DegreeGo Blog

Are you a parent currently enrolled in college or looking to pursue a college degree? Juggling an academic career with raising a family can be a demanding struggle; many parents every year will dropout in an effort to meet their family’s needs. Fortunately, advances in education have addressed this concern and made a degree more accessible than ever! All you need to know if where to look and then utilize the benefits available to you.

1: Pursue a degree online.

One of the most often used options for parent-students is the availability of online degree programs. Online schools allow parents to attend college where they want, when they want; study from home, after children have gone to bed, or during a lunch break at your local coffee shop.

2: Seek financial aid programs.

There are financial aid programs designed specifically for parents going back to school, including government programs that are backed by the Obama administration. All it takes is a quick Google search. Many of these financial aid packages will help aid an online degree program!

3: Make a family study time.

If your children are also in school, making a family study time is a way to turn going back into school into a family activity. Your children can even help you brush up on dusty mathematics skills!

4: Get the support of your spouse and/or children.

Make sure that your family knows when you plan on studying and that you need quiet time during that process. Too many parents go to school without setting up some kind of structure and fall apart at the seams when it comes to completing assignments.

5: Take your time finishing your degree.

It’s okay to attend college part-time; many parent-students opt to take 6 units or two classes a semester instead of 12 units or four classes.

6: Get a study group.

Study groups of other students are available to help out, especially when it comes to attending colleges that have other students that are parents. Having a hard time finding a study group? Start one of your own!

7: Pin up a note of encouragement.

Students recount about how useful it is to pin up encouraging notes where they study or where they are located throughout a good portion of the day–such as the dashboard of your car–to keep them going. These notes could be as simple as “You can do it!” or as complex as the career / academia you want to ultimately achieve at the end of your degree.

8: Speak with your college adviser.

Colleges recognize that more and more parents are going back to school and often have resources available that are unique to that college. Some colleges even have child care programs. Make sure to let your adviser know that you are a parent going back to school and see if they have any resources available for you.

9: Take night classes.

If you choose to attend a campus-based school rather than an online degree program, you can look into the night classes the school has available. Many universities offer classes after bedtime hours–as late as 7 pm to 10 pm at night–to make school more readily available to adult learners with families and/or full-time jobs.

10: Don’t stress out.

Whatever you do, don’t fill your plate so high that you end up stressing yourself out. It’s hard enough juggling school and family without taking on too much excess; try to look at each semester one-at-a-time and relax and enjoy your educational career.