related literature in research about working students

Balancing Work, School, and Personal Life among Graduate Students: a Positive Psychology Approach

• Published: 24 July 2018
• Volume 14 , pages 1265–1286, ( 2019 )

Cite this article

• Jessica M. Nicklin 1 ,
• Emily J. Meachon 1 &
• Laurel A. McNall 2  

6486 Accesses

21 Citations

1 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Graduate students are faced with an array of responsibilities in their personal and professional lives, yet little research has explored how working students maintain a sense of well-being while managing work, school, and personal-life. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and work-family enrichment theory, we explored personal, psychological resources that increase enrichment and decrease conflict, and in turn decrease perceptions of stress. In a study of 231 employed graduate students, we found that mindfulness was negatively related to stress via perceptions of conflict and enrichment, whereas self-compassion, resilience, and recovery experience were negatively related to stress, but only through conflict, not enrichment. These findings suggest that graduate students who are able to be “in the moment” may experience higher levels of well-being, in part due to greater enrichment and lower conflict.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Carl Rogers: A Person-Centered Approach

Application of the PERMA Model of Well-being in Undergraduate Students

The imposter phenomenon and its relationship with self-efficacy, perfectionism and happiness in university students

Allen, T. D., & Kiburtz, K. M. (2012). Trait mindfulness and work-family balance among working parents: The mediating effects of vitality and sleep quality. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80 , 372–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.09.002 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Allen, T. D., & Paddock, E. L. (2015). How being mindful impacts individuals' work-family balance, conflict, and enrichment: A review of existing evidence, mechanisms and future directions. In J. Reb, P. B. Atkins, J. Reb, & P. B. Atkins (Eds.), Mindfulness in organizations: Foundations, research, and applications (pp. 213–238). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Amstad, F. T., Meier, L. L., Fasel, U., Elfering, A., & Semmer, N. K. (2011). A meta-analysis of work–family conflict and various outcomes with a special emphasis on cross-domain versus matching-domain relations. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16 (2), 151–169 http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0022170 .

Baghurst, T., & Kelley, B. C. (2014). An examination of stress in college students over the course of a semester. Health Promotion Practice, 15 (3), 438–447. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839913510316 .

Baron, R. M. & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1173–1182.

Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life . New York: Wiley.

Google Scholar  

Bonifas, R. P., & Napoli, M. (2013). Mindfully increasing quality of life: A promising curriculum for MSW students. Social Work Education, 33 , 469–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2013.838215 .

Braunstein-Bercovitz, H., Frish-Burstein, S., & Benjamin, B. A. (2012). The role of personal resources in work–family conflict: Implications for young mothers' well-being. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80 (2), 317–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.10.003 .

Britt, T. W., Shen, W., Sinclair, R. R., Grossman, M. R., & Klieger, D. M. (2016). How much do we really know about employee resilience? Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 9 (2), 378–404. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2016.36 .

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84 , 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822 .

Carley-Baxter, L. R., Hill, C. A., Roe, D. J., Twiddy, S. E., Baxter, R. K., & Ruppenkamp, J. (2009). Does response rate matter? Journal editors use of survey quality measures in manuscript publication decisions. Survey Practice, 2 (7), 1–7.

Carlson, L. E., & Brown, K. W. (2005). Validation of the mindful attention awareness scale in a cancer population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 58 , 29–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.04.366 .

Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., Wayne, J. H., Grzywacz, J. G. (2006). Measuring the positive side of the work–family interface: Development and validation of a work–family enrichment scale. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68 (1), 131–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.02.002 .

Cheng, B. H., & McCarthy, J. M. (2013). Managing work, family, and school roles: Disengagement strategies can help and hinder. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18 , 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032507 .

Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18 (2), 76–82.

Council of Graduate Schools. Graduate Schools Report Strong Growth In First-Time Enrollment Of Underrepresented Minorities . 2016. Print.

Creed, P. A., French, J., & Hood, M. (2015). Working while studying at university: The relationship between work benefits and demands and engagement and well-being. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 86 , 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.11.002 .

Davis, J. (2012). School enrollment and work status: 2011. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-14.pdf .

Ditto, B., Eclache, M., & Goldman, N. (2006). Short-term autonomic and cardiovascular effects of mindfulness body scan meditation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 32 (3), 227–234. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3203_9 .

Dyrbye, L. N., Power, D. V., Massie, F. S., et al. (2010). Factors associated with resilience to and recovery from burnout: A prospective, multi-institutional study of US medical students. Medical Education, 44 , 1016–1026. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03754.x .

Etzion, D., Eden, D., & Lapidot, Y. (1998). Relief from job stressors and burnout: Reserve service as a respite. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83 , 377–585.

Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, T. L., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36 , 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089 .

Flavin, C. & Swody, C. (2016). LeaderMoms use self-compassion as antidote to unproductive guilt. Tech report. Thrive Leadership.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 359 (1449), 1367–1378. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2004.1512 .

Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9 (2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.103 .

Gilbert, P. (2005). Compassion and cruelty: A biopsychosocial approach. In P. Gilbert (Ed.), Compassion: Conceptualisations, research and use in psychotherapy (pp. 9–74). London: Routledge.

Goewey, (2015). Generation stress. The Huffington Post. Retrieved From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-joseph-goewey-/generation-stress_b_8062346.html .

Greenhaus, J. H., & Parasuraman, S. (1999). Research on work, family, and gender: Current status and future directions. In G. N. Powell (Ed.), Handbook of Gender & Work (pp. 391–412). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Greenhaus, J. H., & Powell, G. N. (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of work-family enrichment. Academy of Management Review, 31 , 72–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.02.002 .

Greeson, J. M., Juberg, M. K., Maytan, M., James, K., & Rogers, H. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of KORU: A mindfulness program for college students and other emerging adults. Journal of American College Health, 64 (4), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2014.887571 .

Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57 , 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7 .

Hahn, V. C., Binnewies, C., Sonnentag, S., & Mojza, E. J. (2011). Learning how to recover from job stress: Effects of a recovery training program on recovery, recovery-related self-efficacy, and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16 (2), 202–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022169 .

Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach . New York: Guilford Press.

Hayes, A. F. (2016). Partial, conditional, and moderated mediation: Quantification, inference and interpretation . Retrieved from http://afhayes.com/public/pmm2016.pdf .

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44 (3), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513 .

Hobfoll, S. E. (2002). Social and psychological resources and adaptation. Review of General Psychology, 6 , 307–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.6.4.307 .

Hoffman, J. (2015). Anxiety on campuses: Reporter’s notebook. The New York Times . Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/05/28/anxiety-on-campus-reporters-notebook/ .

Holland, K. (2014). Back to school: Older students on the rise in college classrooms. Nbcnews.com . Retrieved from: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/back-school-older-students-rise-college-classrooms-n191246 .

Kabat-Zinn. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness . New York: Bantam Dell.

Kadziolka, M. J., Di Pierdomenico, E., & Miller, C. J. (2016). Trait-like mindfulness promotes healthy self-regulation of stress. Mindfulness, 7 (1), 236–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0437-0 .

Karatepe, O. M., & Karadas, G. (2014). The effect of psychological capital on conflicts in the work-family interface, turnover and absence intentions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 43 , 132–143.

Kiburz, K.M., & Allen, T.D. (2012). Dispositional mindfulness as a unique predictor of work-family conflict . Paper presented at the 27th annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, April 2012, San Diego, CA.

Kiburz, K.M., & Allen, T.D. (2014). Examining the effects of mindfulness based work-family interventions. In J.G. Randall and M. Beier (Co-chairs), in MindWandering and Mindfulness: Self-regulation at Work. Symposium presented at the 29 th Annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, May 2014, Honolulu, HI.

King, J. (2006). Working their way through college: Student employment and its impact on the college experience. ACE Issue Brief. Retrieved from: http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Documents/IssueBrief-2006-Working-their-way-through-College.pdf .

Krisor, S. M., Diebig, M., & Rowold, J. (2015). Is cortisol as a biomarker of stress influenced by the interplay of work-family conflict, work-family balance and resilience? Personnel Review, 44 (4), 648–661.

Kruger, S., & Sonoro, E. (2016). Physical activity and psychosomatic-related health problems as correlates of quality of life among university students. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 26 , 357–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2016.1185907 1-6.

Kunz-Ebrecht, S. R., Kirschbaum, C., Marmot, M., & Steptoe, A. (2004). Differences in cortisol awakening response on work days and weekends in women and men from the Whitehall II cohort. Physchoneuroendocrinology, 29 , 516–528.

Lemyre, L., & Tessier, R. (2003). Measuring psychological stress. Concept, model, and measurement instrument in primary care research. Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien, 49 , 1159–1160.

Li, M. (2008). Relationships among stress coping, secure attachment, and the trait of resilience among Taiwanese college students. College Student Journal, 42 (2), 312–325.

Lundberg, U., & Frankenhaeuser, M. (1999). Stress and workload of men and women in high-ranking positions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 4 , 142–151. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.4.2.142 .

Luthans, F., Avolio, B. J., Avey, J. B., & Norman, S. M. (2007). Psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and job satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60 , 541–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00083.x .

Mallya, S., & Fiocco, A. J. (2016). Effects of mindfulness training on cognition and well-being in healthy older adults. Mindfulness, 7 (2), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0468-6 .

Markel, K. S., & Frone, M. R. (1998). Job characteristics, work-school conflict, and school outcomes among adolescents: Testing a structural model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83 , 277–287.

Marks, S. R. (1977). Multiple roles and role strain: Some notes on human energy, time and commitment. American Sociological Review, 41 , 921–993.

McNall, L. A., & Michel, J. S. (2011). A dispositional approach to work–school conflict and enrichment. Journal of Business and Psychology, 26 (3), 397–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9187-0 .

McNall, L. A., & Michel, J. S. (2017). The relationship between student core self-evaluations, support for school, and the work–school interface. Community, Work & Family, 20 , 253–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2016.1249827 .

McNall, L. A., Nicklin, J. M., & Masuda, A. (2010). A meta- analytic review of the consequences associated with work- family enrichment. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25 , 381–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9141-1 .

Michel, A., Bosch, C., & Rexroth, M. (2014). Mindfulness as a cognitive–emotional segmentation strategy: An intervention promoting work–life balance. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87 (4), 733–754. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12072 .

