Time has not been on your side. You barely have time to take care of the little ones and work full time! There just never seems to be enough time to do everything, let alone go back to school and attain or complete your college degree.
Cost has also been an issue and adding a tuition payment to the monthly budget is not always feasible. What then are your options? The United States U.S. Census Bureau reports that about 20% of families in the country are headed by a single parent and in a majority of these cases, the parent is the mother. In addition only 5% of single parents earn over $75,000 a year. Therefore, without financial aid, it becomes increasingly difficult to realize the hope of completing their education.
The US Department of Labor reports that most mother who work have full time jobs. When they get home they spend another ten hours cooking, cleaning, running errands, running car poolings, playing with the kids, washing and doing laundry in addition to their other responsibilities.
The good news is that there are many programs available for working parents (both moms and dads) through accredited distance learning programs as well as financial resources such as scholarships and grants to support working parents. Government and private foundation programs are available specifically for single parents and working mothers.
The first step is to determine what you want to study in college. Next, determine the available financial resources from your prospective university or college. You can get this information from the financial aid office. You can also do a thorough Internet search for resources available in databases. In addition, stop by the local library and look through the annual scholarship reports. These tend to have the most current information. Something to remember is that many scholarships have deadlines so be sure to submit your application ahead of time. Determine what information needs to be submitted and prepare it ahead of schedule, for example letters of recommendation or career goals statements. Also be sure to look closely at the criteria for eligibility. Some financial aid is only available to students in certain areas such as mathematics, engineering, or nursing.
The next step is time management. Given all the things on your plate, adding school to the list can be overwhelming. Create a routine and try and stick to it. For instance, ensure that the kids are in bed by a certain time so that you can study without interruptions. Make lunches the evening before rather than trying to rush in the morning. Also, delegate tasks to the family members so that you do not have to do it all alone. This will create less stress and allow you to be able to concentrate better in your studies. Keep a planner or calendar so that you always have an idea of activities that are coming up to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.
To succeed in your classes you could apply several strategies throughout the semester. For each of your classes read the syllabus in-depth and ask your instructor to clarify what will be expected from you during the semester. Next, note the deadlines, milestones, due dates, exam dates and add them to your calendar.
Do not wait for the night before an assignment is due to begin working on it or for the end of the semester to start working on the big assignment or project. Develop self-deadlines and milestones and work toward those throughout the term. Ensure that you also prioritize between your home, school and work activities and determine which items must be attended to first. Pace yourself and do not be afraid to ask for help or to ask questions. Also important, have self-confidence - convince yourself you can do it, because you can!
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