PSU students strive to find work-life balance

By Lina Kudo

Some Pittsburg State University students are struggling to manage working while seeking a degree, a situation common at universities across the United States.  

Some 67 percent of undergraduate students are working for pay at U.S. universities, mostly out of financial necessity given the increasing cost of living and education, according to a July 2025 study conducted by Trellis Strategies, a nonprofit organization that conducts large-scale data research on student experiences in the U.S. 

The reality is that university schedules are not designed for undergraduate students to have a full-time job, according to research from Georgetown University. That study highlighted that irregular class hours in colleges makes keeping a job more difficult for students.  

Pittsburg State University has many students who work while earning their degrees. Mya Russell is one of them.  

Russell works off-campus at a daycare on weekdays during hours that do not interfere with her classes. She began working the summer of her freshman year at PSU, and now she is a junior majoring in communication.  

“A lot of times throughout my day, I have 30 minutes to an hour breaks between my classes,” Russell said. “So I will come to the student center, and I will do a lot of my assignments throughout the day, so that way I’m not having to worry about it at night after I get off work because after work, I go to the gym.”  

Using the study spaces the university offers, Russell can focus on her studies and assignments during her class breaks so that she can manage going to work and also have time for off-the-clock activities.   

Russell said it’s import for students to have a flexible environment with understanding supervisors so they can work while prioritizing work. As a student working herself, she recommends that others learn time management skills early in their studies.  

“It can be stressful at some times,” Russell said. “I do think that working through some of that stress is part of being a grown up. It’s part of teaching you how to live your life like in the real world.”  

“When you graduate college,” she continued, “You’re going to have a real job, and you’re going to have a full time job, and you’re going to have a lot of responsibility. So I think that working just kind of helps prepare you for that.”  

While some students choose to work in order to gain professional experience, studies from the American Council on Education show balancing academic work with job responsibilities can be challenging.  

During her most difficult times, Russell reached out to her advisor for help, who referred her to Kim Hull, director of PSU’s career development department.  

During her 15 years in her role, Hull has advised many students. She said the number of students reporting to be struggling to balance their job is low at PSU. For many students who are trying to find a job while seeking a degree, she recommends on-campus jobs.  

Hull said students with on-campus jobs have the advantage of flexibility and supervisors who understand the academic responsibilities of students and might be able to guide them staying on track.   

“On-campus is the way to go,” Hull said, “because again, it promotes that flexibility. Depending on the supervisor that you get connected with, there might be some time to study.”  

Hull agreed with Russell that time management is a critical part of effective balance on work and studies.  

“It’s working through those pieces, prioritizing what needs to be done first,” Hull said. “Those are the things that are going to make anybody successful.”   

Lina Halverson, an exchange student from Brazil who recently started working on an on-campus job 13 hours each week, agreed such jobs help maintain a work-study balance.  

“It’s not so overwhelming,” Halverson said. “Like, I’m not actually doing something all the 13 hours and a half, you know.”  

Halverson added that she has a little bit of extra time during her shift hours that she uses to study and stay ahead on some assignments.  

Pittsburg State University offers resources for students balancing work and studies, including therapy sessions at the Bryant Student Health Center, advice sessions with tutors and academic success workshops.  

Jesse Briscoe, assistant director of first year programs, works at the student success center and teaches a course designed to help first-year students adjust to the university’s expectations and manage time efficiently.  

He said there are workshops available every week at the Academic Success Center to help students overcome academic challenges. Workshops cover topics like time management and stress management for students looking for ways to cope with multitasking and are unsure where to turn next.

Briscoe added that the center has a team of advisors offering one-on-one academic coaching.