Work-Study-Life Balance – the Concept, its Dyads, Socio-Demographic Predictors and Emotional Consequences

The concept of working students meeting triple demands of their work, studies and private life has not been sufficiently described or empirically supported in the literature, although combining work and study is not only a necessity for many students, but a common phenomenon among them. As well, studies so far focused on the dyads of work-nonwork relationship, predominantly on the work-study conflict/balance and rarely on the study-life conflict/balance, while the triad of work-study-life balance (WSLB) is understudied. This study is the first one to empirically examine the WSLB concept, defined as a balance of conjoining three ‘categories of student commitment’ – their work obligations, demands of their studies and their private life, using a methodology grounded in the work-life balance (WLB) theory. We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study on a sample of 235 students, focused on the most relevant dyads of the WSLB concept, socio-demographic predictors and emotional consequences of WSLB. Our five key findings are: (1) it is possible to balance work, studies and private life, (2) work-study balance (WSB) is critical for achieving WSLB, (3) all subgroups of students based on their socio-demographic characteristics are equally (un)successful in achieving balance between and among various life aspects, (4) WSLB is significantly participating in students’ emotional state in terms of their happiness, unhappiness and relaxation, and (5) the study-life balance (SLB) dyad is the most relevant dyad for the students’ emotional state.