Work Life Balance: Qualitative Study on the Dual Role of Working Graduate Student
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59141/jiss.v7i2.2216Keywords:
Master's Students, Working While Studying, Stress, Academic Achievement, Time ManagementAbstract
This research aims to determine the extent of stress experienced by graduate students while working, spending time with family, and attending classes, as well as to explore various strategies to cope with the stress they face in managing multiple roles. A qualitative research method was used for this study. Data were collected through interviews and observations. The participants in this study were graduate students who were employed. The collected data were analyzed and conclusions were drawn. The research findings on stress related to the dual roles of work, family, and academic studies experienced by graduate students include academic pressures such as course materials, assignments, class schedules, time allocated for assignments, tuition fees, missed class information, forgetting to complete assignments, and knowledge-related issues. Meanwhile, pressures in the workplace include a high volume of work, complex tasks requiring extra mental effort, short deadlines, inadequate facilities and infrastructure, unsuitable leadership, and difficult coworkers. Additionally, simultaneously juggling multiple roles creates its own pressures, such as the need to complete work and academic tasks at the same time. Various strategies employed by graduate students in managing dual roles aim to minimize stress, resolve conflicts, and help students achieve their desired goals. These strategies are tailored to the type of stress present. Furthermore, each issue requires its own unique resolution, as no two problems are the same.
References
Askari, R., Rafiei, S., Akbari, R., Ebrahimi, E. H., Dehghani, A., & Shafii, M. (2021). The relationship between work-life balance and quality of life among hospital employees. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 14(2), 436–440.
Besser, A., Flett, G. L., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2022). Adaptability to a sudden transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the challenges for students. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 8(2), 85.
Cahyadi, L., & Prastyani, D. (2020). Mengukur work life balance, stres kerja dan konflik peran terhadap kepuasan kerja pada wanita pekerja. Jurnal Ekonomi: Journal of Economic, 11(02).
Chaudhuri, S., Arora, R., & Roy, P. (2020). Work–Life balance policies and organisational outcomes–a review of literature from the Indian context. Industrial and Commercial Training, 52(3), 155–170.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Dunn, S. N. (2025). Work/family border theory and work/family enrichment theory: a comparison, contrast and critique review. Strategic HR Review, 24(4), 146–150.
Fiorini, L. A., Borg, A., & Debono, M. (2022). Part-time adult students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 28(2), 354–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/14779714221082691
Francis, E., Rashid, R. A., Taasim, S. I., Muktar, Z., & Asyikin, N. (2025). Balancing Employment and Education: A Study on Financial Outcomes and Academic Performance in Online Learning. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9, 682–690.
Hackett, N., Harvey-Lloyd, J., & Rooke, N. (2016). Performing dual roles in education and practice. Nursing Management, 23(3).
Hakim, A. R., & Hasmira, M. H. (2022). Strategi kuliah sambil bekerja oleh mahasiswa (Studi kasus: Mahasiswa bekerja di Universitas Negeri Padang). Naradidik: Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 1(1), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.24036/nara.v1i1.6
Hibatulloh, F., Shakira, K., Nurul, M., & Ningsih, F. (2025). Analisis stres kerja pada remaja yang bekerja paruh waktu. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Manajemen, 4(1), 591–594.
Lasmi, N. W., Putra, K. W. S. P., & Sukarnasih, D. M. (2024). Pengelolaan kinerja mahasiswa pekerja paruh waktu: Peran manajemen waktu, self-efficacy, dan profesionalisme. Jurnal Ekobistek, 13(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.35134/ekobistek.v13i1.734
Maharani, F., Muhammad, M., & Anggarini, D. R. (2024). Pengaruh Motivasi Kerja, Manajemen Waktu dan Stres Kerja terhadap Kinerja Pekerja Paruh Waktu yang Berstatus Mahasiswa di Bandar Lampung. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Organisasi, 15(2), 176–185.
Mesra, R., Hasrin, A., Fathimah, S., Rahman, R., & Sidik, S. P. (2021). The Phenomenon of Student Life Who is Studying While Working in the City of Padang. International Joined Conference on Social Science (ICSS 2021), 319–325.
Pratiwi, I. W. (2021). Work-life balance pada wanita karir yang telah berkeluarga. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengukuran Psikologi, 10(1), 1–10.
Pratiwi, W. A. (2024). Analisis pengaruh motivasi, manajemen waktu, dan stres terhadap prestasi akademik mahasiswa yang berstatus sebagai pekerja. Journal Economic Insights, 3(1), 1–10.
Puspita, A. W. (2023). Manajemen waktu berpengaruh terhadap prestasi akademik mahasiswa yang bekerja paruh waktu. Arimah Auhid, 2(4), 1049–1057.
Putri, T. N., & Nurmina. (2024). Perbedaan self-regulated learning pada mahasiswa yang bekerja paruh waktu di Kota Padang ditinjau dari jenis kelamin dan prestasi akademik. INNOVATIVE: Journal of Social Science Research, 4(1), 8942–8950.
Putro, R., Raharjo, S. T., Rachim, H. A., & Padjadjaran University. (2020). Coping strategi pada mahasiswa yang bekerja. Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial, 19(2), 199–207.
Safrizal, H. B. A., Eliyana, A., & Febriyanti, K. L. (2020). The Effect of Double Role Conflict (Work Family Conflict) on Female Worker’s Performance with Work Stress as the Intervening Variable. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(10).
Subandy, K., & Jatmika, D. (2020). Hubungan psychological capital dengan coping stress pada mahasiswa yang bekerja. Jurnal Psibernetika, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.30813/psibernetika.v13i2.2382
Verulava, T., & Jorbenadze, R. (2022). The impact of part-time employment on students’ health: A Georgian case. Malta Medical Journal, 34(1), 50–57.
Wahyuni, R. D., Tri, H., Hia, N., Wardani, A., & Khasanah, F. U. (2025). Analisis coping stress pada mahasiswa STIE Pembangunan Tanjungpinang yang bekerja paruh waktu. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 4(2), 1385–1398.
Zahra, M., Aini, Z., Ningsih, A. C., Nuwansa, R., & Amna, Z. (2024). Gambaran burnout pada mahasiswa pekerja paruh waktu di Banda Aceh. Syiah Kuala Psychology Journal, 2(1), 68–75. https://doi.org/10.24815/skpj.v2i1.28862
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yoppy Martha Aditya, Ovalia Rukmana

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.




