How do graduate students balance their Life?

[Frank Bellamy, MAP Masters of Applied Politics]

By:  FRANK BELLAMY-University of Akron Graduate Student 2008

Topic:

In Class Focus Group Case Study "How do graduate students balance their Social Life, School Life, Family Life and Work Life Obligations?"

I.   Introduction

The central research question explores how do graduate students balance their social life, school life, family life and work life obligations?  More specifically, this research examines how do the graduate students make time for their academic studies?  On a more personal level, this research investigate how do the graduate students make time to be one-on-one with their significant other?  It should be noted that time is of the essence in the graduate student's life and the ability to allow for interruptions and distractions is an asset.  It is suggested that they should plan 50 percent or less of their time to handling unexpected interruptions (Kuter, Tara 2001).

It could be perceived as being disingenuous to not consider the rise in recent statistics for graduate school enrollment according to the Council of Graduate Schools.  It references the National Center for Education statistics projecting an increase for U.S. graduate schools from 1,807,000 in 1999 to 2,041,000 in 2011. The graduate student as well as the graduate institution could risk having a failing performance simply due to the lack of efficient student time management skills. Time management professionals are making numerous recommendations to help alleviate the potential ills of poor time management practices by graduate students.  They recommend the rigorous use of creating "to-do lists, identify goals, set deadlines, plan/organize assignments, not be ashamed to say no to people who conflict with their academic goals, delegate tasks by knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the people around you, minimize interruptions, don't procrastinate, organize your work space, balance your life and know yourself.  They also recommend that one should work in a serene and calm manner. Don't waste time on fear or anxieties even if your to do list is overwhelming, just do it one bit at a time" (Kuter, Tara 2001)(Shin, Gord 2006)(Patterson, Karen 2008).  The purpose of this study is to the benefit of the graduate students and their multitude of personal and public time management impacts.  In addition, this research is to afford further perspectives and shared insights into the challenges of graduate level academic achievement.

   


II.   Literature Review


(This literature discusses mental pressure and stress of the graduate students from a medical view point)
The review of literature sources on the stress related ills associated in certain areas of graduate and professional practices are considered to be a legitimate risk (Tisdelle, Hansen, St Lawrence, Brown, 1984).  In comparing other literature noting the importance of good personal and time management abilities to insure continued graduate student success, there is a real medical community concern that exists especially for the graduate student who occupies the role as head of household with responsibilities that extend beyond being the primary bread winner of the family.  This is comparable to many of the high pressure area of employment professions that involve reporting to others on routine basis.  (These literatures relates to the need for giving a degree of importance to the financial health, home life, age and or stage of life of the graduate students in this examination)  Research articles on adult development give insights on student motivation and theories of the adult life cycle and changes over time (Cramton, Durnell-Catherine, 1999).  Many variables were discussed in the literature reviews that not only pointed to the issue of stress but also indicated that the student's academic year, financial condition and living situations are equally meaningful to the student's success (Gelberg, S. and Gelberg, H. 2005).  (This literature discusses the importance of forced separation from the graduate student's academic routine in order to maintain their mental readiness to perform at high levels of study)  Researchers also suggest that individual personal modifications like exercising, leisure time planning, time management and self relaxation would help to combat stress related health concerns of the graduate students (Tisdelle, Hansen, St Lawrence, Brown, 1984).  In short, the literature indicates that our central research question can not be examined without giving strong consideration and weight to the personal health practices of the graduate students.   
(This literature discusses the needs and life styles of the mid-career adult or unconventional graduate students)
Graduate level college courses and curriculums may need to be constructed or designed to meet the career specific desires and the individual learning issues of the mid-career adult students (Spee and Tompkins 2001).  One could speculate that a fairly high percentage of the total graduate level student body could be comprised of unconventional type students.  These are the students that may work at a full time job with a traditional family household structure, over age 35 and expanding or retooling their employment career options.  It is not an uncommon site to see this demographic of student frequenting university campuses in the evening hours that are enrolled in graduate level studies.  (This literature discusses addressing cultural bridges and communication gaps of the foreign graduate students in the U.S.)  In addition, "research indicates that destructive conflict occurs in a significant number of international graduate student and faculty supervisor relationships" (Adrian-Taylor; Noels; Tischler 2007). The foreign graduates are a staple for academic and financial benefits to the American universities across the nation.  Our central research associated sub-questions deserves a special tweak to further explore the possible non-American cultural life style nuances that could be discovered in this study.     
(This literature discusses the uniqueness of the graduate student's perceived position of himself within the total family sphere of the university itself)  Research evidence revealed that the graduate student has to wade through their feelings of not belonging and the uncertainty of their identity within the university's community of undergraduate students and faculty members (Adrian-Taylor; Noels; Tischler 2007).  In most cases the typical graduate student could be 5 to 10 years older than the more prevalent undergraduate student.  Consequently, the graduate level student could be challenged with life style issues and time management concerns that may affect their ability to handle their obligations as addressed in our central research question. (This literature also discusses the graduate student's self perceived position of himself within the university family as it relates to certain university policies and practices)  "Students were interviewed, and qualitative data analysis revealed that although they perceived themselves to be peripheral participants in the university community, university regulations, and academic procedures sometimes undermined their feelings of legitimacy" (O'Donnell and Tobbell 2007).  It could be conceived that the graduate student's method of handing their personal and academic obligations is influenced by their own perceptions of their worth within the university extended family.  Concurrently, the graduate students of foreign origin would experience conflicts of acceptance that are associated with poor English proficiencies, vague expectations and the lack of frankness by their fellow American colleagues (Adrian-Taylor; Noels; Tischler 2007).   
   