Moreno-Jiménez, B., Mayo, M., Sanz-Vergel, A. I., Geurts, S., Rodríguez-Muñoz, A., & Garrosa, E. (2009). Effects of work–family conflict on employees’ well-being: The moderating role of recovery strategies. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 14 (4), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016739 .

Mosewich, A. D., Kowalski, K. C., Sabiston, C. M., Sedgwick, W. A., & Tracy, J. L. (2011). Self-compassion: A potential resource for young women athletes. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33 (1), 103–123.

National Center for Education Statistics (2017). Postbaccalaureate Enrollment. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_chb.asp .

Neely, M. E., Schallert, D. L., Mohammed, S. S., Roberts, R. M., & Chen, Y. (2009). Self-kindness when facing stress: The role of self-compassion, goal regulation, and support in college students’ well-being. Motivation and Emotion, 33 , 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-008-9119-8 .

Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2 , 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860390129863 .

Neff, K., & Germer, C. (2013). Being kind to yourself: The science of self-compassion. In T. Singer & M. Bolz (Eds.), Compassion: Bridging theory and practice: A multimedia book (pp. 291–312). Leipzig: Max-Planck Institute.

Neff, K. D., & McGehee, P. (2009). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9 (3), 226–240 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15298860902979307 .

Neff, K. D., Kirkpatrick, K. L., & Rude, S. S. (2007). Self-compassion and adaptive psychological functioning. Journal of Research in Personality, 41 , 139–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.004 .

Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & Mcmurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work-family conflict and family-work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81 (4), 400–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.81.4.400 .

Nicklin, J. M., & McNall, L. A. (2013). Work–family enrichment, support, and satisfaction: A test of mediation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22 (1), 67–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2011.616652 .

Nicklin, J. M., McNall, L. A., & Janssen, A. (2018). An examination of positive psychological resources for promoting work-life balance. In J. M. Nicklin (Ed.), Work-family balance in the 21 st century . New York: Nova.

Park, Y., & Fritz, C. (2015). Spousal recovery support, recovery experiences, and life satisfaction crossover among dual-earner couples. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(2), 557–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037894 .

Park, Y. A., & Sprung, J. M. (2013). Work-school conflict and health outcomes: Beneficial resources for working college students. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18 , 384–394. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033614 .

Park, Y., & Sprung, J. M. (2015). Weekly work-school conflict, sleep quality, and fatigue: Recovering self-efficacy as a cross-level moderator. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36 , 112–127. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1953 .

Parker, K., & Wang, W. (2013). Modern parenthood: Roles of moms and dads converge as they balance work and family. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/03/14/modern-parenthood-roles-of-moms-and-dads-converge-as-they-balance-work-and-family/ .

Parkinson, B., & Totterdell, P. (1999). Classifying affect regulation strategies. Cognition and Emotion, 13 , 277–303.

Phillips, W. J., & Ferguson, S. J. (2012). Self-compassion: A resource for positive aging. Journal of Gerontology, 68 (4), 529–539. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbs091 .

Podsako, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsako, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88 (5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 .

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36 (4), 717–731.

Pryor, J. H., Hurtado, S., DeAngelo, L., Palucki Blake, L., & Tran, S. (2010). The American freshman: National norms fall 2010 . Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

Qu, Y., Dasborough, M. T., & Todorova, G. (2015). Which mindfulness measures to choose to use? Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 8 (04), 710–723. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2015.105 .

Raes, F., Pommier, E., Neff, K. D., & Van Gucht, D. (2011). Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the self-compassion scale. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 18 , 250–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.702 .

Roche, M., Haar, J. M., & Luthans, F. (2014). The role of mindfulness and psychological capital on the well-being of leaders. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19 (4), 476–489. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037183 .

Roeser, R. W., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Jha, A., Cullen, M., Wallace, L., Wilensky, R., Oberle, E., Thomson, K., Taylor, C., & Harrison, J. (2013). Mindfulness training and reductions in teacher stress and burnout: Results from two randomized, waitlist-control field trials. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105 , 787–804. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032093 .

Sanz-Vergel, A., Demerouti, E., Moreno-Jimenez, B., & Mayo, M. (2010). Work-family balance and energy: A day-level study on recovery conditions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76 (1), 118–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.07.001 .

Seligman, M. E. P. (1998). Positive social science. APA monitor, 29 (4), 2–5.

Sherrington, C. B. (2014). Graduate psychology students' experience of stress: Is a symptom expression modified by dispositional mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and self-attention style? Dissertation Abstracts International, 75 , 117.

Sieber, S. D. (1974). Toward a theory of role accumulation. American Sociological Review, l39 (4), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094422 .

Singh, N. N., Singh, A. N., Lancioni, G. E., Singh, J., Winton, A. S. W., & Adkins, A. D. (2010). Mindfulness training for parents and their children with ADHD increases the children’s compliance. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19 , 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9272-z .

Sirois, F. M. (2014). Procrastination and stress: Exploring the role of self- compassion. Self and Identity, 13 (2), 128–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2013.763404 .

Siu, O. L., Cooper, C. L., & Phillips, D. R. (2014). Intervention studies on enhancing work well-being, reducing burnout, and improving recovery experiences among Hong Kong health care workers and teachers. International Journal of Stress Management, 21 (1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033291 .

Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2007). The recovery experience questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12 , 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.12.3.204 .

Soysa, C. K., & Wilcomb, C. J. (2013). Mindfulness, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and gender as predictors of depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being. Mindfulness, 6 , 217–226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0247-1 .

Steinhardt, M., & Dolbier, C. (2008). Evaluation of a resilience intervention to enhance coping strategies and protective factors and decrease symptomatology. Journal of American College Health, 56 , 445–453. https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.56.44.445-454 .

Stuart, E. A. (2010). Academy health: Advancing research, policy and practice. Academy Health . Retrieved from: www.academyhealth.org/files/2010/sunday/stuartE.pdf .

Tarrasch, R. (2015). Mindfulness meditation training for graduate students in educational counseling and special education: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24 (5), 1322–1333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9939-y .

Thompson, C. (2001). Conservation of resources theory. Sloan Network Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://workfamily.sas.upenn.edu/wfrn-repo/object/pt3yu38m2ae8vj2t .

Van der Klink, J. J. L., Blonk, R. W. B., Schene, A. H., & Van Dijk, F. J. H. (2001). The benefits of interventions for work-related stress. American Journal of Public Health, 91 , 270–276.

Wilks, S. E. (2008). Resilience amid academic stress: The moderating impact of social support among social work students. Advances in Social Work, 9 , 106–125 Retrieved.

Wilks, E. S., & Spivey, C. A. (2010). Resilience in undergraduate social work students: Social support and adjustment to academic stress. Social Work Education, 28 (3), 276–288.

Wyland, R. L., Lester, S. W., Mone, M. A., & Winkel, D. E. (2013). Work and school at the same time: A conflict perspective of the work–school interface. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 20 , 346–357. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051813484360 .

Wyland, R., Lester, S. W., Ehrhardt, K., & Standifer, R. (2015). An examination of the relationship between the work–school interface, job satisfaction, and job performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31 (2), 187-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-015-9415-8 .

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06119, USA

Jessica M. Nicklin & Emily J. Meachon

The College at Brockport, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA

Laurel A. McNall

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessica M. Nicklin .

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interested associated with this paper and we did not include any identifying information in the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Nicklin, J.M., Meachon, E.J. & McNall, L.A. Balancing Work, School, and Personal Life among Graduate Students: a Positive Psychology Approach. Applied Research Quality Life 14 , 1265–1286 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9650-z

Download citation

Received : 02 August 2017

Accepted : 09 July 2018

Published : 24 July 2018

Issue Date : November 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9650-z

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Self-compassion
• Mindfulness
• Graduate students
• Conservation of resources
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Front Psychol

Burnout and Maladjustment Among Employed Students

Associated data.

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Stress and burnout are present in every aspect of an individual’s life, and the growing number of employed students raises certain concerns about their engagement in academic tasks and finishing their studies. Our study aims to analyze the differences between student burnout in different contexts, work- and academic-related burnout, and examine the predictive role of burnout in academic maladjustment, including test anxiety as a mediator and occupational status as a moderator. The sample consisted of 151 students from different universities in Romania. Consistent with previous studies, the results showed that academic burnout is higher than work-related burnout. High levels of test anxiety explain high levels of academic burnout, which in turn explains low levels of academic adjustment. The results highlight the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment with occupational status as a moderator. Future research should focus on the type of students’ job, the mediating relationship between self-efficacy and academic burnout, and the relationship between burnout and personality traits.

Introduction

Stress and burnout are present in every aspect of an individual’s life, and the growing number of employed students raises certain concerns about their engagement in academic tasks and finishing their studies. Students’ decision to work during their university years can be explained by the requirement of paying a high scholarship fee and meeting the living conditions. The inability to cope effectively with the challenges of the professional and academic life can have severe repercussions on a student’s mental health and well-being ( Youssef and Luthans, 2007 ), with depression and suicide attempts being the two reactions to stress that are of concern to the society ( Oswalt and Riddock, 2007 ). At the international level, student stress and burnout are seen as important health issues, with students being the population at risk of experiencing psychological distress and psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorder ( Larcombe et al., 2016 ). Burnout among employed students is even higher, with studies showing that the stress caused by juggling the demands of work and academic life could potentially lead to burnout ( Dyrbye et al., 2008 ) and depression ( Njim et al., 2019 ), these negative effects being more prevalent among students who work for 20 or more hours per week ( Larcombe et al., 2016 ). The potential stressors for a student are represented by the adaptation to the new status, accommodation with high academic requirements, financial and personal independence, and the establishment of a new social network ( Hicks and Heastie, 2008 ). Burnout in students is related to both employment and academic domains; however, most studies on this topic consider employment as a major burnout factor, without exploring also additional individual characteristics that may impact burnout ( Schramer et al., 2019 ). Higher levels of burnout can negatively impact academic adjustment. Academic adjustment refers to effectively regulating study behavior, being intrinsically motivated to learn, and satisfaction toward the chosen degree program and academic performance ( van Rooij et al., 2018 ). College students face various psychological difficulties due to exposure to stressful situations; therefore, academic adjustment and burnout are strongly related. Numerous studies reveal the aspects linked to university adjustment, such as anxiety, depression, stress, vulnerability, anger, mood, and mental illness, indicative of negative adaptation ( Clinciu, 2013 ).

