8 Success Tips For Going Back To School After Becoming A Parent

Ask For Support

Before you truly commit to going back to school, it is important to remember what a serious undertaking it is. Going to school is important for self-growth, but that doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy. Attending college while raising kids takes a lot of work, and you will need a support system. Reach out to your friends and family to ask for their support if you want to truly be successful.

School is hard, and raising children is even harder. These two things can be a huge burden to bear on occasion, which is why having support is so important. Every parent inevitably hits a point where they need help. Your motivation might be dropping, or you might be behind in your studies. No matter what, it is crucial that you have a support system in place to help you get through it. Whether it is your spouse taking the kids out for the evening so you can study in peace or a relative watching them while you take a test, it really does matter.

Share What You Learn

There are many different ways to successfully absorb information. One of the best ways that you can do this is to share it with another person. Fortunately, as a student and a parent, you will have plenty of time to do this. It might mean talking about something that you learned around the dinner table, or it might mean rambling at your baby about complex topics. At the end of the day, it is all about staying focused and keeping your knowledge fresh in your mind so that you retain it.

You might think that this is a strange idea, particularly for those parents who have babies instead of older children. In reality, babies are perfect for listening to you share your knowledge. Most babies just love listening to their parents talk. You can explain incredibly complex topics while you change a dirty diaper as long as you carry on with a smile. Your baby won’t mind; we promise!

Designate A Quiet Place To Work

If you really want to be successful as a parent in school, it means that you will need a good place to work. A quiet space to study is incredibly important when it comes to managing your studies effectively. If you are constantly distracted, you can expect that you will ultimately end up missing out on valuable education opportunities. Concentration is crucial to success, and having a quiet place to work can provide that.

Having a designated workspace is also important for motivation. If you know that every time you sit down at your desk, it is time to get to work and not focus on the kids, then you will always be more motivated to work the moment that you sit down. Make sure that your space is free from distractions, can be closed off from the family, and has a nice and clean environment that will keep you focused.

Make a Schedule

As a parent, scheduling is so important. As a parent and student, scheduling will be the force by which you govern your life. You are taking on a large new challenge that can be quite time-consuming. In order to ensure that you have enough space for your studies and your family, you must take scheduling seriously. This will enable you to ensure that your time gets allocated appropriately.

A good schedule differs depending on the individual. Your schedule might include working hours, study time, time for classes, and time for kids. Either way, a schedule can help you to manage how your time is used to make sure that you have time for everything. It can give you peace of mind when it comes to balancing your priorities.

Optimize Your Processes To Boost Study Time

Studying takes up a lot of time, and there will be times when it takes up more than you accounted for. In order to guarantee your own academic success and success as a parent, you will want to make sure that your core processes are easy and efficient. This might mean making a frozen pizza for dinner some nights. It might mean letting the laundry pile up for a day or two instead of always staying on top of it. No matter what these changes look like, they can help you to succeed.

A big consideration when it comes to optimizing processes is learning what you can do more quickly. A lot of us have rituals that are completely unnecessary, and these are the areas where you can build up some extra time when you need it. Instead of doing the dishes every single day, why not let one of the older kids give it a try once a week? Little changes can save you a lot of hours in a week when you need them. Chances are the week of finals you will be skipping everything just to squeeze out more study time.

Explain To Your Family What This Means

Going back to school means that you are taking on a large commitment. As a parent, you know how serious some commitments are. This is one of them. For this reason, you simply must take the time to explain to your family what this actually means. You want your family to understand just how important this is if you want to succeed.

These conversations change depending on who you are speaking to. When speaking to a partner, it might mean asking them for additional help. Speaking to children is generally a conversation around boundaries and the importance of your studies. Either way, it is important to keep your family in the loop so that they understand how things might change. The chances are that you will have less time and need more time for yourself. It is best to prepare them so that everyone understands the changes when they come.

Be Honest With Your Professors

As a parent, you will find out that life does happen. It is generally right around when a big test is coming, or you have a huge paper due that you will find yourself with a sick kid on your hands. Adult learners have an entire other level of potential problems simply because they are responsible for more people than just themselves. The best thing that you can do upfront is to be open and honest with your professors about any challenges.

If you run into a terrible situation with your family, talk to your professors. Though they might not be able to move mountains, they just might be able to help you to manage your family and your academic work at the same time. Whether it is by granting an extension or even offering notes from a missed class, most professors are very helpful when their students need something, and a lot of them are parents too!

Use Your Children As Inspiration

Every student inevitably runs into a moment in their education, where they just feel like it is all too much. It might be after grappling with a complex new topic or after an exam where you just did not do great. When you hit this moment, you will need to remind yourself what all of your hard work is for. Fortunately, you can take one look at your baby and understand in an instant what it is that you are trying to accomplish.

Children are the ultimate motivation when it comes to bettering yourself. You aren’t just getting a degree for yourself. You are getting a degree that will enable you to chase your passions, get a better job, and help you to show your child why education is so important. As you move forward, you will find that looking at their face and remembering what you will be able to teach them can make it all worth it.

Conclusion

Parenting isn’t easy, and neither is school, but you are without question up to the challenge. As you face your new busy schedule, remember to take breaks, and stay motivated. It is these things that will drive you to succeed, even when the going gets tough. Many parents get their degrees while raising children, and you can do so too!