III.   Research Design

The research design for this project is a Case Study qualitative in-depth design approach. This particular research design was chosen because it is the appropriate design for the exploration of depicting a holistic portrayal of an experience related in our central research question. The task was to respond verbally to the following questions regarding; "How do graduate students balance their social life, school life, family life and work life obligations?"



Table (1)


1. How do you make time to be one on one with your wife or significant other?
2. How do you make time to for your academic studies?
3. How do you make time to work on you home?
4. Do you watch a lot of TV or listen to a lot of radio?
5. How often do you go to happy hour at the bar?
            6. How do you make time to be with your kids?



IV.   Data Collection Methods


This study uses a small focus group sample size of five male graduate students all over 20 years old, who are equally comprised of one half full time and the other one half part times that are all enrolled at the University of Akron-Public Administration and Urban Studies Department.  One source of qualitative data was collected from the participants. It was obtained using open-ended semi-structured questions individually administered in a face-to-face interviewing style strategy, where the researcher/observer participates and the researcher's role is known to the other participants in the group with the use a self reporting demographic questionnaire. See Table (2). The physical location where this focus group convened was in conference room 261 in the Polsky Hall on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio on January 26, 2008 at 9am.  This particular research design was chosen because it is the appropriate design for the exploration of depicting a holistic portrayal of an experience related in our central research question.


Table (2)


Qualitative Research-Case Study Demographic Questions-Assignment #2


Respondents   Gender   Age   Race   Student Status   Employed   Marital Status   Children   Household Size
01   Male   <=30   Black   Full Time   Unemployed   Yes   No   <=3
02   Male   <=40   Black   Full Time   Unemployed   No   Yes   <=5
03   Male   <=40   White   Part Time   Employed   Yes   Yes   <=3
04   Male   <=50   White   Part Time   Employed Full Time   Yes   Yes   <=3
05   Male   <=60   White   Part Time   Employed Full Time   Yes   Yes   <=3




V.   Data Analysis Plan

The participant's responses were compared for similarities and differences to increase their clarity and distinctiveness. Because navigating the rigorous of a Ph.D. academic challenge was the goal of the graduate students, a single core category pertaining to student's cognition during balancing of family, work and academics was derived from the data.  In addition to the consistent focus in these responses a basic issue was of central concern to the students.

VI.   Results

The primary research question dealt with describing and interpreting the graduate student's perspectives and thoughts during the process of balancing their social life, school life, family life and work life obligations. The following section addresses this question using responses adopted from Appendix (1) and summarizes the relationship between the central research question and its dimensions derived from the data. One of the major patterns to emerge was the concerted effort that the graduate students would make in regards to making time to be one-on-one with their wife or significant other.  Some of the quotes from the graduate students in this area are "I would not use my cell phone during this time", "I would avoid reading for classes when we are together", "We try to do that on the weekends", "I would give my attention to her by not using my computer during our time together".  These responses and their other body language postures revealed a certain sense that they were willing to make additional concessions of their time in order to be one on one with their mates.  However, the graduate students who have young kids at home would comment that "We spend our personal, one on one time to be with the kids all together", whereas other graduate students who had no kids would say "We have no kids at all and it's a lot easer to be one on one".  The graduate students all had varied but definite times that they would devote to their academic studies "I have to do it all at night", "I have to do on the weekends only" and "I will just wait until the kids go to bed"

In comparing the literature based accounts of the graduate student concerns, it indicates that more external family structure factors are at play in determining the abilities of them to maintain adjust and succeed at the graduate level of study. The literatures would refer to the lack of using proven time management techniques and the concerns of overt signals to the graduate students of their proper place in relations to the broader culture of the university itself.  This study could have taken on a more revealing result if it was approached from a literature or theory driven perspective.