Given the challenges faced by employed students, the main aim of this study was to analyze the differences between student burnout in different contexts, work- and academic-related burnout, focusing also on the predictive role of burnout in academic maladjustment, and including test anxiety as a mediator and occupational status as a moderator.

Related Literature

Academic- and work-related burnout in employed students.

Burnout is seen as a reaction to occupational stress that acts over a longer period of time ( Gorter et al., 1999 ). Other authors introduced a multidimensional perspective to define the phenomenon of burnout, namely, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of personal achievements ( Maslach and Leiter, 2017 ). Emotional exhaustion is defined as a state of emotional emptiness felt by an individual accompanied by the belief that his/her own resources are not sufficient to manage and adapt to the requirements of the environment ( Maslach and Leiter, 2017 ). Depersonalization was later replaced by the term cynicism and manifests itself in the social sphere and describes the maladaptive attitudes and weak social skills of the individual, marked by a lack of interest in social contacts. Reducing personal achievements has been replaced by inefficiency, which is the individual’s belief that his or her cognitive and emotional efforts and resources are not sufficient to perform professional tasks ( Maslach and Leiter, 2017 ).

Burnout manifests itself on a physical and psycho-behavioral level. Physical symptoms include increased heart rate, sleep disorders and changes in eating behavior, and decreased immunity. Psycho-behavioral symptoms include decreased ability to remember and concentrate, decreased decision-making, decreased interest and productivity, behavioral disorders (apathy, aggression), and mental disorders (depression, anxiety) ( Misra and McKean, 2000 ). The consequences of burnout are found both emotionally and professionally. The decrease in self-esteem is the result of awareness of failure, inability to cope with the situation, and failure to meet their own expectations. People who show symptoms of emotional burnout are impatient, have an exaggerated critical spirit, are suspicious, and are convinced that those around them want to make their lives difficult. The long-term effects of the phenomenon are impaired health, low self-esteem, creating tensions in relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, decreased performance, and so on ( Platon and Gorincioi, 2012 ).

Academic burnout is considered the result of long-term academic pressures and stress, energy consumption, and a gradual decrease of interest in academic activities due to work overload and extra activities or jobs. Even if burnout is a work-related term, researchers concluded that work can be replaced with “study” for students for a better description of their emotions and behaviors in pre-university and university environments ( Lin and Huang, 2014 ). Academic burnout refers to “feeling exhausted because of study demands, having a cynical and detached attitude toward study, and feeling incompetent as a student” ( Schaufeli et al., 2002 , p. 465). Exhaustion and cynicism have been shown to be defining characteristics for college students with burnout ( Neumann et al., 1990 ), adolescent students ( Murberg and Bru, 2004 ), and manipulative burnout in the workplace ( Schaufeli and Taris, 2005 ). Considered an erosion of student engagement ( Fiorilli et al., 2017 ), student burnout also refers to feeling incompetent as a student, having the tendency to evaluate the educational context negatively (low personal accomplishment) ( Schaufeli et al., 2002 ).

Burnout has many adverse consequences for students; however, the relationship between student burnout and academic adjustment is inconsistent ( Madigan and Curran, 2021 ). While some studies reported negative relationships, students with a higher level of academic burnout obtain lower levels of academic performance ( Fiorilli et al., 2017 ); other studies found no significant association between student burnout and future academic performance ( Salanova et al., 2010 ). However, most of the studies have identified a negative association between burnout and academic achievement ( Brougham et al., 2009 ), this relationship being moderated instead by a number of factors such as the coping strategies, the stage of education (primary, secondary, or tertiary), or the type of academic achievement (GPA, grades, and exams) ( Robotham, 2008 ; Madigan and Curran, 2021 ). Misra and McKean (2000) categorized students’ responses to stress using plans such as emotional (fear, anxiety, worry, guilt, depression), cognitive (coping strategies), behavioral (crying, irritability, abuse of self and others), and psychological (tremors, headaches, weight loss, or weight gain). Studies have shown that these symptoms are associated with poor academic performance ( Galbraith and Merrill, 2015 ). All these responses could affect students’ time management and study skills. Being faced with a variety of stressors such as managing interpersonal relationships, academic work, assignments, and personal development, university students are more likely to experience stress, which later can lead to a decrease in their physical and mental health ( Lin and Huang, 2014 ). In a study conducted on a sample of medical students, the authors found that burnout is associated not only with academic stressors but also with local stressors ( Boudreau et al., 2004 ). Some studies found a direct relationship between students’ outside activities such as employment and academic exhaustion ( Jacobs and Dodd, 2003 ). Higher work involvement has negative effects on student academic performance, being also positively correlated with high levels of stress ( Galbraith and Merrill, 2012 ). Employed students are at a higher risk of burnout because combining employment with the student role diminishes their capacity to efficiently manage time and energy to accomplish both employment and academic tasks ( Benner and Curl, 2018 ).

Inter-role conflict is a major burnout predictor in employed students ( Benner and Curl, 2018 ), the conflict occurring between workplace engagement and academic requirements, leading to high dropout rates ( Vickers et al., 2003 ). The results showed that students who work between 20 and 29 h per week have a 160% higher dropout rate than students who do not work, and this percentage increases significantly compared to the high number of weekly working hours ( Lingard, 2007 ). Jobs with a part-time program or that involve a large number of hours of work cause students to feel tired and even depressed ( Rolfe, 2002 ). In previous studies, Boudreau et al. (2004) identified that burnout is associated with a high number of stressors such as high number of working hours, worries about college grades, and uncertainty about the future, which lead to a low level of satisfaction between personal and professional lives ( Lingard, 2007 ).

Test Anxiety, Burnout, and Academic Maladjustment

Test anxiety is the most common type of anxiety in the educational setting ( Brodersen, 2017 ; von der Embse et al., 2018 ). Defined as a state characterized by a feeling of fear and tension, worry, and a perception of threat in exam situations, test anxiety also has negative physiological manifestations ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ). Other authors refer to test anxiety as the fear of being negatively evaluated and of failing ( Fernández-Castillo and Caurcel, 2015 ). Test anxiety negatively affects academic performance and is a predictor of increased risk of academic dropout ( Esch et al., 2014 ), studies also relating it to student burnout ( Fernández-Castillo and Caurcel, 2015 ). While earlier studies showed that girls have higher levels of test anxiety than boys ( Hembree, 1988 ; Bandalos et al., 1995 ), recent studies showed that there are no statistically significant gender differences in terms of test anxiety, the academic performance being similar ( Núñez-Peña et al., 2016 ; Fernández-Castillo, 2021 ).

Academic anxiety is considered a general feeling of being nervous and worried in the academic context due to external demands such as tests, assignments, and high pressure in obtaining good grades, and every student has a different experience related to test anxiety ( Shapiro, 2014 ). Further studies have shown that excessive academic anxiety levels are related to various outcomes, and these students are more prone to experience burnout than students with low academic anxiety levels ( Romano et al., 2020 ). Low anxiety could have beneficial properties because it helps students to become motivated and thus learn new material effectively, but high levels of anxiety affect the academic achievement of the students ( Coon and Mitterer, 2009 ). Several studies have shown that higher levels of cognitive test anxiety are associated with poor academic performances ( Lawal et al., 2017 ). The difference in performance between a high test-anxious student and a low test-anxious student could be explained based on their locus of control; low test-anxious students are able to focus on test and pay greater attention than high test-anxious students whose attention is divided between their own emotional response and test itself ( Ossai, 2011 ). The stress associated with exams can cause a series of symptoms such as nausea, eating and sleeping patterns changes, stomach pains, and the prospect of taking an exam ( Robotham, 2008 ) or long-term elements related to the exam can enhance the level of stress and test anxiety ( Cassady and Johnson, 2002 ). Although considerable research has focused on student burnout, academic adjustment, and test anxiety, the interactions among these dimensions are not extensively researched. Test anxiety has negative effects on the academic functioning and performance, leading to higher rates of academic dropout ( Esch et al., 2014 ), difficulties in cognitive processes ( Fernández-Castillo, 2021 ), or increased levels of student burnout ( Chust-Hernández et al., 2019 ). Given their negative effects on the academic functioning, academic burnout, and test anxiety could be considered predictors of learning engagement and academic adjustment. Empirical research involving the three components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and low academic self-efficacy) were linked to academic anxiety ( Chin et al., 2017 ): emotional exhaustion and experience of negative effects contribute to test anxiety, while the effects of cynicism on test anxiety were not clear; in contrast, self-efficacy is considered an antecedent of test anxiety. Concerning the associations between test anxiety and academic adjustment, test anxiety, especially the worry component, has a negative impact on academic achievement ( Steinmayr et al., 2016 ). As test anxiety showed negative links with wellbeing ( Steinmayr et al., 2016 ), a negative link between academic adjustment and test anxiety is likely.

Burnout as a Predictor of Academic Maladjustment

Burnout is associated with psychological maladjustment, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, compulsions, and avoidance ( Taris et al., 2004 ; Shin et al., 2011 ). Shin et al. (2011) showed that these symptoms are directly associated with cynicism and exhaustion. In role-conflict theory, Lingard (2007) stated that there is a conflict between the roles that the employed student must play. This is manifested by prioritizing one aspect and neglecting the other role; thus, employed students who spend more time working than they spend learning, studying, or completing their university projects suffer in terms of adapting to academic requirements and vice versa . Inter-role conflict has become a necessity for students who choose to work during their study years because they have to provide for their daily living needs ( Benner and Curl, 2018 ).

Students who have a job are more exposed to the risk of burnout because they find themselves in the position of combining the requirements of the job with those of the academic environment, not being able to devote all their time and resources to a single goal, that of an employee or a student. Research shows that students who work more than 20 h a week have lower grades and difficulty completing their academic work ( Benner and Curl, 2018 ). Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) considered that burnout is a conflict that occurs between the different roles that an individual must play and his perception of time pressure. Maslach and Leiter (2017) presented the phenomenon of burnout from a multidimensional perspective, namely, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of personal achievements ( Platon and Gorincioi, 2012 ). Maslach and Leiter (2017) defined emotional exhaustion as a state of emotional energy depletion, accompanied by the impression that one’s own emotional resources are not adequate for managing environmental problems. Depersonalization is manifested in the social sphere and refers to the tendency to treat people as objects, not to be interested in what happens to them and the lack of desire to communicate, accompanied by ignorant behaviors. The reduction of personal achievements is defined as the awareness of the individual of the fact that he cannot cope with problems, that he does not have a good influence on others, and that he does not feel attracted to his work. The individual manifests the feeling of incompetence and loss of hope in his professional perspectives ( Platon and Gorincioi, 2012 ). Students who experience high levels of academic stress report high levels of academic frustration, miss classes, have low academic performance, low levels of motivation, and consider dropping out of college ( Schramer et al., 2019 ).

