Studying mums....

[V8]

Are there any full-time studying mums out there? How do you balance it? Are your kids in school/daycare a certain number of days a week so you can get your studies done?

I am thinking of returning to studies next year, but am unsure of how stressful it would be and if i could cope or not.

What worked for you and your family??

[1+1=5]

what worked for me was going part-time and off-campus so i could do the work in my own time. i've been studying since i was pregnant and DS is now 3.5 and hes only started one day of day care when he turned 3. how do you balance it? the only way i could balance it was not creating too many other commitments in my life, just family and uni. that helps to keep focus.

what worked for us? when DH has a day off work, i spend a day a week at the library where there are no distractions, this was best when i had assignments due. the rest of the time i studied when DS was asleep at night. i also gave myself two nights a week where i would not touch any books and i chose those nights to be the nights when there was something good on telly and i could just zone out (got he monday night Grey's Anatomy!). thats about it.

best of luck with your decision! its definitly do-able.

[OJandMe]

Hi there!

Go for it! It definately can be done! I feel pregnant with the boys in my 3rd year of an education degree. I went full-time while I was PG and did one semester with one subject externally when they were born in feb, 05... I went back full-time second semester and finished in July this year. It wasn't easy, doing prac and full-time uni and newborns/toddlers.... but I didn't find it overly difficult either.

The main thing is time management. We had the boys in a FANTASTIC bedtime routine from the onset... so I had all evening to study. Not only that but I was able to juggle my classes around when my DH was home, and do external classes where I could. IN the case I couldn't do them externally and DH wasn't home I asked my Mum or MIL to watch them.

If you manage your time, get your assignments done early, read the course profiles and try to choose subjects which have fairly managable assessment loads... such as 1 or 2 major assignments with an exam rather than weekly responses.

I'm going back to do my Masters next year and today we got a :bfp: :smiliedance: so 'freckle' is due in August. For next year I've got the boys booked in to daycare for 2 days, so I'vwe got that time to study...

and if you have a supportive partner 'split/shift' with him... often DH would watch the boys for whole days on the weekends while assignments were due... if you get your research done early... then you can write up an assigment in a few days.

YOU CAN DO IT!!! You just need commitment, support and fantastic time-management skills (which you develop along the way... believe me)

[jessgray]

till ds2 was born i was studying cert3 in childrens services and it was 3 days a week and ds1 went to daycare those days.
i have enroled in bachelor of business in financial services for next yr through open uni i hope i do ok i am doing 1 unit per study period :fingerscrossed:
ETA: i am doing my 1st 4 units online :)

[~EmsMum~]

I have no idea how ill juggle it! and im a single mum aswell! ill soon see! I start FT study in feb

[Hector]

I'm studying a language course at the moment and over summer and thinking of going back to uni next year p/t or f/t. I have shocking time management (which I already knew from previous uni degree!) so am really struggling with a toddler...

I am trying to be better, though. I'm studying by distance & I'm a single mum and I think it's important to treat study like it's work - ie: set aside the time for it and have someone else look after wee ones. Otherwise I find my daughter doesn't always see my 'study time' as such and will want to play and then we both end up getting incredibly stressed out!

Try to think it through step by step in your head as to how you will cope! I am thinking I will have to put DD in daycare at least one day a week next year when I start studying so I know at least I have one set day as family can be unreliable (or bring her back before I'm ready!)

[happy_neu]

I finished the last 2 months of my uni degree - including 1 week of pracs at uni when my bub was 2 weeks old (she was babysat by my grandparents)... and I have no idea how! :yelclap: to everyone who has to do it for longer than that!!! Put in for special consideration for everything that you can (that way you might get over the line if your close) And study whenever you can fit it in! Also I got my grandparents to come down and help out (for my pracs), and my mum took a day off to babysit the day b4 exams. (My partner was in a different state til I moved after finishing... so i guess its similar to been a single parent?)

[V8]

Congrats guys, that's so awesome. Well my parents have bought a childcare centre, so i will be able to put my son in there i assume when they take the business over. It will be great to be able to actually get my degree. I think i just need to motivate myself and be better at time management and i have great problems with procrastination! lol But it will be all worthwhile if i can manage it!

Also i will definately need more help from DH, he stays at home anyways as i am his full-time carer, but he can do lots of things to help out. :)

Thanks guys, and congrats to all that have acheived a degree with little kids you are all so amazing!!

[mama2cierra]

yeh its all about organisation :thumbsup:
and sticking to it. if you have a support network that is willing to help out gr8!! and if your kids go down to sleep well at night even better!! for classes i had to put my DD into daycare 2 days a week. but she loves it!!

all the best! :tree:

[V8]

Thanks heaps for that. I'm lucky my course is external so i don't need to attend uni, only for research purposes, otherwise i can do it all at home. Wish DS went to bed earlier though, that would make things a bit better, but i think i might be able to do it.