VII.   Conclusion

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the focus and personal methods used by the graduate students in order to balance their academic, family and work life obligations. This study barely scratched the surface of relevant concern in view of the total possible problem of this study's central research question. The far reaching implications of the exiting literatures seem much more exciting and would promise to discover many useable and applicable recommendations for the graduate level student. However as I understand this assignment, the goal was to focus on the exploration for our small focus group. My impulse and desire extrapolate a finding and apply it to a much larger population causes me to take a step back from this study and realize that this is not the purpose of this assignment, so in the regard I have learned something about the notion and need for this type of qualitative study. My recommendation for future scholarly examinations would be to orient the initial research perspective from some basic hints found in the existing body of published research with an objective of drawing a much more expansive view of this problem.  The limitations of this particular study are its absence of a mental and physiological perspective in the analysis of the central research question.  This study's approach seems all so superficial when compared to the much larger dynamic of the challenges of life balance for the modern day graduate student.



VIII.   Appendix (1)

Respondent's Open Ended Simi Structured Questions-Assignment #2;

1.How do you make time to be one on one with your Wife or Significant Other?
-"I just started to make efforts", Some of the quotes from the graduate students in this area are "I would not use my cell phone during this time", "I would avoid reading for classes when we are together", "We try to do that on the weekends", "I would give my attention to her by not using my computer during our time together", "We spend our personal, one on one time to be with the kids all together", whereas other graduate students who had no kids would say "We have no kids at all and it's a lot easer to be one on one".   

2.How do you make time to for your academic studies?
-"I have to do it all at night", "I have to do on the weekends only" and "I will just wait until the kids go to bed" "I do it in the morning", "Lock yourself in the room on the weekends on Sunday" 


3.How do you make time to work on you home?
-"We live in Condo", "I own a new house", "I put it off until I have a break from school"


4.Do you watch a lot of TV or listen to a lot of radio?
-"I use the TV for background noise at home", "I watch no TV at all", "I am a TV   addict it's always on at my house"


5.How often do you go to happy hour at the bar?
-"I go to the bar once a month", "I rarely go to the bar at all mostly"


6.How do you make time to be with your kids? 
-"It's not something that's arranged by us", "I have no time for real focusing directly on kids"



IX.   References


Tisdelle, D.A.; Hansen, D.J.; St Lawrence, J.S. and Brown, J.C., 1984, Stress management training for dental students, Journal of Dental Education, Vol. 48, Issue 4, 196-202

Cramton, Durnell-Catherine, 1999, Learning Through the Ages: What Adult Development Theory Brings to Management Classes, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 23, No. 4, 437-443

Spee, James C.; Tompkins, Teri C. 2001, Designing a Competency-Based Master of Arts in Management Program for Midcareer Adults, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 25, No. 2, 191-208

Gelberg, S. and Gelberg, H. 2005, Stress in Veterinary  Students; Stress management interventions for veterinary students, Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, Vol 32, Issue 2, 173-181

Adrian-Taylor, Shelley Rose; Noels, Kimberly A.; Tischler, Kurt 2007, Conflict Between International Graduate Students and Faculty Supervisors: Toward Effective Conflict Prevention and Management Strategies, Journal of Studies in International Education, Vol. 11, No. 1, 90-117

O'Donnell, Victoria L. and Tobbell, Jane 2007, The Transition of Adult Students to Higher Education: Legitimate Peripheral Participation in a Community of Practice?, Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 4, 312-328

(Patterson, Karen 2008)
Time Management, [http://www.libsci.sc.edu/bob/class/clis724/SpecialLibrariesHandbook/time.htm]

(Kuter, Tara 2001), Time Management Tips for Graduate Students
[http://gradschool.about.com/mbiopage.htm]

(Shin, Gord 2006)
Time Management Tips for Graduate Students
[http://articles.netshoppers.com/article/time-management-tips-for-graduate-students-by-gord-shin-265-1.html]