One of the objectives of this study was to identify whether the level of burnout generated by the academic environment is higher than that generated by the workplace environment, which would contradict the results obtained by Kohler Giancola et al. (2009) who argued that stressors at work are more effective predictors of burnout than stressors generated by the school or personal life.

Burnout is described as physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situations ( Maslach and Leiter, 2017 ). The task of balancing academic and workplace requirements can lead to increased stress and burnout as students find themselves managing their time and frustration can occur ( Yang, 2004 ). The long-term effects of burnout are manifested at the physical level (migraines, change in eating behavior) and at the psycho-behavioral level (decreased ability to remember and concentrate, decreased decision-making power) ( Asberg et al., 2010 ).

Studies on the effects of workplace on students’ academic performance are contradictory. It has been found that students who work full time have more difficulty in terms of academic adjustment ( Pascarella et al., 1994 ). In longitudinal studies, part-time students experience less effects of burnout in the first 3 years of college, but the negative effects are felt if they work for more than 15 h per week ( Pascarella et al., 1998 ). Lundberg (2004) showed that students who worked several hours off campus had difficulty establishing interpersonal relationships with other students or teachers and engaging in academic activities, but no negative and significant effects were found.

Procrastination is a phenomenon that individuals feel, the differences are found in the degrees of manifestation; the level of procrastination that impedes normal functioning is the most severe form that has repercussions in all aspects of an individual’s life ( Lakshminarayan et al., 2013 ). In terms of academic work, this is one of the common problems of students. Most students procrastinate due to high stress levels and low academic performance ( Ferrari et al., 1995 ).

Aims and Hypotheses

The main aim of this study was to analyze the differences between student burnout in different contexts, work- and academic-related burnout. The secondary aim was to examine the predictive role of burnout in academic maladjustment, including also test anxiety as a mediator and occupational status as a moderator.

• Hypothesis 1. Employed students have higher levels of academic burnout than work-related burnout, these differences being maintained regardless of the type of work schedule (part-time vs. full-time).
• Hypothesis 2. Occupational status moderates the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment.
• Hypothesis 3. Test anxiety mediates the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment, occupational status being a moderator.

Participants and Procedure

The investigated sample consisted of 151 students from different Romanian universities, with 40 (26.49%) male students and 111 (73.51%) female students. A cross-sectional design with a convenience sample was used. The data were collected through on online form posted on several social media pages and groups of the most important Romanian universities. The mean age was 21 years ( SD = 3.93, Xmin = 18, Xmax = 51). Our factual data questionnaire also revealed important aspects regarding the participants’ status in the labor market and their work schedule. This study included 63 (41.72%) employed students, out of which 29 (46.03%) had part-time jobs and 34 (53.97%) had full-time jobs. This study also included 88 (58.28%) unemployed students. Concerning the educational level, the sample included 140 (92.7%) undergraduates and 11 (7.3%) graduates (master’s students).

The questionnaires were administered online. Participation in the survey was fully voluntary and not rewarded. The participants gave their written consent that provided information about the aims of the study, guarantees of anonymity, voluntary participation, data treatment, and instructions for filling out the questionnaire.

Burnout was measured with the burnout assessment tool (BAT) ( Schaufeli et al., 2020 ) was used to measure burnout at workplace. For a deeper understanding of this topic, we replaced the term “work” with “faculty” to measure the level of burnout for unemployed students. BAT includes two dimensions, namely, core symptoms with 23 items and secondary symptoms with 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ( from 1 = never to 5 = always ). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for workplace was high for core symptoms (α = 0.94) and secondary symptoms (α = 0.89) and for all subscales, namely, exhaustion (α = 0.90) focusing on extreme tiredness, mental distance (α = 0.81) focusing on mental withdrawal and psychological detachment from the job, cognitive impairment (α = 0.90) focusing on reduced functional capacity to adequately regulate cognitive processes such as memory and attention, emotional impairment (α = 0.80) focusing on reduced functional capacity to regulate emotional processes such as anger or sadness, psychological distress (α = 0.84) focusing on unpleasant feelings that interferes with daily activities, and psychosomatic complaints (α = 0.80) focusing on physical symptoms.

The academic maladjustment was measured with the Academic Adjustment Questionnaire (AAQ) ( Clinciu and Cazan, 2014 ). The AAQ consists of 43 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ( from 1 = very little characteristic to me, to 5 = very much characteristic to me ), covering three dimensions, namely, academic neuroticism (14 items, α = 0.91) focusing on anxiety, depression, self-depreciation, irritability, anger, hostility, and vulnerability; academic procrastination (10 items, α = 0.87) focusing on tendency to delay or postpone current academic tasks; and academic dishonesty (19 items, α = 0.92) focusing on the tendency to cheat and get involved in academic misconduct and dishonest behaviors. Cronbach’s alpha for the entire scale was high (α = 0.94), with high scores indicating academic maladjustment.

Test anxiety was measured with the Cognitive Anxiety Scale ( Cassady and Johnson, 2002 ). It is a unidimensional scale that consists of 27 items rated on a scale ( from 1 = not at all characteristic to me, to 5 = totally characteristic to me ). CAT is a 27-item measure focused on the cognitive domain of test anxiety. The items are measured on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with responses ranging from “Not at all like me” to “Very much like me” and focus on behaviors such as engaging in task-irrelevant thinking, comparing self to others, experiencing intruding thoughts, and having relevant cues escape the learner’s attention. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient obtained in this study was 0.93.

Data Analysis

We used a cross-sectional design to explore the differences between burnout in different contexts, academic- and work-related context. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used. The normality assumption was checked, showing normal distribution and no sign of multivariate outliers. Mauchly’s test showed that sphericity assumption was met. To test moderation hypothesis of the study, Process 3.0, Model 1, and Model 59 ( Hayes, 2017 ) were utilized. The statistical significance of the index of moderated mediation, and the moderated-mediation and moderated serial-mediation effects, was assessed by interpreting the 95% bias-corrected confidence interval (5,000 samples).

Employed students have higher levels of academic burnout than work-related burnout, these differences being maintained regardless of the type of work schedule (part-time vs. full-time).

A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to test hypothesis 1. The differences were significant for all the burnout dimensions, except emotional impairment. Academic burnout was higher for all the dimensions than work-related burnout ( Table 1 ). The type of job (part-time vs. full-time) does not lead to differences between burnout levels in the two contexts, except for cognitive impairment, in this case control being higher in the context of work for part-time students. Therefore, hypothesis 1 is sustained by the data.

Differences between burnout levels in different contexts—Repeated-measures ANOVA.

N full–time = 32, N part–time = 29, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

To analyze the associations between our variables, the Pearson coefficient correlations were computed. The analysis revealed highly significant correlations between academic maladjustment and burnout in both conditions, work and university, but significantly higher for the university-related burnout. Test anxiety also showed positively significant but moderate association both with academic maladjustment and its dimensions, neuroticism being the highest correlated, and with burnout and its dimensions in both conditions, work and university context. Given these associations, we further tested several moderation and mediation models.

It was tested using Process 3.0 (Model 1) ( Figure 1 ), the occupational status being the moderator for the prediction of academic maladjustment. The educational level was included as a covariable, the undergraduates and graduates differing in terms of their working responsibilities (most of the graduates are employed) and skills to regulate their learning; they have a different background and both work and learning experience. The results showed that there is no moderation effect on the occupational status but burnout has a positive direct significant effect on the prediction of maladjustment ( Table 2 ).

Moderation model of relationship between burnout and academic maladjustment (moderator: occupational status). Note: n.s. = not significant, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01.

Pearson correlation coefficients between the study variables.

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.001, ***p < 0.0001; the number of participants for the work-related burnout is 61, while for the other variables it is 149.

To test hypothesis 3 (test anxiety mediates the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment, occupational status being a moderator) ( Figure 2 ), we used Process 3.0, Model 59 ( Table 3 ). The results of the moderated mediation analysis showed that academic burnout significantly predicts test anxiety, students with higher burnout showing higher levels of test anxiety; academic burnout significantly predicts maladjustment, students with higher levels of burnout being less adjusted; test anxiety mediates the relationship between burnout and adjustment, high burnout explains higher levels of anxiety, which in turns explains higher academic maladjustment; and the occupational status moderates the relationship between anxiety and burnout, the prediction being stronger for non-employed students. Similarly, the occupational status moderates the relationship between burnout and adjustment, the prediction being stronger for non-employed students; in addition, the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between burnout and adjustment is stronger for employed students, hypothesis 3 being sustained ( Table 4 ).

Moderated mediation model of relationship between burnout and academic maladjustment (mediator: test anxiety; moderator: occupational status). n.s. = not significant, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

Path estimates and explained variance from the moderation analysis.

LLCI, lower and level for confidence interval; ULCI, upper level for confidence interval.

Path estimates and explained variance from the moderated mediation analyses.

Key Findings of the Study

This research has contributed to the understanding of the academic maladjustment of employed and non-employed students. The main objective of this study was to analyze the burnout differences in different categories of students. The results showed that academic burnout is higher than work-related burnout. High levels of test anxiety explain high levels of academic burnout, which in turn explains low levels of academic adjustment. The results highlight the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment with occupational status as a moderator.

The higher level of academic burnout was also revealed by previous studies ( Schramer et al., 2019 ). Kohler Giancola et al. (2009) argued that work stressors are stronger predictors of burnout than stressors generated by the school or personal life. Other studies showed that factors such as anxiety, self-esteem, and time management skills are involved in the adjustment process and the achievement of high academic performance of employed students ( Jacobs and Dodd, 2003 ; Boudreau et al., 2004 ). For hypothesis 1, an interesting aspect was found; cognitive impairment is higher for students who work part-time. A similar result was found in the study of Rolfe (2002) , which means that students with part-time jobs face more difficulties than students with full-time jobs or unemployed students, the effects of part-time working at universities being poor attendance, late arrival, early leaving, and late submissions of work.

