Financial Insecurity

High tuition costs and lack of financial resources
Concerns about ability to afford basic needs to survive, like food, housing, and transportation
Fear of attrition, which leads to loss in future opportunities

Student-Advisor Tension

Conflict within the student-advisor relationship
Lack of access to the student
Lack of constructive feedback and/or mentorship
Lack of guidance in non-academic careers

Unclear Academic
& Career Goals

Having uncertainty about the area of research
Feeling unprepared in post-graduation due to inadequate training
Having uncertainty about the career path
Having interest in non-academic careers, but not having guidance to know who or where to turn to

Lack of Work-Life Balance & Interrole Conflict

Blurred lines between research and homelife
High workload, followed by sleep deprivation, resulting in burn-out
Accepting that multiple life roles with competing demands will have to take a backseat as the student role will take priority before any other role of intimate partner, parent, caretaker, professional, or friend

Students: Coping

Strategy I

Setting new expectations:

Having a conversation between you and your significant other about being flexible and understanding that there may be a need to set new expectations. Giving up some, not all, of the role responsibility

For example – if you are a single parent caring for a sick child, perhaps consider reducing the course load or taking an “incomplete” grade while you get through. This could be an option instead of dropping out completely.
Another example – is coordinating childcare with w/support networks or even asking pre-teen and teenaged children to help with chores around the house.

Strategy III

Doing it All: Reactive Role Behavior

Research suggests that trying to work equally hard to meet the demands of every role without sacrificing any of them is not an effective strategy. This approach can lead to burnout, contribute to attrition, and hinder success in your doctoral journey. Try another strategy.

Strategy II

Redefining role expectations

Students and significant others can change how they perceive an expectation versus changing it by doing one of the following:

Prioritization - To manage multiple roles, prioritize tasks in each role. Nursing or paper submission is a top priority and should be completed first. Delegate or postpone other less critical tasks.
Compartmentalization – Be intentional about your focus. Block off family/personal time when at school or doing schoolwork. Leave schoolwork behind when focusing on family/personal matters.
Reduction of expectation standards – Having the understanding that all the assigned reading will not get done, but enough of the assignment will be completed to be well-prepared for the class.

Strategy IV

Time-Management Skills

Create a To-do list but be careful and make sure you have a clear distinction between tasks that are important versus those that are urgent.

Important tasks include exercising, reading assignments, and household chores.
Urgent tasks, on the other hand, are those that have a specified time, such as attending a child's program or submitting a paper.

It is important to designate specific times for tasks such as grocery shopping and family-related activities that cannot be moved around, and also make time for uninterruptible tasks such as classes, work schedules, and children's school time.

Check out this 1st year doctoral student who's also a parent! They shared their personal experience about their stressors during their first semester of the doctoral program and the tips they used to cope.

(2 min. 53 sec.)

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