Tips for Working Mothers Returning to College
Time never seems to be on your side! You can barely make time to do all the extras after talking care of the kids. You don't know where the time goes and now you have to entertain the idea of returning to school or completing your college degree.
Finances are an issue now adding a tuition check to each month's budget does not seem like an option. What do you do? The US Census Bureau reports that about 20% of American families are single-parent households, and in most case the breadwinner is a mother. In addition 95% of the single parents make less than $75,000 a year in income. So, for many going back to school without some form of financial aid is not an option.
According to a United States Department of Labor report, in addition to working full time, the average mom spends another ten hours a day running house hold activities, taking care of family members, cleaning, cooking, washing, buying groceries, playing with the children, running car pools and many other tasks and responsibilities.
There is good news for working parents! There are many programs available to both working moms and dads to support their financial efforts in returning to school. Accredited distance learning universities offer flexible learning options for working parents. Financial resources are also available specifically for this group of parents. There are many government and private programs that have funds for working mothers and single parents.
The first step is to figure what you want to go back to school for. Then, find out the available financial options from the prospective college. This information can be obtained from the college's financial aid office. In-depth Internet research will also yield you various results. In addition, going to the local library and looking through the annual scholarship books is always a good recommendation. One thing to remember though - watch for the deadlines and make sure you submit your application on time. Also determine the application materials that should be submitted such as letters of recommendation or essays and prepare those ahead of time. In addition, be sure to apply for the right scholarships. Some are quite specific in their criteria. For example some scholarships are only available for student in certain areas such as engineering or science.
The next thing is time management. With all your other responsibilities and tasks, adding school to your to-do list be daunting. So, developing and sticking to a routine will help give you and the family some structure. For example you can establish the children's bedtime and stick to it so that after they go to bed you can study without interruptions. You can also get into the habit of getting lunches ready in the evening to save you time in the morning and avoid the rushed feeling. Delegate responsibilities for your family members so that you don't have to feel like you have to do it all alone. This will help you in reducing the stress level and this means more focus in your studying. Keep a calendar or daily planner and use it to monitor events at home, work, and school.
As far as succeeding in your classes, there are a few strategies that you can employ. First, find out what each of your instructors expects from you early in the course. Then, ensure you read the syllabus thoroughly and ask any questions sooner than later. Write down due dates for assignments and exam dates and study ahead of time.
Do not wait for the end of the semester or the night before an assignment is due to start working on an assignment. Create self-deadlines and milestones and work incrementally on projects and papers. Also ensure that you prioritize your school, work, and home activities noting which ones must be attended to first. Pace yourself and don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help. In addition, be self-confident - tell yourself you can do it, because you can!
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