Students struggle to balance courses and extracurricular involvement

Students at the University of Kansas are balancing academics with activities and jobs that regularly pull them away from the classroom.

Whether it is athletics, ROTC, internships, or other commitments, some students miss multiple days of class each semester. At KU, 74% of students are undergraduates, and full-time status requires at least 12 credit hours, with many students taking more. That workload often translates to students also being expected to complete work outside of class. For students with demanding schedules, attending every class is not always possible.

Jordan Bach, KU baseball player and graduate student, described the challenges of traveling for competition, saying, “10 to 12-hour bus rides, no internet, so you’re not really able to do any work while traveling, and it takes your entire day.”

Missing class time can impact academic performance. While student-athletes often have access to tutoring and academic support, students involved in internships or other activities may not have the same resources. Junior Devarshi Desai said their pharmaceutical internship causes them to miss between five to eight hours of class each week.

While some students in hands-on majors still need to take courses that require in-person participation, other students turn to online courses for flexibility, such as Liberal Arts and Sciences 490. This course offers flexible credit options and makes it easier to stay on track academically while managing outside commitments.

Even so, long travel days, missed lectures, and the need to stay in constant communication with professors can make it difficult to keep up.

For many, the question becomes whether the opportunity they are pursuing is worth the time lost in the classroom.

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