Tips for Finding a Balance Between Mommy and Student!

Being a mom is hard enough, add in all of the other hats moms wear:  chauffeur, personal chef, chief disciplinarian, head grocery shopper, bill payer, and the list goes on and on, it doesn’t leave much time for much else.  Adding student to that list seems like a complete impossibility when you look at all of the other things us moms have going on. 
Actually being a mom and a student is not impossible, I’ve been working towards my degree for the past few years and even though it has been a long and bumpy road filled with many twists and turns, I’m doing it and I am succeeding!  So I thought I would share some of my tips for balancing motherhood and school with all of you who are students or may be thinking of becoming student.

*  Be prepared!  It will be difficult to find a good balance between your family and your school work, but not impossible!  Don’t go into the situation thinking it will be a breeze without being fully prepared for what’s in store!  Late nights spent studying, cramming for exams, homework, quizzes, babysitter or daycare issues—just make sure you have a clear game plan and you won’t go wrong!

*  Don’t take on too much!  Making sure that your course load isn’t too much for you is a must when you have a family and a job to worry about.  I cannot tell you how many times I have attempted to take on 5 classes a semester and failed miserably at doing so.  I know for me 4 classes is the most I can handle at a time, for some people it may be more for some less, only you know what you can handle so don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise!
*  Make a Study Schedule and Stick to it!  This is probably one of the best tips I have been given!  When you have other commitments (family, work, friends) it’s very easy to forget about your school work.  Make a study schedule each week of the times that you can study uninterrupted for at least an hour per day and make sure you stick to it! 
*  Don’t procrastinate!  I have to admit that being an online student I find myself putting things off to the last minute more often than not.  The problem is that sometimes (and with 4 kids sometimes means at least once a week) things happen and you are unable to finish that project or complete your quiz—so plan for the unexpected and don’t leave things until last minute!
* Make time for family activities!  As hard as this one is to do when you have papers due, pop quizzes, and exams to study for, it’s also very important.  Making time to spend with your family lets them know that they are just as important as your school work—it’s also a great stress relief for YOU!
*  Don’t give up!  I know so many people who have started school only to give it up because it became too difficult to balance school, work, and family.  Going to school when you’re a mom IS hard, but it CAN be done, you just have to find the balance that works for you and keep at it…you may just be surprised at what you can do!
Are you a college student and a mom?  If so I want to hear your best tips for balancing the two! 

Image Credit:  Students Over 30

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Life as a College Student, Mother, and Wife: Oh My!

August is always a hectic month for me; it begins with a bang as Lil Man’s birthday rolls around just as the month is beginning (pictures from his party will be coming soon) and ends with both myself and my girlies going back to school!  I don’t talk too much about my life as a college student, mostly because it’s just another crazy, hectic, stressful part of my life, but I have decided that talking about me being in school while raising 4 kids (5 if you count my husband) might be a good thing! 
I have been a college student for a while now at my local community college, but I decided last month to finally take the leap and enroll in an actual university!  While my grades have been pretty good through college with my GPA staying consistently around a 3.4 (which is a miracle in itself) it has taken forever to finish so I am leaving my community college 3 credit hours shy of an AA degree (LONG story behind why I am not staying to complete it).  It makes me feel like somewhat of a failure for not staying it out until my degree is completed, but I know that transferring is the right thing for me to do. 
So this fall I will be a student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU for short) and I couldn’t be happier.  I will be pursuing a Bachelors degree in Communications Studies and I will be completing my courses online (major lifesaver for this mom of 4).  I am very anxious for classes to start, but also terrified that I will not be able to keep up.  The past two semesters at my previous school were tough to say the least, trying to find the right balance between being able to be there for my kids like I need to and finding time to study is not easy and it proved to be quite the challenge.  I can only hope that a fresh start at a new school will provide me with the kick start I need to get the ball rolling and work my way (quickly work my way) to a degree. 
I hope that y’all will stick around to read about the ins and outs of trying to balance being a mommy, wife, student, and blogger!  I can’t promise much—but I promise it will be entertaining! 

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