Journal of Learning and Educational Policy

ISSN : 2799-1121
Vol : 03 , No. 03 , April-May 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JLEP
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jlep.33.37.41

Study Life Balance of College Students: Evidence from

Higher Education Sector of UT of Jammu and Kashmir

Mr. Shahzad Ahmad Bhat1*, Dr. Bilal Ahmad Sheikh2

1*
Research Scholar, Mittal School of Business, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India
2
ICSSR PDF Scholar, India

Email: [email protected]
Corresponding Email: 1*[email protected]

Received: 03 February 2023 Accepted: 22 April 2023 Published: 30 May 2023

Abstract: Study -life balance has emerged as a crucial topic in today’s fast-paced and
demanding professional world. This paper provides a concise overview of the concept of
study-life balance and its relevance for college students. It serves as a foundation for further
research and exploration of practical strategies and interventions aimed at achieving study
-life balance for college students and organizations alike. Furthermore, the present paper
acknowledges the role of college students in promoting study -life balance through flexible
arrangements, support programs, and a supportive organizational culture. It emphasizes the
need for open communication and understanding between students and teachers.

Keywords: Study Life Balance. Promoting Study Life Balance and Flexible Academics.

1. INTRODUCTION

Study-life balance recognizes that individuals have multiple roles and responsibilities beyond
their careers, including family, relationships, hobbies, health, and self-care. It emphasizes the
need to allocate time and energy to these different areas to maintain a fulfilling and satisfying
life overall. Achieving Study-life balance involves setting boundaries and priorities, managing
time and resources efficiently, and creating a supportive and flexible environment that allows
individuals to meet their personal and professional needs. Employers play a crucial role in
promoting Study-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements, providing support
programs and resources, encouraging time off, and fostering a culture that values work-life
balance. Ultimately, Study-life balance is a personal journey, and the right balance may vary
for each individual depending on their circumstances, values, and priorities. It involves
consciously integrating work and personal life in a way that supports overall happiness,
fulfilment, and success.

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 37
Journal of Learning and Educational Policy
ISSN : 2799-1121
Vol : 03 , No. 03 , April-May 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JLEP
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jlep.33.37.41

In today's fast-paced and demanding world, striking a balance between academic pursuits and
personal life has become increasingly challenging for students. The concept of study-life
balance revolves around effectively managing one's time and energy between educational
responsibilities and personal interests, ultimately aiming for a harmonious integration of both
aspects. The modern student faces a multitude of demands, including academic workload,
extracurricular activities, part-time employment, familial obligations, and social relationships.
Juggling these various commitments often leads to feelings of overwhelm and stress, making
it essential to understand and prioritize study-life balance. Research has shown that achieving
a healthy study-life balance is not only beneficial for students' overall well-being but also
enhances their academic performance. By effectively managing their time and allocating it
wisely to different activities, students can experience reduced stress levels, increased focus and
productivity, improved mental and physical health, and greater satisfaction in both their
academic and personal lives.

Some key elements of Study-life balance include

Time management: Effectively allocating time to work-related tasks, personal activities, and
relationships.
Flexibility: Having the freedom and flexibility to adjust work schedules or arrangements to
accommodate personal obligations and interests.
Boundaries: Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life, such as avoiding
excessive overtime or checking emails during personal time.
Self-care: Prioritizing physical and mental well-being through activities like exercise,
relaxation, hobbies, and socializing.
Support systems: Building a support network of family, friends, and colleagues who can
provide assistance and understanding.
Prioritization: Identifying and focusing on the most important tasks and goals, both at work
and in personal life, to avoid overwhelm.
Communication: Openly discussing Study-life balance needs and challenges with supervisors,
colleagues, and loved ones.
Benefits of Study-life balance include reduced stress, improved physical and mental health,
increased productivity and job satisfaction, stronger relationships, and a greater sense of overall
well-being.

Review of Literature
Due to the load of responsibilities that students often face, including academic workload,
personal obligations, part-time employment, and family duties, they can become overwhelmed.
Achieving a balance between one's studies and personal life is crucial. In order to understand
the concept of work-life balance, it is important to acknowledge the various demands we
encounter and the resources, such as time and energy, that we have available to meet them.
Whitman (1985) suggests that stress is an inevitable aspect of university life, and universities
aim to provide students with eustress, which refers to functional stress. However, when this
functional stress transforms into dysfunctional stress or distress due to an imbalance between
work and personal life, it can lead to negative psychological, physical, and emotional
consequences, ultimately impacting students' overall well-being. Lowe and Gayle (2007)

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 38
Journal of Learning and Educational Policy
ISSN : 2799-1121
Vol : 03 , No. 03 , April-May 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JLEP
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jlep.33.37.41

identified several challenges that higher education students face in achieving a work-life-study
balance, as they encounter a unique set of problems in this regard. Factors such as the number
of friends, financial satisfaction, and perceived discrimination can influence students'
contentment, as suggested by Sam (2001). Work-life is defined by Thompson et al. (1999) as
the collective ideas, attitudes, and values regarding the level of support and importance an
organization places on the work and family lives of its employees. Greenhaus et al. (2003)
found that work-family balance significantly predicts happiness and overall quality of life.
Conversely, failure to achieve balance has been associated with lower job and life satisfaction
(Allen et al., 2000), diminished well-being and quality of life (Aryee, 1992), and other negative
outcomes such as increased stress (Burke, 1988) and compromised mental health (Beatty,
1996; Grzywacz and Bass, 2003). The body of evidence strongly suggests a strong link between
work-life balance and happiness.

