Managing Parenting and Going Back to School
It’s the end of a busy workday. I sit back and think about all that I’ve accomplished… and all that I haven’t. And this is how it is. You begin your day with a list of things to do, and you get as much of it crossed off as possible. There’s a little voice in the back of my head that’s thinking maybe it’s time to go back to school. As soon as I hear that voice, I’m quick to shut it down with the usual list of arguments: I’m too busy; I don’t have time; I’m too old; I’m not sure if I can juggle the demands of everything.
I know these are just excuses though, because I have two very good friends who are seemingly doing it all — kids, jobs, family and housework. But they also have something else: They both go to school full time on top of all these time commitments and responsibilities!
How do they do it? Well it’s certainly not easy, but as the saying going goes, nothing worth doing ever is. With new technologies now, I can go back to school, and get a quality education without having to move, or find babysitters, or change my entire life.
Find the Right Program
Depending on whether you’re starting anew or finishing up a degree, the options for continuing education are endless. There are traditional colleges that will offer the most diversity, as far as degree programs, but the drawback can be finding babysitters for daytime classes and the fact that most of your peers will be younger than you. If you have to partner up for a project, you may have the experience of multi-tasking on your side, but your buddy doesn’t need sleep or won’t have to pick up any kiddos at five o’clock.
Fortunately for working parents, many colleges and universities offer accelerated programs for working adults, with shorter courses and flexible hours. The drawback is that the course offering may not meet your needs.
As a busy working parent, your best option to consider is online education. Renowned schools like the University of Southern California, Georgetown and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill offer excellent accredited online degree programs. It’s all face to face, in real time, and even group work that’s being done, can all be done on line.
Manage Your Time
Once you figure out your program, the most important thing about being a parent and going to school is time management — and when I say time management, I mean time micromanaging. You have to be willing to study and do homework at any given time, whether it’s while your kid is playing soccer, at the dance studio, or you catch up on your reading assignments in a noisy cafeteria during lunch.
Don’t Procrastinate
Plan ahead for assignments you know you have coming up and work ahead when possible. Gets started on upcoming projects as soon as you receive the syllabus. Study a lot and stay ahead as much as possible. When you’re juggling so many balls at once, it’s hard to catch up if one drops. It’s also important to plan ahead for dinner arrangements and babysitting duties.
Stay Focused
Don’t get freaked out by those who are younger than you. It’s inevitable that unless you’re in a program strictly with other working adults, most of your peers will be of the under 25 crowd. So while you’re trying to rush along the study session before you have to pick your kid up from daycare, your buddies will be chatting idly about the awesome party they went to last weekend. Stay humble, be patient and gently try to urge the group back on task.
Accept Help from Others
I know from my day-to-day activities that it can be next to impossible to keep up with kids, errands and all of the other things that parents are expected to do. When you’re in the thick of classes, projects, studying and finals, you’ll often need help from others. Someone else will need to pick the kiddos up when you’re taking a test. Your spouse will have to fold the laundry while you’re with the study group. There’s no weakness in asking for help.
Don’t Cram
It never ever works. By the end of the semester, you will be exhausted so it’s important to maintain good sleeping habits. Schedule down time and family time. It will be very important to blow off steam from time to time.
Don’t Make Excuses
Most of all, stop making excuses. With so many people going back to school these days and so many institutions making it easier and easier for parents to make this happen, there’s just no excuse. If my friends can do it, I know I can and you can too.
Jenn Pedde is the community manager for the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Southern California in the Virtual Academic Center, which is the only fully accredited online MSW degree. She’s an avid traveler, and enjoys photography.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to