Tips For Moms Earning a College Degree
More moms are getting campus and online degrees
The term “college student” used to evoke images of young adults fresh out of high school – but not anymore. Thirty-eight percent of all college students are 25 or older. At the University of Phoenix, the average student is around 35. More and more, people of all ages are returning to school, and that group includes mothers who haven’t let kids get in the way of their career goals and dreams of a college degree. Balancing kids and school can be tricky, but it can be done. With the right skills, you can be on your way to becoming a career mom in no time at all.
The key to doing anything successfully as a mom is organization. It’s more important than ever when you’re managing kids and an online degree program to create a dedicated space in your home for your computer, school work, textbooks, class files, etc. Sort your syllabi and other class papers into clearly labeled folders, and put up a calendar where you can mark the dates your work is due so that you never have an excuse to miss a deadline. Finally, make sure the kids know that this is your space, not another play area for them. If everything is placed together and well-organized, you’ll spend more time on your school work and less time blotting chocolate milk off your latest paper.
You’ll also need to have a good schedule worked out. There’s a reason kids have naptimes and bedtimes and lunchtimes—kids thrive on routine and moms fare better when the kids are well-fed and rested. Make your classes and study time part of your family’s routine, and stick to whatever schedule you create. Online classes definitely make this easier! Some moms might be able to fit in all their class and study time while the kids are sleeping or at school, but if you can’t, get together with your family and create a new schedule that works for you as well as everybody else in your home. If everyone knows that Mom’s time to study is from 7-9 every evening, they can enjoy that time with Dad, another family member or a babysitter, and you’ll be free to get your work completed without being disrupted.
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