Objective
To explore study life balance of college students
Sample Selection
The present exploration focused on college students from 4 different colleges of Union territory
of Jammu and Kashmir. The 4 colleges were selected on random basis. The sampling technique
involved was simple random sampling.
Sample Size
Students from Government Degree College Pampore, Government Dgree College Kulgam,
Government Degree College Anantnag and S.P College enrolled in various study programs
during the present academic session were included in the exploration. An appropriate number
of students (200 as the sample size (n)) were selected to obtain representative characteristics of
the population from this study. Information for this study was collected between October 2022
to November 2022. The Primary Data collection source was well-constructed Questionnaire.

Analysis

Table: 1: Association between Study life balance and Gender of Students

Source of Χ2
Dependent Variables N Yes No
grouping(Gender) % % Value
Male 110 90 82 20 18
Enough time for family 9.478*
Female 90 60 67 30 33
Male 110 60 55 50 45
Balance of study life 9.749*
Female 90 80 89 10 11
Male 110 95 86 15 14
Family pressure for study 14.056*
Female 90 70 76 20 24
Male 110 75 68 35 32
Good management policy 7.440*
Female 90 60 67 30 33
Good career prospects Male 110 90 82 20 18 5.572*

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 39
Journal of Learning and Educational Policy
ISSN : 2799-1121
Vol : 03 , No. 03 , April-May 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JLEP
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jlep.33.37.41

Female 90 60 67 30 33
Male 110 85 77 25 23
Health Facility 0.552
Female 90 60 67 30 33
Male 110 75 68 35 32
Recreational activities 4.383*
Female 90 75 83 15 17
Satisfaction with study Male 110 95 86 15 14
0.161
hours Female 90 72 80 18 20

*computed from primary data, Significant at 5 percent level

Gender
The variations in statement of study life balance with gender are shown in Table: 1 as a result
of the Chi-square analysis. From the result Chi-square test, it can be inferred that the Chi-square
values of 9.478, 9.749, 14.056, 7.440, 5.572, and 4.383 corresponding to study-life balance
were found to be significant at the 5% level except for two statements. -"health facilities and
satisfaction with study hours". Thus, the result suggests that students' study-life balance varies
according to gender, which is considered as a clustering variable. For example, for the
statement "family pressure for study", Males experience more family pressure to study than
female students. Similarly, women balance study life better than male students.

Findings
The major finding of this exploration is that Males experience more family pressure to study
than female students and females balance study life better than male students. Similarly,
Students who effectively manage their time and balance their academic commitments with
personal interests tend to perform better academically compared to those who experience
imbalance or excessive stress. Balancing study and personal life allows students to explore
their interests, discover new passions, and foster personal growth. This can lead to a broader
perspective and a more well-rounded educational experience.

Suggestions for Future Research

Long-term Effects: Investigate the long-term effects of study-life balance on individuals
beyond their academic years. Examine how the ability to maintain a healthy balance during
college or university influences career success, job satisfaction, and overall well-being in the
long run.
Technology and Study-Life Balance: Examine the role of technology in study-life balance.
Investigate how students' use of digital tools, social media, and online platforms impacts their
ability to achieve a healthy balance. Identify potential challenges and effective strategies for
leveraging technology to enhance study-life balance rather than becoming a source of
distraction or overload.
Gender and Study-Life Balance: Explore the gendered experiences of study-life balance and
how it may differ for male and female students. Investigate the unique challenges and
expectations faced by each gender, and how societal norms and stereotypes influence their
perceptions and experiences of study-life balance.

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 40
Journal of Learning and Educational Policy
ISSN : 2799-1121
Vol : 03 , No. 03 , April-May 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JLEP
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jlep.33.37.41

Impact of Study-Life Balance on Different Academic Disciplines: Investigate whether the

nature of different academic disciplines affects study-life balance. Examine how students in
STEM fields, humanities, social sciences, and other disciplines experience and manage their
academic workload and personal commitments.

2. CONCLUSION

Study-life balance is a dynamic process that requires ongoing adjustments and self-reflection.
It encourages further research and interventions aimed at promoting study-life balance among
college students, ultimately fostering their academic success, personal well-being, and overall
satisfaction. This exploration serves as a foundation for further exploration and implementation
of strategies to help students for navigating the challenges of study life while maintaining their
well-being and achieving their academic goals.

3. REFERENCES

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2. Aryee, S. 1992. Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict among married
professional women: Evidence from Singapore. Human Relations 45(8): 813-837
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too high?. Journal of Organizational Behaviour 17(3): 233-251.
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license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 41