In the case of hypothesis 2, the results showed that the occupational status of the student, employed or unemployed, has no statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between academic burnout and academic maladjustment, only the direct effect of academic burnout on maladaptation being significant. This result contradicts previous studies ( Schaufeli and Enzmann, 1998 ; Lingard, 2007 ), arguing that employed students are at a much higher risk of burnout because they are in a position to balance academic tasks with job requirements. These results may suggest that employed students have the ability to manage their time much better than unemployed students, and the direct effect of burnout can only be explained by the high academic demands. Comparing the results with those obtained for adult workers, temporary employees are more stressed due to the more aggravating job characteristics and less quality work than permanent employees ( De Witte and Näswall, 2003 ), leading to less job control and more psychological distress; therefore, employed students (such as permanent employees) could have developed better time management skills and more efficient coping strategies due to the need to be more organized.

In the case of hypothesis 3, the results showed that high levels of test anxiety explain high levels of academic burnout, which in turn explains low levels of academic adjustment. The paths were statistically significant only in the case of unemployed students, which could be explained by the fact that they are more likely to have poor academic performance and procrastinate more, due to the high level of stress and worry, as other studies have shown ( Ferrari et al., 1995 ). The results were similar to those of other studies, test anxiety being considered an important predictor of student burnout ( Chust-Hernández et al., 2019 ) and academic achievement ( Cassady and Johnson, 2002 ).

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Studies

This study has several limitations. First, the unequal sample in terms of gender distribution and also the relatively small sample size. Our sample consists of a higher number of female participants which may influence the results obtained in previous studies ( Cassady and Johnson, 2002 ), showing that female students have higher levels of emotionality while male students typically score lower on measurements of test anxiety and burnout. The assessment of academic burnout also needs further investigations. The BAT was previously used in academic context ( Romano et al., 2020 ); however, the need for investigating the psychometric properties of the Romanian version used for students in academic settings remains a limitation of this study and a future research direction. Although burnout is an occupational phenomenon and is mainly applied to working contexts, research in the field showed that the academic context is comparable to the working context and students are similar to professionals in terms of burnout risk ( Schaufeli et al., 2002 ). The moderating role of the occupational status needs further investigations. Comparing our results with those obtained for adult workers, temporary employees are more stressed due to the more aggravating job characteristics and less quality work than permanent employees ( De Witte and Näswall, 2003 ), leading to less job control and more distress; therefore, employed students (such as permanent employees) could have developed better time management skills and more efficient coping strategies due to the need to be more organized.

Another limitation to consider and a direction for future studies represent the type of employment, part-time or full-time, and the domain of the job because the level of stress may differ depending on the field in which they operate on the labor market. Thus, students who work in a field similar to their academic specialization exhibit lower levels of stress and implicit burnout ( Boudreau et al., 2004 ). The level of burnout felt by employed students is not only associated with stressors in the academic environment but also with the workplace stressors. Therefore, future studies should analyze the relationship between burnout and the type of job, revealed as important factors also in previous studies. Moreover, since we did not use a balanced sample, future studies should focus on gathering an equivalent sample or emphasize the gender differences regarding burnout symptoms and test anxiety. Finally, subsequent research should verify the relationship between burnout and personality traits, which can also explain the manifestation of burnout symptoms, as previous studies have shown ( Zellars et al., 2000 ; Teven, 2007 ).

Implications

This study contributes to the understanding of the phenomenon of burnout among employed students and the consequences of occupational status on academic performance, adjustment, and completion rates in university.

The results of this study are congruent with the results of previous studies on this topic. Students with full-time jobs have higher levels of academic burnout than work burnout for all dimensions, except cognitive impairment, which is higher for students with part-time jobs. These results are relevant and support Lingard’s (2007) theory of inter-role conflict, which argues that employed students find themselves in a position to meet the demands of both the faculty and the workplace. Academic burnout in this situation is an effective and direct predictor of academic maladaptation, a result supported by the study of Benner and Curl (2018) , and causes a dramatic decrease in motivation to learn and a considerable increase in school dropout ( Schramer et al., 2019 ). The results of this study showed that this relationship between burnout and academic maladaptation is mediated by anxiety, which means that students with a high level of anxiety face more difficulties to adjust to the academic environment, which leads to a significant increase in the stress that can lead to burnout.

This study was carried out on a sample of students from Romania who had the role of bringing into discussion a critical issue in the educational system, namely, the increasing rate of academic dropout. The increasing tuition fees and expensive living needs force the students to find a job in order to support themselves. To reduce the stress caused by the interference between work and academic demands, it is necessary to propose intervention programs and strategies to help employed students cope with the multiple challenges they face. These strategies could include didactic changes such as the use of educational podcasts, recorded courses for a higher accessibility for students, offering them the possibility to structure the learning materials using efficient learning strategy, and offering tasks to compensate for academic activities.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Council of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

