The Impact of Time Management Stress, Academic Stress, and Employment Stress on Life Balance among Undergraduate Law Students: A Case Study of East China Jiaotong University

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of time management stress, academic stress, and employment stress on life balance of undergraduate law students. As law students are required to manage intensive learning tasks while preparing for future professional development, they are exposed to multiple sources of stress that may disrupt their ability to maintain balance across academic, personal, and social domains. Guided by Stress–Coping Theory and Life Balance Theory, this study aimed to explore the independent and combined effects of these three types of stress on students’perceived life balance.
A quantitative research design was employed. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire distributed to undergraduate students in the School of Law at East China Jiaotong University. A total of 212 questionnaires were distributed, and 198 valid responses were retained for analysis after data screening. The questionnaire measured time management stress, academic stress, employment stress, and life balance using multi-item scales. Reliability and validity analyses were conducted to ensure the measurement quality of the instrument, followed by descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.
The results indicate that undergraduate law students generally experience noticeable levels of time management stress, academic stress, and employment stress, while their perceived life balance remains relatively limited. Correlation analysis reveals that all three types of stress are significantly associated with lower levels of life balance. Further regression analysis demonstrates that time management stress, academic stress, and employment stress each exert a significant and independent negative effect on life balance. Among the three stressors, time management stress shows the strongest influence, suggesting that difficulties in organizing and allocating time play a central role in shaping students’overall balance of life. The conclusion of life balance among law students are not solely individual issues but reflect broader educational and developmental demands. From a practical perspective, universities should strengthen students’time management skills, adopt more balanced academic arrangements, and provide systematic employment guidance to help reduce stress and promote sustainable life balance. This study contributes to a clearer understanding of stress mechanisms in legal education and offers empirical evidence to support student development policies and educational practice improvements.

Keywords: time management stress, academic stress, employment stress, life balance, law students