours each night on homework are more likely to score higher on a test than those who only spend an hour (p.72).

a. Although academics require a significant amount of students’ times, it is also important that they have a social life.

Donaldson et al. (2010) claim that students’ social lives are equally as important as their academics (p. 32).

b. A student’s family and friend group are important because they help create a support system for the student to lean on during stressful times.

c. In a recent interview, E. Jobe (2021) credits his academic success in college to his older brother, who helped him study and provided him with a place to live.  

3. Many college students also go out of their way to join extracurricular activities.

a. McLendon (2004) found that about 47% of students are involved with an extracurricular activity (p.19).

b. In addition to time spent on academic success and personal relationships, most students have to work in order to afford college and other living expenses.

c. There are many students who work two or more jobs while taking classes.

4. Jobe, a recent college graduate, had to work two jobs his entire time in school. Jobe (2021) explained, “My job at the local grocery store wouldn’t cut it. I picked up hours sorting packages at Amazon to help pay my bills” (personal communication).

a. Students may need to balance their time between on- and off-campus jobs.

b. McLendon (2004) encourages students to research on-campus jobs because they these positions often offer additional flexibility around class schedules (p. 26).

5. Dusseau (2019) stresses the importance of communication when balancing multiple jobs. She states, “Students need to be honest about their schedules and boundaries. It’s easy to take on too many hours between multiple jobs, then run out of time for coursework.”

a. Because each student has different facets of their identities, prioritizing their time is essential.

b. Ultimately, college students have to choose how they will prioritize their multiple responsibilities within the time that they have available.

6. According to S. Reinel (2018), “Occasionally, people will have several assignments to complete at a time. They all need to get done, and there’s only so much time to do them. . .  we have to choose where to start and when to switch tasks.”

a. Actively prioritizing their time helps students take responsibility for their lives.

b. According to Reinel (2018), it is difficult in the moment to know if people made the best choices. She explains, “Sometimes we prioritize a task that could have waited until later, which can leave us pulling an all-nighter for the assignment due at midnight. That’s not great, but we learn from those mistakes so we can do better next time.”