G-LD developed the study concept, conducted the data collection, and drafted the manuscript. A-MC performed the data analysis. Both authors took part in result interpretation, reviewed and edited several versions of the manuscript and provided critical revisions, and approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5§). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. [ Google Scholar ]
• Asberg M., Garpe T., Krakau I., Nygren A., Rohnde M., Wahlberg A., et al. (2010). Stress as the cause of mental illness. Lakartidningen 107 1307–1310. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bandalos D. L., Yates K., Thorndike-Christ T. (1995). Effects of math self-concept, perceived self-efficacy, and attributions for failure and success on test anxiety. J. Educ. Psychol. 87 611–623. 10.1037/0022-0663.87.4.611 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Benner K., Curl A. L. (2018). Exhausted, stressed, and disengaged: does employment create burnout for social work students? J. Soc. Work Educ. 54 300–309. 10.1080/10437797.2017.1341858 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Boudreau D., Santen S. A., Hemphill R. R., Dobson J. (2004). Burnout in medical students: examining the prevalence and predisposing factors during the four years of medical school. Ann. Emerg. Med. 44 S75–S76. 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2004.07.248 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Brodersen L. D. (2017). Interventions for test anxiety in undergraduate nursing students: an integrative review. Nurs. Educ. Perspect. 38 131–137. 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000142 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Brougham R. R., Zail C. M., Mendoza C. M., Miller J. R. (2009). Stress, sex differences, and coping strategies among college students. Curr. Psychol. 28 85–97. 10.1007/s12144-009-9047-0 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cassady J. C., Johnson R. E. (2002). Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 27 270–295. 10.1006/ceps.2001.1094 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Chin E. C. H., Williams M. W., Taylor J. E., Harvey S. T. (2017). The influence of negative affect on test anxiety and academic performance: an examination of the tripartite model of emotions. Learn. Individ. Dif. 54 1–8. 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.01.002 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Chust-Hernández P., Castellano-Rioja E., Fernández-García D., Chust-Torrent J. I. (2019). Ansiedad ante los exámenes en estudiantes de Enfermería: factores de riesgo emocionales y de sueño. Ansiedad Estrés 25 125–131. 10.1016/j.anyes.2019.05.001 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Clinciu A. I. (2013). Adaptation and stress for the first year university students. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 78 718–722. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.04.382 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Clinciu A. I., Cazan A.-M. (2014). Academic adjustment questionnaire for the university students. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 127 655–660. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.330 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Coon D., Mitterer J. (2009). Psychology of test anxiety. J. Cengage Learn. 28 48–53. [ Google Scholar ]
• De Witte H., Näswall K. (2003). ‘Objective’ vs ‘subjective’ job insecurity: consequences of temporary work for job satisfaction and organizational commitment in four European countries. Econ. Ind. Democracy 24 149–188. 10.1177/0143831X03024002002 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Dyrbye L. N., Thomas M. R., Massie F. S., Power D. V., Eacker A., Harper W., et al. (2008). Burnout and suicidal ideation among U.S. medical students. Ann. Intern. Med. 149 334–341. 10.7326/0003-4819-149-5-200809020-00008 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Esch P., Bocquet V., Pull C., Couffignal S., Lehnert T., Graas M., et al. (2014). The downward spiral of mental disorders and educational attainment: a systematic review on early school leaving. BMC Psychiatry 14 : 237 . 10.1186/s12888-014-0237-4 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Fernández-Castillo A. (2021). State-anxiety and academic burnout regarding university access selective examinations in spain during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Front. Psychol. 12 : 621863 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.621863 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Fernández-Castillo A., Caurcel M. J. (2015). State test-anxiety, selective attention and concentration in university students: state test-anxiety and attention. Int. J. Psychol. 50 265–271. 10.1002/ijop.12092 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ferrari J. R., Johnson J. L., McCown W. G. (1995). Procrastination and Task Avoidance: Theory, Research, and Treatment. New York, NY: Plenum Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Fiorilli C., De Stasio S., Di Chiacchio C., Pepe A., Salmela-Aro K. (2017). School burnout, depressive symptoms and engagement: their combined effect on student achievement. Int. J. Educ. Res. 84 1–12. 10.1016/j.ijer.2017.04.001 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Galbraith C. S., Merrill G. B. (2012). Academic and work-related burnout: a longitudinal study of working undergraduate university business students. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 53 453–463. 10.1353/csd.2012.0044 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Galbraith C. S., Merrill G. B. (2015). Academic performance and burnout: an efficient frontier analysis of resource use efficiency among employed university students. J. Further High. Educ. 39 255–277. 10.1080/0309877X.2013.858673 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Gorter R. C., Albrecht G., Hoogstraten J., Eijkman M. A. J. (1999). Factorial validity of the maslach burnout inventory-dutch version (MBI-NL) among dentists. J. Organ. Behav. 20 209–217. 10.1002/(sici)1099-1379(199903)20:2<209::aid-job984>3.0.co;2-y [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hayes A. F. (2017). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression–Based Approach , 2nd Edn. New York, NY: Guilford Publications. [ Google Scholar ]
• Hembree R. (1988). Correlates, causes, effects, and treatment of test anxiety. Rev. Educ. Res. 58 47–77. 10.3102/00346543058001047 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hicks T., Heastie S. (2008). High school to college transition: a profile of the stressors, physical and psychological health issues that affect the first-year on-campus college student. J. Cult. Divers. 15 143–147. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Jacobs S. R., Dodd D. (2003). Student burnout as a function of personality, social support, and workload. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 44 291–303. 10.1353/csd.2003.0028 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kohler Giancola J., Grawitch M. J., Borchert D. (2009). Dealing with the stress of college: a model for adult students. Adult Educ. Q. 59 246–263. 10.1177/0741713609331479 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lakshminarayan N., Potdar S., Reddy S. G. (2013). Relationship between procrastination and academic performance among a group of undergraduate dental students in India. J. Dent. Educ. 77 524–528. 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2013.77.4.tb05499.x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Larcombe W., Finch S., Sore R., Murray C. M., Kentish S., Mulder R. A., et al. (2016). Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of psychological distress among students at an Australian university. Stud. High. Educ. 41 1074–1091. 10.1080/03075079.2014.966072 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lawal A. M., Idemudia E. S., Adewale O. P. (2017). Academic self-confidence effects on test anxiety among Nigerian university students. J. Psychol. Africa 27 507–510. 10.1080/14330237.2017.1375203 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lin S.-H., Huang Y.-C. (2014). Life stress and academic burnout. Act. Learn. High. Educ. 15 77–90. 10.1177/1469787413514651 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lingard H. (2007). Conflict between paid work and study: does it impact upon students’ burnout and satisfaction with university life? J. Educ. Built Environ. 2 90–109. 10.11120/jebe.2007.02010090 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lundberg C. A. (2004). Working and learning: the role of involvement for employed students. NASPA J. 41 201–215. 10.2202/1949-6605.1330 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Madigan D. J., Curran T. (2021). Does burnout affect academic achievement? a meta-analysis of over 100,000 students. Educ. Psychol. Rev. 33 387–405. 10.1007/s10648-020-09533-1 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Maslach C., Leiter M. P. (2017). “ Understanding burnout: new models ,” in The Handbook of Stress and Health , eds Cooper C. L., Quick J. C. (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; ), 36–56. 10.1002/9781118993811.ch3 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Misra R., McKean M. (2000). College students’ academic stress and its relation to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction. Am. J. Health Stud. 16 41–54. [ Google Scholar ]
• Murberg T. A., Bru E. (2004). School-related stress and psychosomatic symptoms among norwegian adolescents. Sch. Psychol. Int. 25 317–332. 10.1177/0143034304046904 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Neumann Y., Finaly-Neumann E., Reichel A. (1990). Determinants and consequences of students’ burnout in universities. J. High. Educ. 61 : 20 . 10.2307/1982032 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Njim T., Mbanga C. M., Tindong M., Fonkou S., Makebe H., Toukam L., et al. (2019). Burnout as a correlate of depression among medical students in Cameroon: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 9 : e027709 . 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027709 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Núñez-Peña M. I., Suárez-Pellicioni M., Bono R. (2016). Gender differences in test anxiety and their impact on higher education students’ academic achievement. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 228 154–160. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.07.023 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ossai M. C. (2011). Guidance and counselling implications of examination anxiety as a predictor of students’ attitude towards examination malpractices. Mediterr. J. Soc. Sci. 2 85–90. [ Google Scholar ]
• Oswalt S., Riddock C. (2007). What to do about being overwhelmed: graduate students, stress and university services. Coll. Stud. Affiars J. 61 20–31. 10.47678/cjhe.v44i3.186036 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pascarella E. T., Bohr L., Nora A., Desler M., Zusman B. (1994). Impacts of on campus and off campus work on first year cognitive outcomes. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 35 364–370. [ Google Scholar ]
• Pascarella E. T., Edison M. I., Nora A., Hagedorn L. S., Terenzini P. T. (1998). Does work inhibit cognitive development during college? Educ. Eval. Policy Anal. 20 75–93. 10.3102/01623737020002075 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Platon C., Gorincioi V. (2012). Stresul şi sindromul arderii emoţionale la profesorii universitari . Rev. Stiint. a Univ. de Stat din Moldova . 59 , 224–228. [ Google Scholar ]
• Robotham D. (2008). Stress among higher education students: towards a research agenda. High. Educ. 56 735–746. 10.1007/s10734-008-9137-1 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rolfe H. (2002). Students’ demands and expectations in an age of reduced financial support: the perspectives of lecturers in four english universities. J. High. Educ. Policy Manag. 24 171–182. 10.1080/1360080022000013491 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Romano L., Tang X., Hietajärvi L., Salmela-Aro K., Fiorilli C. (2020). Students’ trait emotional intelligence and perceived teacher emotional support in preventing burnout: the moderating role of academic anxiety. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17 : 4771 . 10.3390/ijerph17134771 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Salanova M., Schaufeli W., Martínez I., Bresó E. (2010). How obstacles and facilitators predict academic performance: the mediating role of study burnout and engagement. Anxiety Stress Coping 23 53–70. 10.1080/10615800802609965 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schaufeli W. B., Enzmann D. (1998). The Burnout Companion to Study and Practice: A Critical Analysis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Schaufeli W. B., Taris T. W. (2005). The conceptualization and measurement of burnout: common ground and worlds apart The views expressed in Work & Stress Commentaries are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent those of any other person or organization, or of the journal. Work Stress 19 256–262. 10.1080/02678370500385913 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schaufeli W. B., Desart S., De Witte H. (2020). Burnout assessment tool (BAT)—development, validity, and reliability. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17 : 9495 . 10.3390/ijerph17249495 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schaufeli W. B., Martínez I. M., Pinto A. M., Salanova M., Bakker A. B. (2002). Burnout and engagement in university students: a cross-national study. J. Cross Cult. Psychol. 33 464–481. 10.1177/0022022102033005003 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schramer K. M., Rauti C. M., Kartolo A. B., Kwantes C. T. (2019). Examining burnout in employed university students. J. Public Ment. Health 19 17–25. 10.1108/JPMH-05-2019-0058 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Shapiro A. L. (2014). Test anxiety among nursing students: a systematic review. Teach. Learn. Nurs. 9 193–202. 10.1016/j.teln.2014.06.001 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Shin H., Kim B., Lee M., Noh H., Kim K., Lee S. M. (2011). A short-term longitudinal study of mental health and academic burnout among middle school students. Korean J. Sch. Psychol. 8 133–152. 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Steinmayr R., Crede J., McElvany N., Wirthwein L. (2016). Subjective well-being, test anxiety, academic achievement: testing for reciprocal effects. Front. Psychol. 6 : 1994 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01994 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Taris T. W., Horn J. E. V., Schaufeli W. B., Schreurs P. J. G. (2004). Inequity, burnout and psychological withdrawal among teachers: a dynamic exchange model. Anxiety Stress Coping 17 103–122. 10.1080/1061580031000151620 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Teven J. J. (2007). Teacher temperament: correlates with teacher caring, burnout, and organizational outcomes. Commun. Educ. 56 382–400. 10.1080/03634520701361912 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• van Rooij E. C. M., Jansen E. P. W. A., van de Grift W. J. C. M. (2018). First-year university students’ academic success: the importance of academic adjustment. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 33 749–767. 10.1007/s10212-017-0347-8 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Vickers M., Lamb S., Hinkley J. (2003). Student Workers in High School and Beyond?: The Effects of Parttime Employment on Participation in Education, Training and Work. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report No. 30. Melbourne, VIC: Australian Council for Educational Research. [ Google Scholar ]
• von der Embse N., Jester D., Roy D., Post J. (2018). Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: a 30-year meta-analytic review. J. Affect. Disord. 227 483–493. 10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.048 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Yang H.-J. (2004). Factors affecting student burnout and academic achievement in multiple enrollment programs in Taiwan’s technical–vocational colleges. Int. J. Educ. Dev. 24 283–301. 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2003.12.001 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Youssef C. M., Luthans F. (2007). Positive organizational behavior in the workplace: the impact of hope, optimism, and resilience. J. Manag. 33 774–800. 10.1177/0149206307305562 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Zellars K. L., Perrewe P. L., Hochwarter W. A. (2000). Burnout in health care: the role of the five factors of personality. J. Appl. Soc. Pyschol. 30 1570–1598. 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02456.x [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE WORKING

Related Papers

Jayson Ryan De Leon

Paul Anisef

Executive Summary Recent adult immigrants 1 arrive in Canada but some find difficulty obtaining jobs or attaining employment in their fields of expertise. This prompts a substantial number to attend post-secondary education (PSE) to improve their Canadian credentials, where they often face access and completion barriers. This synthetic review is divided into two parts. The first part consists of two quantitative analyses of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants in Canada (LSIC); the first examines the economic integration of recent ...

José G. Vargas-hernandez

This paper has the aim to analyze and to reflect on the experiential exercise from the point of views of instructor and students attending University Center of Economic and Managerial Sciences at University of Guadalajara and participating in the “X-Culture International Student Collaboration Project” as a professional, inter-personal and inter-institutional networking platform.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Jutta Heckhausen

Adrienne Henck , David Post

Most existing research indicates that working students perform more poorly than do full-time students on standardized achievement tests. However, we know there are wide international variations in this gap. This article shows that national and international contexts help to explain the gap in the academic performance between working and nonworking middle-school students. We combined data from the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study eighth-grade assessment with the countryspecific information on socioeconomic and educational conditions, as well as the timing of each country’s ratification of an international treaty regulating child labor. Our multilevel analyses show that, while student employment is generally negatively associated with academic performance, this negative association is smaller in countries that by 1995 had ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 138 on child labor. These findings highlight the role of national and international policy in structuring the consequences of student employment for academic performance.

Social Psychology of Education

Catherine Fichten , Shirley Jorgensen

Audrey J. Jaeger

William Camp

Catherine Amelink

Madison Manalac

RELATED PAPERS

Maria Francesca Freda

Non-traditional students in Higher Education: Looking beyond (in) success and dropout, At Faro (Portugal)

José González-Monteagudo

Marj Florentino

Soribel Genao

Carie Justine Estrellado

Hannah Gourgey

American Educational Research Journal

Sabina Kleitman

Us Department of Labor

Charlene Kalenkoski

Junie Leonard Herrera

Milosh Raykov

L. Larry Liu

Julie Tagle

Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University

Francisco B Bautista

Joy Frechtling

Blagovesta Maneva-Sleyman

Gary Silverstein

Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences

Research and Statistics Center

Margaret Cahalan

Ju Hui Judy Han , Jennifer Jihye Chun

American Annals of the Deaf

Merv Hyde , Renée Punch

Jedh Esterninos

Mark Luke Godoy

Brock Dubbels

Research in Higher Education

Robert S. Brown

Romulo Pinheiro

Gavin Moodie

Awil Abdulkadir

Leigh Shebanie McCallen

David R Arendale

AAPI Nexus Journal

Cynthia Alcantar

Kiran Budhrani , Lloyd Espiritu

Trevecca Nazarene University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing

Chris Laney

Higher Education

Denise Jackson

Rosemarie Park

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet this page
• Share on LinkedIn
• Print this page
• Email this page

Feature Stories 2024: Olivia Munyambu '24: Researching the mental health of UMassD students of the African diaspora

Honors nursing major's research exposes healthcare disparities in the U.S.

