Being a parent can feel like a full-time job, and you might be wondering how you’ll ever manage parenting and going back to school at the same time. While there will almost certainly be challenges ahead while you raise children and complete a degree, it’s well worth it to be a great role model for your kids. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about starting the journey towards earning a degree, follow these tips to help make the process as smooth as possible.
Talk to Your Professors
Whether you’re taking online classes or attending in the traditional setting, the first step to take when a new class starts is to let your professor know about your situation. Unlike teenagers and other young adults in the class, you’ll have a higher likelihood of needing to cope with unexpected events like sick kids or a cancellation from the babysitter. To avoid struggling to keep up in class when these problems arise, let your professor know as soon as possible that you’re a parent that will work hard to reach your academic goals.
Choose a Degree Program That You Love
Going back to college takes a monumental amount of effort, especially as a parent of young kids. To ensure that you stay as motivated as possible to keep up with your studies and stick to your goals, make sure to enroll in a degree program that you feel strongly about. For instance this school has doctorate degree programs for people in the educational field who are looking to advance their career. Going back to school without a specific career plan in mind is usually not a good idea, as the rising price of tuition and stress from rigorous coursework might not be worth the effort if you’re not sure that you’ll love the career that you’ll enter after finishing a degree.
Stay Positive
When you’re studying for a major exam while your children are arguing in the other room, you might feel ready to pull your hair out or quit school entirely. While it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed and frustrated at times, it’s important to keep your eye trained on the prize. Staying positive in the most stressful period of your life can be quite a challenge, but in the end, you’ll be proud that you accomplished your degree to advance your career.
Take Online Classes
Universities all over the country have taken note of the popularity of online programs, and there’s a huge array of possibilities if you’re hoping to take classes online. If you’re thinking about pursuing an online education, be aware that USC offers a library science degree online. For bookworms who want to enrich the lives of others and promote education, a library science degree could be the ideal choice. While going back to school might always feel little stressful, online classes are a wonderful way to stay home with the kids while pursuing a degree.
Make Time for Yourself
When you’re busy being a parent, going to work, and taking online classes, you might feel like there’s not a spare moment in the day to escape from your responsibilities. However, one of the most important things you can do to improve your chances of success is to set aside a few minutes each day to just focus on yourself. Whether you’d like to take ten minutes to meditate or take the family dog for a long walk around the neighborhood, it’s vital to take care of yourself to avoid burning out.
Team Up With a Friend
If you’ve always preferred to study with the help of a friend, there’s no reason you can’t stick to this plan when you’re taking online classes. If you’re taking distance education from a local college in your community, see if you can connect with someone from class to meet up with in person or use Skype to hold conference calls.