Balancing Act: Post-Secondary Students' Struggle

0:00It's April 6th, I'm Corey with the story, and this is Calgary News, today your AI-powered local news. Post-secondary burnout hits hard this time of year, especially with exams looming. At Mount Royal University, students like 4th-year social work major Miranda Usherim, a single mom working part-time, cut back from 4 courses A, semester to just 2 or 3 to juggle life. She says the curriculum often ignores folks with jobs or kids, forcing extra prep just to stay afloat. Mount Royal is stepping up with more classes after 4 pm, and on weekends, plus flexible scheduling to help with work and extras. Counselor Michael Houston points out the top stressor is task overload, midterms, projects, jobs, needing 2 or 3 hours of study per class hour. Many prefer 2 or 3 class days a week for breathing room on homework or errands. Students react mixed, evenings and Saturdays help some, but not all, especially single parents, craving more tailored support.

1:02Students' Association President Tallah Abouhayane notes the school's history of tight campus space led to Monday through Thursday classes, with Fridays, for labs, making travel and costs a hassle for commuters. Over at University of Calgary, it's a similar story academic low tops, stress surveys, and while advisors tweak schedules for work or family, popular. Classes feel fast, leaving folks with bad fits that cut work time, support kicks in late, like the high pressure academic turnaround program only after grades tank. Ultimately, students push for real flexibility, more seats, varied assessments, even flex days for late submissions like the five day buffer in one, computer science course that kept things balanced without skimping on learning. Students are adapting, but thriving means putting life first alongside the grind.