Olivia Munyambu '24 said she took a leap of faith when she decided to attend UMass Dartmouth. 

Her intuition has served her well. In addition to graduating as a Commonwealth Scholar next month, Honors nursing major Munyambu has been named to the Chancellor's List multiple times and received the STEMMing While Black Academic Achievement Award and an Office of Undergraduate Research grant. She entered college with 30 Advanced Placement/dual enrollment credits. 

In choosing a nursing career, Munyambu was mainly influenced by her aunt, a visiting nurse who treated patients in their homes. When her grandmother died due to complications related to heart failure, Munyambu observed that access to healthcare depended on what you can afford, and she wanted to learn more about disparities in healthcare in the United States. 

For her Honors College APEX Project, "Addressing Mental Health Amongst Undergraduate Students of the African Diaspora on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Campus," Munyambu, whose family is from Kenya, examined the ways students of African descent manage their mental health. This topic, she found, is not widely discussed within Black communities. 

Research on UMassD students of the African diaspora

Why did you choose this research project   .

"A common theme I've noticed through an examination of the literature, in addition to my own experiences firsthand, is that mental health is not a widely discussed topic within Black communities. I wanted to examine ways in which students of the African diaspora are managing their mental health and how they are coping with stressors in day-to-day life (academic, social/campus, and institutionalized).  

" I also sought to examine how life experiences, including encounters with racism, ha ve impacted one's life outlook, interactions with others, and one's response to their environment. I utilized aspects of Indigenous Wholistic theory , which views participants as a whole and extends beyond their immediate needs, and Afrofuturism, where Black people take charge of our futures by identifying changes the y want to see and initiating them.  

"Black student participants expressed that they do not interact with white students in the same manner that they would with each other. Additional findings include a sense of 'being too small' as a single individual to create meaningful change to the systematic and institutionalized racism that persists in society. Black men appeared to have a more difficult time managing societal pressure of being both Black and a man than Black women."

Has your research project affected your educational experience or career goals?  

"Conducting this research as a Black student required me to further examine just how much racism has penetrated everyday life and how it has also impacted the health of Black people.   

"Regardless of which healthcare topic I chose to explore for an assignment, whether it be obesity rates, maternal mortality rates, access to quality healthcare, a disparity exists that is unfavorable to Black patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Black individuals in the U.S are more likely to suffer from complications related to obesity, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, and heart disease when compared to their white counterparts.  

"The research and assignments that I completed have made me passionate to continue exposing longstanding healthcare disparities in this country. I plan to advocate for Black peoples by continuing to bring to light the deep roots of racism through research and advancing my education."  

UMass Dartmouth experience  

Why did you choose to attend umassd  .

"I knew I wanted to pursue nursing, so I decided to apply to UMassD. My Christian faith has become a major part of my life throughout my time in college and was a compelling factor in choosing this school. I am glad I came here. I met a lot of people and made lifelong friends."

Small class sizes and the financial support she received are also reasons why Munyambu chose to join the Corsairs.  

What do you think makes UMassD special?  

"Supportive faculty who are always available to answer questions. Professors Melissa Desroches (Nursing) and Viviane Saleh-Hanna (Black Studies), assisted me greatly with designing the research study, how it would be conducted, and provided direction throughout the project. Associate Professor Jennifer Viveiros (Nursing) encouraged me to keep going at times when I felt overwhelmed."

What did you enjoy about the Honors College?   

"I like the camaraderie of the small classes and being able to interact with professors easily. Being able to enroll in classes early is a nice benefit. Hearing perspectives from different academic backgrounds was refreshing."

College of Nursing & Health Sciences (CNHS) experience  

What has been your experience working with and learning from faculty in cnhs  .

"Faculty always make themselves available to answer any questions I have and to meet during office hours. The faculty are very knowledgeable, approachable, and provide good feedback. Clinical instructors have also been great in supporting students within the clinical field."

Future plans  

After taking her nursing boards in July, Munyambu plans to return to Worcester to work in a hospital there. She would like to specialize in maternal/infant health, earn a master's degree in nursing, and become a midwife.  

"I'd like to advise on health promotion for pregnant women. The presence of the complications I mentioned above prior to pregnancy greatly increases the likelihood of developing pregnancy-related complications. These challenges can be mitigated and decreased amongst Black mothers through health promotion initiatives, including advocacy on the public policy level against systemic racism in addition to community outreach and educational programs."

"The research and assignments that I completed have made me passionate to continue exposing longstanding healthcare disparities in this country. I plan to advocate for Black peoples by continuing to bring to light the deep roots of racism through research and advancing my education." Olivia Munyambu '24

• Hometown: Worcester, MA
• Honors: Honors College, Chancellor's List multiple semesters
• Research: APEX Project on the mental health of UMassD students of the African diaspora
• Leadership and Service: DEI representative, Honors Student Council
• Student Organizations: Campus Crusade for Christ, House of Deliberations
• Awards/Fellowships: STEMming While Black Academic Achievement Award, OUR grant, 2023

Related features

Apr 24, 2024 Olivia Munyambu '24: Researching the mental health of UMassD students of the African diaspora

Apr 11, 2024 Apeksha Prasai '25: Embracing change

Apr 9, 2024 Olivia Collins: Developing a laser light technique to detect early cancer

Apr 4, 2024 Seth Shea '24: Lobsterman turned environmental engineer

Mar 25, 2024 Ashlee Shuemaker '24: From intern to inspiration

Categorized as

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program honors nine Chemistry student community members

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (4/26/2023) – Nine members of the Department of Chemistry student community were recently honored with recognition by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). Briana Krupinsky, Grace Murphy, Timmy Nguyen, and Ulises Perez were awarded fellowships, and Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions.

Briana Krupinsky is a second-year graduate student in the Lamb group . She joined the UMN community after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Dakota. Briana investigates N-hetereocyclic carbene-carbodiimide (NHC-CDI) adducts for application as catalyst precursors in organocatalysis. At the moment, this includes working towards understanding the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of NHC-CDI adducts for well-controlled catalysis. One of Briana’s research goals is to develop a light-activated NHC-CDI catalyst precursor to achieve spatiotemporal control for the synthesis of polymers.

Grace Murphy , a member of the Hoover lab , came to UMN after completing her undergraduate studies at Saint Louis University. One of her long-term goals as a chemist is to study and develop transition metal catalyzed reactions that are used in organic chemistry. She is particularly interested in understanding the structure-reactivity relationships that make difficult reactions possible. Grace is currently working towards understanding the mechanism of nickel catalyzed/mediated decarbonylation, a reaction that has potential future applications to the synthesis of pharmaceuticals to polymer upcycling.

Timmy Nguyen first came to UMN for a summer research experience program in 2022, right before his senior year at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He officially joined the graduate program in 2023 as a member of the Haynes group. Timmy is interested in anisotropic nanoparticles as substrates and recently started working on a project to synthesize silica-coated gold nanorods for use in SERS sensors. He is also passionate about participating in outreach activities through Science for All, a student group that works to bring the excitement of science to Minnesota middle schools.

Ulises Perez , a Spring 2023 graduate from the UMN Chemistry undergraduate program and current PhD student at University of Washington, was also awarded a fellowship.

The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. The program also seeks to support the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM graduate studies.

Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions for their applications. The Department of Chemistry congratulates all nine students on this significant national academic achievement!

Related news releases

• Kargbo, Pham, and Tuga receive Merck Underrepresented Chemists of Color Research Award
• Taimeng Liang awarded ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship
• Manuraj Kallumkal and Pete Gabriel Ledesma receive Pothapragada International Graduate Student Fellowship
• PhD candidate Casey Ritts receives American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
• PhD students recognized with awards and honors at Fall Kickoff Seminar
• Future undergraduate students
• Future transfer students
• Future graduate students
• Future international students
• Diversity and Inclusion Opportunities
• Learn abroad
• Living Learning Communities
• Mentor programs
• Programs for women
• Student groups
• Visit, Apply & Next Steps
• Information for current students
• Departments and majors overview
• Departments
• Undergraduate majors
• Graduate programs
• Integrated Degree Programs
• Additional degree-granting programs
• Online learning
• Academic Advising overview
• Academic Advising FAQ
• Academic Advising Blog
• Appointments and drop-ins
• Academic support
• Commencement
• Four-year plans
• Honors advising
• Policies, procedures, and forms
• Career Services overview
• Resumes and cover letters
• Jobs and internships
• Interviews and job offers
• CSE Career Fair
• Major and career exploration
• Graduate school
• Collegiate Life overview
• Scholarships
• Diversity & Inclusivity Alliance
• Anderson Student Innovation Labs
• Information for alumni
• Get engaged with CSE
• Upcoming events
• CSE Alumni Society Board
• Alumni volunteer interest form
• Golden Medallion Society Reunion
• 50-Year Reunion
• Alumni honors and awards
• Outstanding Achievement
• Alumni Service
• Distinguished Leadership
• Honorary Doctorate Degrees
• Nobel Laureates
• Alumni resources
• Alumni career resources
• Alumni news outlets
• CSE branded clothing
• International alumni resources
• Inventing Tomorrow magazine
• Update your info
• CSE giving overview
• Why give to CSE?
• College priorities
• Give online now
• External relations
• Giving priorities
• Donor stories
• Impact of giving
• Ways to give to CSE
• Matching gifts
• CSE directories
• Invest in your company and the future
• Recruit our students
• Connect with researchers
• K-12 initiatives
• Diversity initiatives
• Research news
• Give to CSE
• CSE priorities
• Corporate relations
• Information for faculty and staff
• Administrative offices overview
• Office of the Dean
• Academic affairs
• Finance and Operations
• Communications
• Human resources
• Undergraduate programs and student services
• CSE Committees
• CSE policies overview
• Academic policies
• Faculty hiring and tenure policies
• Finance policies and information
• Graduate education policies
• Human resources policies
• Research policies
• Research overview
• Research centers and facilities
• Research proposal submission process
• Research safety
• Award-winning CSE faculty
• National academies
• University awards
• Honorary professorships
• Collegiate awards
• Other CSE honors and awards
• Staff awards
• Performance Management Process
• Work. With Flexibility in CSE
• K-12 outreach overview
• Summer camps
• Outreach events
• Enrichment programs
• Field trips and tours
• CSE K-12 Virtual Classroom Resources
• Educator development
• Sponsor an event

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

About 1 in 5 U.S. teens who’ve heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork

Roughly one-in-five teenagers who have heard of ChatGPT say they have used it to help them do their schoolwork, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. With a majority of teens having heard of ChatGPT, that amounts to 13% of all U.S. teens who have used the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in their schoolwork.

