Earning College Degree For Working Moms

To all the working moms in the US or anywhere else, time never seems to be on your favor, I mean taking care of your kids already took so much time, you don’t know where the times goes, and now the idea of going to college may seems to a little bit of ridiculous. But I want to tell you something that you need to know! As a working mom, you still can do it! Yes my friend, you still can take care of your family and earn your degree without have to quit you day job, all in the same time!

But what about the cost? Now this is the real issue, because I’m sure that most of your salary already been used to support your family, 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.

According to a United States Department of Labor report, in addition to working full time, the average mom spends another ten hours a day running house hold activities, taking care of family members, cleaning, cooking, washing, buying groceries, playing with the children, running car pools and many other tasks and responsibilities.

Good news for working parents! There is a variety of programs available for working parents to support them financially. There are several accredited colleges and universities with online and distance learning options for parents who need to be flexible. In addition there are many financial resources available for working moms. Many government and private organization also have fund specifically reserved for working parents.

The first step is to determine what you to study. Next find out what financial options the school has. You can get this information from the colleges financial aid office. A thorough Internet search can also yield some results. Also, visit the library and look at the annual listings of scholarships and grants available. One key point to remember is to make a note of the application deadlines, required information you need to submit and the specifics of each individual scholarship. For example some scholarships might be just for those who are studying in a certain area such as business or education or nursing.

The next step has to do with time management. Given all your responsibilities, adding classes to your list can sound quite daunting. Develop a routine and stick to it. Make your family stick to it as well. For example ensure that the children bedtime is well established so that you can study without interruptions after putting them to bed. Also, you can prepare lunches the evening before to save you time in the morning. Delegate responsibilities to the family so that you don’t have to try and do it all alone. This will help you feel less stressed and help you focus more on your school work. Keeping a daily planner and using it regularly will also help you have an idea of your home, class, and work activities without making you feel flustered.

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!!

Yes you can! And now I want you to hurry up and enter our $10,000 scholarship give away!

Submitted By : Sophia Peters

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