Teens in higher grade levels are particularly likely to have used the chatbot to help them with schoolwork. About one-quarter of 11th and 12th graders who have heard of ChatGPT say they have done this. This share drops to 17% among 9th and 10th graders and 12% among 7th and 8th graders.

There is no significant difference between teen boys and girls who have used ChatGPT in this way.

The introduction of ChatGPT last year has led to much discussion about its role in schools , especially whether schools should integrate the new technology into the classroom or ban it .

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand American teens’ use and understanding of ChatGPT in the school setting.

The Center conducted an online survey of 1,453 U.S. teens from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, via Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel . The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey was weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Here are the  questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its  methodology .

Teens’ awareness of ChatGPT

Overall, two-thirds of U.S. teens say they have heard of ChatGPT, including 23% who have heard a lot about it. But awareness varies by race and ethnicity, as well as by household income:

• 72% of White teens say they’ve heard at least a little about ChatGPT, compared with 63% of Hispanic teens and 56% of Black teens.
• 75% of teens living in households that make $75,000 or more annually have heard of ChatGPT. Much smaller shares in households with incomes between $30,000 and $74,999 (58%) and less than $30,000 (41%) say the same.

Teens who are more aware of ChatGPT are more likely to use it for schoolwork. Roughly a third of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT (36%) have used it for schoolwork, far higher than the 10% among those who have heard a little about it.

When do teens think it’s OK for students to use ChatGPT?

For teens, whether it is – or is not – acceptable for students to use ChatGPT depends on what it is being used for.

There is a fair amount of support for using the chatbot to explore a topic. Roughly seven-in-ten teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use when they are researching something new, while 13% say it is not acceptable.

However, there is much less support for using ChatGPT to do the work itself. Just one-in-five teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to write essays, while 57% say it is not acceptable. And 39% say it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT to solve math problems, while a similar share of teens (36%) say it’s not acceptable.

Some teens are uncertain about whether it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT for these tasks. Between 18% and 24% say they aren’t sure whether these are acceptable use cases for ChatGPT.

Those who have heard a lot about ChatGPT are more likely than those who have only heard a little about it to say it’s acceptable to use the chatbot to research topics, solve math problems and write essays. For instance, 54% of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to solve math problems, compared with 32% among those who have heard a little about it.

Note: Here are the  questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its  methodology .

• Artificial Intelligence
• Technology Adoption
• Teens & Tech

Olivia Sidoti is a research assistant focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center

Jeffrey Gottfried is an associate director focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center

Many Americans think generative AI programs should credit the sources they rely on

Americans’ use of chatgpt is ticking up, but few trust its election information, q&a: how we used large language models to identify guests on popular podcasts, striking findings from 2023, what the data says about americans’ views of artificial intelligence, most popular.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Age & Generations
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Economy & Work
• Family & Relationships
• Gender & LGBTQ
• Immigration & Migration
• International Affairs
• Internet & Technology
• Methodological Research
• News Habits & Media
• Non-U.S. Governments
• Other Topics
• Politics & Policy
• Race & Ethnicity
• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Cookie Settings

Reprints, Permissions & Use Policy

UH students showcase rare Hawaiian ancestral research in New York

• April 23, 2024

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students and graduates are making waves in the world of Hawaiian genealogical research. On April 23, they presented their work at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, unveiling a groundbreaking project that seeks to reconnect kānaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiians) with their ancestral roots.

Three haumāna (students); Haliʻa Osorio, Brandi Ahlo and Alyssa ʻĀnela Purcell, from the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge ( HSHK ) shared their findings from the Moʻopono Project , where they transcribe and digitize handwritten moʻokūʻauhau (genealogical) records penned mostly in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) during the 19th century. The project’s goal is to provide free public access to these records, allowing kānaka ʻōiwi to trace their genealogy with the click of a button.

“Our eyes go big and our hearts beat faster when we learn a story or find a lineage that our professor has never seen before,” said Purcell, the project’s lead researcher who is pursuing a PhD in Indigenous politics. “It makes me excited to realize that there is so much more to learn about our ancestors and—in that same vein—ourselves as a people.”

• Watch the full presentation on YouTube

Royal connections

The Moʻopono Project, launched in 2021 by HSHK Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies Professor Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa, set out to transcribe 55 books originally authored by the Board of Genealogy of Hawaiian Chiefs and other sources. These books contain intricate family lineages from across ka pae ʻāina o Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian archipelago), including ancestral data from notable historical figures such as Queen Liliʻuokalani and historian S.M. Kamakau.

Paʻa i ka hana, very busy working

During their presentation at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, student researchers explained the fragile books had been stored for decades at the Hawaiʻi State Archives, largely out of reach of the general public. Working off of scanned images, the haumāna have transcribed 7,385 of the 9,000 pages so far, with more work on the horizon.

“Our ancestors were geniuses in how they embedded genealogies into our stories, music, chants, and everyday language,” Purcell explained. “Because of them, our knowledge is everywhere—we just need the appropriate systems and tools to access it.”

• Related UH News story: Hawaiian studies students urge U.N. to investigate Red Hill leaks, Indigenous rights , May 3, 2022

The student researchers aim to complete the pioneering project as part of their mission to help kānaka ʻōiwi reclaim their ancestral identity and inspire Indigenous communities from around the world to revive and reclaim their own histories.

“Our ancestors wanted/want us to know them and to engage them. Our ancestors want to empower us. What a rare and potent form of aloha,” Purcell said.

Related Posts:

• Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Revitalizing Hawaiian language
• Hawaiian theatre hits road in hope of inspiring next…
• ʻŌlelo instructor survives leukemia, empowers…
• previous post: New Dean Hall lab elevates the classroom experience
• next post: UH spring 2024 commencement schedule

If required, information contained on this website can be made available in an alternative format upon request. Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

About Calendar COVID-19 Updates Directory Emergency Information For Media MyUH Work at UH

Gagana Samoa

Kapasen Chuuk

Kajin Majôl

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

• Administrative

Underground carbon storage top of mind for student team

• Travis Williams

22 Apr 2024

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Copy address link to clipboard

Researching how to successfully store carbon underground is helping a group of Virginia Tech students reach new heights.

“Carbon sequestration is really kind of an elegant solution for global warming,” said Lars Koehn, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geosciences. “Normally, we pull carbon out of the ground in the form of fossil fuels, use it for energy, and then put it into the air. But with carbon sequestration, we’re going to put it straight back into the ground into the same types of rocks we pulled it from. So it’s kind of like a circular economy for carbon.”

Koehn is one of eight Virginia Tech graduate students who recently teamed up to research and create a plan for a carbon sequestration project off the coast of Louisiana as a part of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ (SEG) EVOLVE Carbon Solutions Professional Program . After students presented their work at the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Conference in March, the global not-for-profit organization selected Virginia Tech as the host of the first virtual version of its U.S. regional geoscience trivia contests, officially titled “Challenge Bowl.”  

“Some of the SEG EVOLVE teams really require a mentor to provide detailed guidance through the project, but this team has been extremely self-driven,” said Annabella Betancourt, managing director of programs for the society. “They were so diligent and responsible. If they could energize every team with the same spirit and enthusiasm, it would show others how to find the most success within this program.”

The Virginia Tech chapter of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ will host the bowl on April 29. The event will feature two-person teams from universities and colleges spanning the country competing for the opportunity to advance to the International Challenge Bowl Finals at IMAGE, the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy , in Houston this August. Participation in the event is free for qualifying students with the top three teams earning cash prizes.

Hosting the virtual competition marks a milestone for the Virginia Tech SEG EVOLVE team, which consists of four students from the Department of Geosciences and four from the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering . Armed with seismic and oil drilling data donated by industry partner Fairfield Geotechnologies, the team was tasked with developing a full plan for the implementation of a carbon sequestration site, including the transportation of the carbon, adherence to government regulations, and projections of economic impacts.

“They did a full-blown feasibility study for carbon storage along the Gulf of Mexico, and it was peer-reviewed by their industry mentors,” said Ryan Pollyea, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences and the team’s faculty advisor. “It speaks volumes that this group did such a good job, that SEG is seeking deeper engagement with Virginia Tech.”

Jessica Dostal, a student and early career advisor with the society, said connecting SEG EVOLVE teams with mentors from industry was a critical part of the program’s goal of providing the type of real-life experience that empowers students to “hit the ground running” once they graduate.

“The whole point of the program is to develop those professional practices that help bridge the gap between what you learn in school and industry, and really learn to apply what you’ve learned,” Dostal said.

Providing students with real-world learning opportunities is also in line with the mission of Virginia Tech Advantage.

Koehn said the project did help bridge that classroom-to-workplace gap by posing the team with questions and concerns outside the scope of the traditional classroom or textbook.

“We were addressing things we don’t normally address as students,” he said. “Stuff like, how could this project make money, what are the costs of the project, and how would you get this project approved by the state.”

Along with the opportunities for individual growth, the students said they also see a collective opportunity for the university in this field of research and the SEG U.S. Regional Challenge Bowl is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Virginia Tech can be a major player in carbon sequestration, if we play our cards right,” said Matt Tascione, a Ph.D. student studying geophysics, team member, and president of the Virginia Tech student chapter of the society. “The opportunities are here for us to really latch on to it, we just have to make the most of that. And I think this is a really great way to start doing that.”

540-231-6468

• Climate Action
• College of Engineering
• College of Science
• Geosciences
• Graduate Education
• Graduate Research
• Mining and Minerals Engineering
• Responsible Consumption and Production

Related Content